Editor,
In spite of the expectations of the people for a better future, it seems we are heading for the usual post election scenario. As in the past, it looks like we will again have a coalition government. With the coalition government will come the usual lack of transparency and accountability. This situation benefits politicians who will get authority without responsibility, but it will definitely play havoc on good governance.
The last year, we have seen positive signs from the Mukul Sangma government. Dr Sangma has been doing and saying the right things, thereby positively catching the attention of the common people. Unfortunately, his own Congress party has not invested in his Chief Ministership and has, instead, continued with it’s well honed “divide and rule” policy. If only they had placed their faith on Dr Mukul and allowed him to pick his candidates for the sake of stability and good governance post election! Instead, it is reported that they have asked Messrs Lapang and Pala to take charge of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills sector, while Dr Sangma was asked to look after Garo Hills. This paves the way for a leadership struggle within the Congress, post election, which will lead to instability. The ultimate gainers will be the AICC representatives while the ultimate victims will be good governance and, of course, the people.
There has been a lot of dissatisfaction with the Congress, but unfortunately the other parties have chosen to play second fiddle to the Congress. Instead of reinventing themselves and sacrificing for the people by going in for a pre-poll alliance, they are content with looking to gain only from the mistakes of the Congress. After the election, they will fight with each other to support the Congress and be a part of the coalition. Then, throughout the term there will be no opposition in case the opportunity to be with the government comes their way. At the end of the day, the role of the opposition will have to be again played by pressure groups like the KSU, FKJGP, CSWO, ANVC, etc.
So what can the people do in order to get good governance? I guess they can only look to choose wisely for themselves. Let the people not be fooled by monetary incentives or electoral platitudes. Let them choose people with integrity, who are willing to commit on transparency and accountability, as their representatives. Then hope that the character of the people they have chosen will give them stability and good governance for the next five years. I urge the people of the State to reject all tainted candidates, otherwise the frustration will build up, and we know how that frustration can get expressed.
I sincerely pray that God may bless and protect our State and it’s people.
Yours etc.,
R G Lyngdoh.
Via email
Is there a Hope?
Editor,
Narendra Modi, who needs no introduction, in his address to the youth at the Sree Ram College of Commerce, Delhi mentioned that it took his Government one hundred and sixty two days to build the largest Convention Hall in the country. Compare this with our state where it took nineteen, or was it twenty nine, years to build a bridge in West Khasi Hills. The Shillong Bye Pass initiated in the early eighties is still under construction, the Santa Clause did not land his sleigh on the rough terrain hence our Chief Minister could not gift it to us before last Christmas as promised. The Crowborough Hotel is years behind schedule in spite of the fact that the then Chief Minister flew to Delhi to compensate the builder in an out of court settlement. The Legislative Assembly went into flames over a decade ago, perhaps an Ashes Series can be played between the ruling and the opposition parties every year. The Meghalaya House in Kolkata for which a Chief Minister had to go is not complete up to date in spite of the fact that the cost is escalating everyday and that too with the approval of the Government. Instances of our performances would make an interesting unending fairy tale where people live happily thereafter.
Our Prime Minister says Meghalaya is one of the fastest developing states in the country! He also talked about our air connectivity. The airport in Garo Hills better be handed over to the Archeological Society of India to convert it into a Museum exhibit and the Umroi Airport would do well to hold F1 races as no airline has offered to operate on this route. Didn’t our Minister of Tourism visit Bangalore to request Kingfisher to land here? Kingfisher has closed down and so has Umroi. Is it our Government’s fault? No wonder the Prime Minister praised the air services to Meghalaya.
By the way, was the PM’s visit subject to an Election Expenditure which was restricted to a certain amount, after all he came only to campaign for a Party? Were the bamboo barricades necessary to view a flying object? Our electricity shuts off at the slightest drizzle in spite of the fact that the Board was upgraded to a Corporation and it only upgraded the tariff without any improvement in its performance. The old faithful Umiam whose life span exhausted in the nineties is still being used as there is no alternative. The hue and cry during the Government of 2010 in the allocation of the Hydro Projects to inexperienced bidders went in vain. Didn’t our one time Power Minister visit China as it was the most “powerful” country in Asia? Gujarat produces two thirds of the country’s solar powered electricity and that too with its own finance without any Central assistance. With all the foreign ‘Study’ trips by our heads, how many FDIs have we achieved? The European Union is expected to invest in Gujarat in a big way.
Going back to Narendra Modi’s speech again, he talked about Skill, Scale and Speed. Are we by any chance lagging behind in these? Our heads have the manipulative skills to privatise the public funds with a scale of lakhs to crores with a speed of achieving their goals within the five years.
Meghalaya’s elections were not of national importance hence were not covered by any TV channel. To be a power one has to be economically strong. Generation of revenue through wine shops and car parking fees will not make us a power to reckon with. The Election results might have given the Congress a mandate to rule but a strong opposition with thirty one members would keep the ruling party on tenterhooks. A concerned opposition with concerted moves is more powerful than the ruler.
Keep corruption out. CBI, NIA, ED. etc mean nothing; even the CAG lands in the waste paper bin. We only talk about “law will take its own course”. In our country the course of law ends in oblivion. By the way Mukul Wasnik whilst as the Central Minister of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment did not do anything for the disabled of Meghalaya. His Ministry reduced the grants for the schools for ‘children with special needs’ of our State. He did not even respond to our letters and the same person is now in charge of the Government formation of Meghalaya. What an irony!
I am in no way propagating Narendra Modi’s candidature for the Prime Ministership. I am only stating what a man can do for his people. We don’t need Politicians; what we need is a Statesman, a sagacious far sighted practical politician. I dream of a Meghalaya where people in power sincerely serve their fellow human beings with absolute integrity and honesty.
Yours etc.,
Sajjad M. Ali,
Via email
Need for younger cabinet
Editor,
Apropos the news item “Congress Ministers likely to retain berth” (ST 4th March 2013) , it was reported that Rowell Lyngdoh and R C Laloo are likely to retain their cabinet berth besides the other Congress leaders mentioned. I personally feel that these two leaders are not to be considered for the post of cabinet minister anymore since they have already had their share for too long. It is high time they made way for younger leaders particularly some of those who made it to the second term this time around. When Dr D.D Lapang made way for a much younger and energetic Dr Mukul Sangma we have seen the positive changes in the state with expectations of more to come. But for
this Dr Mukul needs leaders of his own age group to ably support him in his endeavours. Rowell Lyngdoh and RC Laloo may have the seniority and the experience but they are already moving downhill and I doubt if they can adjust anymore with the enthusiasm and exuberance of Dr Mukul. In any case decency on their part should also make them consider the aspirations of younger leaders to also get the chance to lead the state to a brighter future. Like old soldiers who never die ,they can slowly fade away while at the same time applying their wisdom to steer the party forward in the right direction in the years to come .
Yours etc.,
R. Sawkmie
Via email
Unreasonable energy charges
Editor,
On January 24 this year I visited two village’s viz., Pyrtakuna and Borsara villages and Khliehriat Block, East Jaintia Hills District. Again on February 02, 2013 I went to Mawrong Village, Ribhoi District. In these two tours, I was surprised to learn that the electricity bills charged to the villagers by the MeECL is on a “Langsom basis” (lumpsum) without metering, meaning that the villagers have to pay their electricity bills annually. The MeECL charges on the basis of the number of bulbs/points whether those are used or not. Each household has to pay electricity bills ranging from Rs. 3000 to Rs 20,000 which is affecting their pockets. Most of the villagers are farmers and they are not happy with this amount since the payment is not based on the actual energy consumed. No doubt, there would still be hundreds of villages in Meghalaya where the same rule is prevalent. It creates a lot of dissatisfaction when people have to pay the same amount for different energy consumption.
On behalf of the villagers concerned, I request the MeECL to take care of the situation and provide and Energy Meter to every household of the said villages and of course to those who face similar problems so that people are charged only for energy consumed. As a stop gap arrangement I suggest that power meters be supplied to every household. The consumer himself will begin to use power judiciously and this will consequently reduce the demand for power. Ultimately, the MeECL will not have to draw extra power from the national grid at a huge cost. This could be profitable for the MeECL in the long run.
Yours etc.,
Fullmoon Lyngdoh
Langtor (via) Mairang
Spare our kids the trauma!
Editor,
Teachers lay the foundation for a child. A teacher is supposed to be a friend, an icon and a person to be looked upon in times of crisis. However, I had witnessed an act from a teacher of a so called reputed school in Shillong that literally shook me from within. I am the father of a child studying in Class One and I happened to fetch my child last week. I was a little late in reaching to his class and consequently more than half the class was empty by that time. I was however, surprised to see that a child, standing near the blackboard, was crying profusely. Apparently he was being punished and the teacher seemed to be totally unconcerned. I left the class after taking my child but on my way back my mind was haunted by the sight of the poor child.
A child of Class One is too young to be treated harshly. Imagine what must be going on in this mind when he saw all the other parents seeing him standing there? He only has one guardian to look upon in class in times of distress – his teacher – and she was so indifferent! Can one imagine what effect it may have on his mind? Aren’t these incidents propelling a student to be rude and indifferent in future?
Punishments are necessary I agree, but there has to be a limit to it. Shouldn’t the punishment be over before the class was done? Was it necessary to make him an example before all the other parents? Psychologically he must be feeling so secluded amongst his own friends! I am sure the school can have some better forms of explaining things to students. For God’s sake we need love and affection to deal with the little buds. I hope the concerned school will listen. And I know that the concerned teacher who should be reading this newspaper knows what I am talking about.
Yours etc.,
A concerned parent