Editor,
There has been much noise made when the results of the elections to the District Councils in the Jaintia and Khasi Hills were declared last week, and for some reasons the noises have not yet subsided. A celebratory mood is in the air and credit also goes to the print and electronic media for this hype, but how much of this celebration is founded? The analyses made by the so many experts and by those considered to be informed have almost endorsed an unrelenting wind which favours the regional parties. However, it will not take much of our time to realise that the regional parties have not really come up to the mark if we take the time to go back to their roaring proclamations made during the election campaigns.
Fortunately or unfortunately, despite its performance being belittled, the Indian National Congress managed to do much better than before. By securing ten seats, which is an improvement from its past performance, it became the single largest party; taking into account the fact that there was an unsaid anticipation that maybe the Congress would dwindle down to decimal points because of the party’s stand against the demand for the three lettered (ILP) mayhem in the state. Though, there is more sensibility in an estimate that critiques the Congress for the involvement of its MDCs and other premier members in various corruption schemes and scams or for that matter its ability to steer the ADCs for the last five years. In quiet contrast, parties that made promises on the three lettered mayhem did not really make an impression in the elections and this is not surprising since they are dealing with a much more informed electorate that knows the limits to their promises. To think of it, such promises had no real purpose other than racking public panic (in calculated dosage) for political and electoral mileage.
The question, however, remains why we have to dwell in a simulated success, and why are we so interested in amplifying meows? Because it is clear that whatever is the case, whichever party or coalition comes to power in the District Councils, the expectations of the public remain the same. The District Councils should deliver and work for pulling up the community and pushing it forward, and not necessarily instruct only in romanticising the past. The District Councils should be able to convince us that they remain essential for the well being of the tribal population in the state, especially when it comes to their progress as citizens of a liberal democratic state. We do need to take full advantage of constitutional provisions and the state’s concessions but can we do so without being parochial about it?
Yours etc.,
Obadiah Lamshwa Lamare,
Via email
NEHU losing focus
Editor,
While NEHU tells UTM to vacate Bijni Campus as published in your esteemed paper (ST February 27th 2014) one wonders why NEHU is not able to maintain the campus and why the University is reluctant to lease out its non-performing assets land? NEHU which was setup by an Act of Parliament on 19th July 1973, “to disseminate and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in such branches of learning as it may deem fit; to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of the hill areas of the North-eastern region, and in particular, the intellectual, academic and cultural advancement”. The Hills in Meghalaya are not the only Hills in the North Eastern part of India. Getting to the point, the students mostly from Meghalaya or students under NEHU who applied for admission test to NEHU (Masters degree, etc) are given preference to students from other states of North East because they get an extra credit 10+ apart from the marks they get during admission test. From a logical point of view, in case a student from Meghalaya gets full 100 marks then after the admission tests she/he would get 110 marks Isn’t this degrading the competitive nature of Education, when students from NEHU without much difficulty can get admission?
In a student’s life Scholarship is a useful corner stone. Some students totally depend on it for their studies, thanks to Government patronage. However, in order to utilize this benefit, a documentation of the form[acquired from the state(s)] is needed to be provided to the NEHU Administration. But it has become compulsory to skip classes just to get the documentation done. Why? The officials concerned is always on duty somewhere else. We need to keep on waiting continuously. This is not the only case. For payment of fee(s) too one has to go to the same building, but this time somewhere else. Here too the staff is always missing. My question is, isn’t it possible to get everything done in the Department itself, so that no one has to skip classes?
The University provides bus service to the students and staff as well, however, nothing comes for free. The students have already paid the bus fare during admission. But the bus we have paid for is irregular and we have to sometimes wait for it for over an hour. And this is no exaggeration. In such situations we are supposed to take a cab and pay for it. To my mind, NEHU students are the meekest in the entire North East. The bus service in NEHU has zero concern for students? Sometimes the bus leaves the campus while students are in the midst of their lectures. Our classes end at 2:30pm but the NEHU bus has left some Departments by 2:15 or earlier. Even if classes end by 2.30 pm and the bus leaves at 2.30 pm sharp there is not enough time for students to reach the bus. Unless some of them can run like Usain Bolt. Are we in NEHU to study or to chase a bus everyday? But does anyone even care for students’ plight?
Yours etc., ,
Samuel
NEHU,