Editor,
For me and others who form more than 98 per cent of the 1200 million odd population of India today, we are not bothered at all about the elections to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and who will be the next President of India after July 19. For me and perhaps many others like me, this particular election, has no stake at all in as much as we are not directly involve in choosing the President. But, we will be very excited to hear the next announcement of the Lok Sabha Elections Schedule to be made by the Election Commission of India. However, what really concern majority of common electors like me, is the fact that a blurred political picture that will emerge after the General elections- 2014, the inability of the country to get out of the corruption culture which has ruined the country’s economy and the way out of the economic crisis that has again set in the country for last few years which is still continuing to hit the common man very hard.
Coming to the ongoing presidential elections, the moot point is that it is the constitutional duty of the eligible electors (the MLAs and MPs) to elect the person of their choice from among the two contenders -Purno Agitok Sangma and Pranab Mukherjee, which is guaranteed by the constitution of India. I am very happy that at least this time both the contenders have all the qualification and merit to occupy the topmost job. Any of them will make India proud and will make it taller in the days to come in the comity of nations. For me, and for many of us from Meghalaya, we would be more delighted if a veteran political leader from our state is elected to this post. If elected, Mr. Purno Sangma will definitely prove that an “Indian Tribal” can do far better than many others. His past records have proved the point. However, I sincerely hope that neither of them will disappoint Indians by reducing themselves and the post into another rubber stamp but will rise above their predecessors and assert and exert themselves according to the letter and spirit of the constitution.
Many perceived the post of president to be merely a decorative one and describe it as rubber stamp. In fact, those who had occupied this post in the past did not assert themselves or perform their duty as provisioned in the constitution. In fact, they chose to sign on dotted lines or toe the lines of the government of the day for fear of losing their job. The constitution has provided enough powers for the president to exercise his/her powers in the discharge of duties. It is a crime for the presidents to keep aloof or be a mere spectators to the mal- governance and the ills besetting this country. There were several occasions when presidents should have intervened when the country was reeling under human rights violation, corruption, scams, strong-hand tactics by the centre on the states and the continued economic deprivation in many parts of the country. In fact, past presidents pretended to be oblivious to what was happening in many parts of the country while sitting in the comfort zone of Raisina Hill. This is atrocious.
The only benefit that this election has provided to the nation is that it has opened up new political dimensions for re-alignment of political forces, which in effect will lead to stronger dictation and bargain by the regional and smaller parties like the AIADMK, DMK, TMC, SP, AKD, NCP and JD(U), BSP, Congress(JR) over the INC and BJP in the days and years to come. Definitely this is the pointer to future government formations and who will align with whom. Moreover, this election has provided an opportunity for the INC (Congress) to reward or get rid of old fashioned Pranab Mukherjee, who has miserably failed as Finance Minister of the country and pave the way for bringing in Rahul Gandhi and his team in the run up to the General elections-2014. Man Mohan Singh has lost his good name and fame and is no more the mass appealing figure of the Congress who can sway millions of the electors of the country. Perhaps Rahul Gandhi can but the only lingering skepticism is on his ability to lead the government and country as PM.
Yours etc.,
P Marwein,
Senior Journalist,
Shillong -2
Deserving invitation
Editor,
Apropos of the news “Prince Charles’ special invitation to a Khasi” (ST June 27 2012), a humane person like Bah Phrang Roy, former Assistant President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is the right person to be invited by Prince Charles to present and lead the discussion on new strategies for a more humane and sustainable world. Deep within I am very proud of this gentleman. I recall how he with other intelligent persons like Mr H.A.D. Sawian, IAS, former Secretary, North Eastern Council (NEC), Mr Barkos Warjri, IAS, Deputy Secretary, NEC and Mr Asish Kumar, ISS, Director Evaluation & Monitoring, NEC worked tirelessly to rope in the IFAD for an in depth study and the ultimate launching of the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCOMP) for Upland Areas under the NEC Plan covering six districts of the North Eastern Region, namely Ukhrul and Senapati in Manipur, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao (formerly North Cachar Hills) in Assam and West Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The project commenced in 1999. An expenditure of more than Rs 202 crore was incurred at the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) on this project.
The objective of the project is “to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner through improved management of their resource base in a way that contributes to preservation and restoration of environment”. The project was launched against the backdrop of the not so successful rural development interventions in the North East. The project changed the mindset of communities involved; stakeholders gained confidence and money lenders were marginalized. An evaluation mission was fielded by IFAD and the project was professionally and comprehensively evaluated by a team of experts drawn from different parts of the world. The project was awarded an overall grading of 5 out of 6. The team remarked that the project is notably successful and its achievements exemplary in quite a few areas of rural development.
I agree with the views of Bah Phrang that modern planners have not fully understood the context- rich experience of more than 300 million indigenous communities who are the knowledge holders threatened by deforestation, mining, loss of biodiversity, land grabs and well intentioned but top down development schemes. I think this is a result of enhancing Gross Domestic Product which few would dispute, has failed as a true measure of economic welfare. In the 1934 report of Congress GDP’s chief architect, Simon Kuznets, he cautioned that “the welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income” (Kuznets 1934). It is time we measure economic welfare by Genuine Progress Index, an index which makes deductions on account of income inequality and costs of crime, environmental degradation, and loss of leisure et al.
I am happy that Bah Phrang is working to get the International Slow Food Movement to hold its International Indigenous Conference and Festival in my village Mawphlang in May 2014 and I wish him the very best.
Yours etc.,
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
Tuition a necessity
Editor,
With respect to “Era of Tuition” (ST June 21,2012), I would like to say that having passed my board exams last year, the good marks that i got would not have been possible had I not taken tuitions. Of course we learn the same things in school, but tuitions give us that extra something which we might not get in school. In tuitions, we also revise whatever we’ve done in school and not by ourselves but in the presence of a tutor who guides us if we have any doubts.
Another fact is that in school, the topics are taught at an average pace and some students who cannot keep up with the pace at school need tutors who teach the topics slowly from the very beginning whereas there are some students who can grasp the topics quickly and they need tutors who are pretty quick and teach them only the extra topics not taught in school without going into the basics.
Of course it would be much better if tuitions were not necessary but the problem with schools here lies in the teacher-student ratio. For one teacher, there are around 50 to 90 students. If the ratio can come down to 1 teacher for 20 students, then I dont think tuitions would be so important as the teacher can then concentrate fully on each and every student and work out the best way to teach each student.
Looking at the current situation in schools in Shillong, I don’t see a way out of tuitions unless the student-teacher ratio is changed.
Yours etc.,
Shainam Kharumnuid,
Via email