Editor,
As if we don’t have enough on our plate with bandhs, militancy, extortion, murders, rapes, ILP, NGT, etc, the in-fighting within the Congress party has plunged the State into gloom and despair. Looking back at history, this was bound to happen anyway. Mukul Sangma has enjoyed a golden run till now. But his high-handed style of functioning, frequent absences, nonchalant attitude towards law and order, and ambivalent stand on coal mining has encouraged the ugly head of divisive politics to rear up again. Congress veterans are all accomplished backstabbers who have been waiting for the opportunity to strike. And strike they did, with D.D. Lapang at the helm of the rebel ship. It is impossible to predict the outcome at this stage. However Mukul Sangma badly needs intelligent people to defend him at this critical stage. Ampareen Lyngdoh’s half-baked attempt at deflecting attention from Sangma’s failures by blaming the militancy problem on the NGT ban is downright ridiculous. It has made her a laughing stock and weakened Sangma’s position considerably. Seriously, what was she even thinking?
Yours etc.,
Grace Lyngdoh,
Shillong-6
On Jowai,
Editor,
A town, very much like any undertaking runs on competence and responsibilities. Two attributes that the people running Jowai town grossly lack. It betrays their intellect in the worst possible way and the result is there for everyone to see. It proves that money can buy position and power but certainly not competence and capabilities. The story of Jowai is one of failure and that too at many levels. For a while it seemed like a change of guard at the Municipal Board is finally possible thus ushering a hope that some change is possible in the town but that is not to be! The current CEO who has been here for ages has decided to hold on to his seat for reasons best known to him. He has managed to wrangle with the Government in this regard. After all, it pays to have family in high places. Good for him but bad for Jowai. Another failure in Jowai is Traffic. The traffic management in Jowai is atrocious with traffic jams happening for only one reason i.e taxi cabs. But the police department is here on a goodwill mission rather than to bring order. That is why the cabs are allowed to literally hold everyone to ransom. The police is fearful of reining them in, again for reasons best known to them and for us to speculate. I don’t entirely blame these people, but it will do everyone a lot of good if the people in question are sent for intensive Management Training at the earliest. A little knowledge won’t hurt anyone. Also, the local religious organisations be it of the indigenous faith or the Churches are certainly not making things easy for everyone. They are concerned with the fattening of their pockets. Jowai has three markets, owned by three religious organisations in close vicinity to each other, with no planning whatsoever. These markets don’t have mechanisms for waste disposal and the result is everywhere and for everyone to walk on. Failures on many levels! The people of Jowai deserve better but who will deliver? Certainly not the lame ducks!
Yours etc.,
Lamchwa Mukhim,
Via email