Editor,
The news report of the withdrawal of the budget provision for the Sohra Eco-restoration Project(ST April 10, 2013) by the Government must have been welcomed by the majority who are unconvinced of its chance of success (ST Poll result Oct 26, 2012 on this subject). The withdrawal at this juncture may sound illogical since funds have been spent in the field for the project for the initial phase but then again considered wise and never too late rather than to regret later after more funds are wasted. I have strongly advocated that the project should not have been taken up on a large scale in the initial years because when one talks of eco restoration, the magnitude or the scale of the project and that too within a short time frame is not the main concern. Eco-restoration works require years of constant attention, a conscientious approach, dedication, sincerity and a firm devotion to the duty allocated in order to achieve success and for that to materialise , a project size within manageable limits is prescribed to begin with and when success is assured this can be replicated further. This is particularly relevant in a place like Sohra where natural conditions are hostile to simulated plant growth and also because of the ever looming threat of recurring forest fires that occur every year. Similar projects taken up in Sohra in the past have not yielded any tangible results so far. Whoever conceives of the idea in the first place must be sitting in the Secretariat. The person has an idealistic vision of the shape of things to come without being really aware of the ground realities. Nevertheless the officials of the Soil and Water Conservation Department should have been more pragmatic to consider what is best for the State and not to be simply swayed by the huge funds available at hand. The public of Sohra may oppose this withdrawal but this is not because the essence of the project itself and because of the end result but basically because of the loss of employment generated in the form of labour , contract works and other facilities available while the project was on, which is typical in most government projects. It cannot be expected that many of them are really concerned of what is in store fifty years from now particularly when it not for their self or individual benefit. Nevertheless, all that is required now is to consolidate what has been done so far and the Department perhaps need the fund for this. But, thus far and no further. We cannot afford to throw more money down the drain. There are far more important priorities in the State that need urgent attention.
Yours etc.,
Gilbert Rani,
Shillong-3
More sports coverage please!
Editor,
I am a regular reader of your esteemed daily ‘The Shillong Times’. I appreciate you and your reporters for doing a great job by covering news from all corners but I would like to request you to pay a little more interest to Sports particularly in Garo Hills. Many sporting events are being organized in Garo Hills sometimes by District Sports Officer (DSO) and other sports organizations. This will be very encouraging for the youth who are participating in different sports like cricket, football, table tennis, badminton and athletics etc., to find their match reported in your daily on a regular basis. I am sharing this fact from my personal experience. I therefore request you to engage a reporter who is interested in sports to cover sporting and other events more regularly for Garo Hills.
Yours etc.,
A Nag,
Via email
Bihu not part of Bollywood
Editor,
This is in response to the editorial “ULFA chauvinism”(April 20). Since the “culture” of issuing threats can never be supported in any civilized society, ULFA leadership deserves condemnation for threatening distinguished Assam singer Zubeen Garg for his act of rendering Hindi/Bollywood songs during the Bihu functions. Garg is also correct in asserting that no organization can dictate what an artiste will sing. But one can definitely discuss the pros and cons of rendition of Hindi/Bollywood songs at Bihu functions.
Bihu is a festival not only typical to Assam, but also one of the pillars of the great Assamese culture. It is one of Assam’s identity to the world, the sanctity and exclusivity of which should definitely be maintained at any cost. One holds full right to hear Hindi songs, purchase Hindi CDs, visit a theatre showing Bollywood films, sing/hear Hindi songs at halls or auditoriums; but is the solemn occasion of Bihu an appropriate platform to showcase Hindi songs? Won’t the very root of Assamese culture get affected by it? Do the Punjabis, Gujaratis, Marathis, Goans, Malyalees or Tamils sponsor Hindi /Bollywood songs while celebrating Baisakhi, Navratri, Gudi Padwa, Carnival, Onam or Pongal? Multi-culturalism is fine, but it cannot be pursued at the expense of festivals or traditions indigenous to the soil. One can easily confine himself/herself to Assamese tradition while celebrating Bihu, but also attend any programme featuring English, Hindi etc. elsewhere.
It must be reminded that domestic and foreign tourists flock to Nagaland, Mysore, Thailand or Brazil to witness Hornbill Festival, Duserrah, Songkram Festival or the Carnival respectively. Now if those regions dilute the indigenous traits of the concerned festivals by importing alien flavours so as to “nationalise” or “internationalise” it, would the tourists, searching for uniqueness of the regional festivals, care to revisit? If Hindi songs are allowed to be sung in functions associated with Bihu, why would people from outside Assam be interested in visiting the state and enjoying the festival? They can easily hear it in their drawing rooms. Despite possessing immense tourism potential, Assam hardly draws substantial tourists compared to Kashmir, Kerala, Rajasthan or Goa. Bihu would have been the ideal platform to draw tourists. But the project would get nipped in the bud if Bihu’s uniqueness is tampered with.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata – 114