One election too many
How do you blame people in Meghalaya for being obsessed with politics when they have to vote yet again a month after the ‘indelible’ ink they got put while voting for the District Council elections has hardly dried?
And what are the issues that the Lok Sabha election will raise?
A peoples’ manifesto is about to be prepared by people across the country which is being initiated by Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). In Meghalaya the consultation will happen today (March 10, 2014).
This will be followed by a consultation in Guwahati on March 15. The views of the public will then be incorporated into the national document to be presented to all the parties for inclusion in their manifestos.
This is a novel initiative and the key issues raised should be posted in all newspapers and in all media including social media.
For many, election is a time to mint money. Candidates entrust them with hard cash to lure voters who are easily wooed by money.
But these agents usually pocket the money and give a small share to the voters. But voters are getting wiser. They now demand money from all candidates and vote for whoever they want or don’t vote at all. That guileless tribal is now completely transformed into a mercenary. Who do we blame for this political transformation?
The Election Commission with all its do’s and don’ts has not been able to prevent the distribution of cash. Good times are about to be here again..soon as we vote for our MP.
Trading the same fare
The International trade fair which has become a yearly event has become a much-awaited carnival. It sure remains the single largest platform for buyers who wish to add exotic materials to their collection, usually unavailable in other markets.
But again, the good/products on sale at such fairs are repeated and don’t leave much choice for trade fair enthusiasts.
One thing that does change every year is the entry fee. Starting from Rs 5 a few years back, the current fair allows a peek inside at Rs 20 per head. Inside? Well you have the same thing lined up with some minor changes.
Before entering the main gallery, we have the cotton candy stall which is always a hit for customers who fail to be lured into buying unreliable quality products with weird prices.
One thing that anyone walks out with is a cotton candy!
Then comes the line of food stalls dishing out broiler chicken and basmati rice in a truckload of spices…we do have takers for this too. Step inside and without an air of doubt, you will find yourself looking at the same stalls in the same location.
From melamine crockery coming from Bangladesh to carpets being claimed to have been handcrafted in Kashmir, the products found five years back still stand strong.
Take a walk and you will find sellers chanting the same lines over and over again.
Belt sellers putting their items on fire to show the genuineness of their leather products, salesmen dealing in floor moppers squirting ketchup here and there to show the effectiveness of the mops. Not to forget the ones dealing in knives, chopping boards and juice machines who end up chopping sacks of vegetables in the pretext of demonstration (onions as a demo item has reduced possibly due to the price hike!)
From jewellery to bags, tops to trunks the fair has it all. For the smart buyers it’s an opportunity to get things at the best price. For the more gullible shoppers, it’s a festival for the businessmen who yearn for such fairs.