Editor,
Recently a section of the media had reported a trip by officials from the State Horticulture Department to Germany for a Conference relating to horticulture development in Meghalaya. The paper reported that these officials led by a very senior ranking bureaucrat including the project director of MRDS and Horticulture, and others had undertaken a city to city joyride in a Volkswagen SUV at a whopping expenditure of Rs 10 lakh. We the people need to get a full report of the trip and the value addition to the State from the Conference cum-tour and if such tours can really change the economic condition of our rural folks engaged in farming? Ironically, while the poor farmers were out on the streets protesting the dissolution of MRDS, the Project Director was enjoying a paid holiday and joyride in a European country. In fact Dr. Mukul Sangma should ask for a presentation by these officers on what they have learnt from such a sightseeing tour.
Yours etc.,
Dominic S.Wankhar
Shillong-3
Repackaging old issues
Editor,
The current imbroglio regarding the demand to implement the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya by various pressure groups is not a new issue. Its ugly head has emerged time and time again. The question that occurs at this juncture is whether or not the ILP is a viable alternative at all to check influx of illegal migrants. It is hypocritical on the part of the opposition parties who were once in power to vehemently stand behind these goons who’ve held the entire state to ransom over something which has proved to be a failure in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram since they themselves did nothing when at the helm of power. Paul Lyngdoh as then KSU President led a hunger strike and various other vigorous forms of protests over the ILP and Reservation Policy. The question is why didn’t he do anything substantial when in power? Why aren’t you talking about the Reservation Policy now, Mr. Lyngdoh? Is this a pressure tactic to bring down yet another government?
Yours etc,
F.B. Lyngdoh
Shillong -2
Bullying the public
Editor,
I would like to asked the various NGOs calling for bandhs, road blockades why they persistent on making us the general public suffer by calling these agitations ? I want to know also where is the majority they are saying that are supporting them on the ILP because all I can see (actually hear) of their so called supporters are just some hooligans who go on a vandalism spree targeting innocent people. Why can we just admit and accept that the majority is not in favour of the ILP and it is not good for the State as pointed out in various articles. I beg the “NGOs” to stop bullying us the peace loving public and request the Government to start thinking of introducing a law that will have restrictions on bandhs and agitations called by the so called NGOs.
Yours etc.,
Rick Jyrwa
Shillong -18
Predictable action
Editor,
As expected, no sooner than the talks between the conglomerate of NGOs and the Government on ILP failed, the NGOs have immediately called for a dawn to dusk bandh on Monday. This call for a bandh has become a ritual adopted by pressure groups in the state. Calling a bandh on a Monday is the worse punishment possible that the NGOs could inflict on daily wage earners as this would mean that they would miss out on two day’s earning because Sunday too is a holiday. One cannot understand why the common man should be made to suffer? This time around the worse sufferers are students and daily labourers. Is there no alternative for the NGOs to voice their displeasure at the Government, such as a hunger strike which will not hamper the lives of the poor? After all we are not sure if the people of the state are in favour of the ILP or not as the NGOs did not seek the mandate of the people. All that the NGOs did were to simply take all and sundry for granted and assume that we are all in favour of the ILP. One feels that there should be scope for discussion of the pros and cons of any issue. The ILP is a serious issue. There should be a broad perspective for analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the subject. Sadly the NGOs can only see the ILP as a solution to the influx problem. When their demands failed to be realised it is the common man who has to pay the price. What a sad state of affairs indeed!
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email