Editor,
Apropos the news item published in the front page of your esteemed daily captioned, “HSPDP Gets One Week Time to Decide on Ardent” (ST Sept.7, 2014), it is indeed strange to see how one political party (UDP) in the ruling Coalition of the Khasi Autonomous District Council, could demand from another political Party (HSPDP) to change its leader. This is unthinkable. It is not permissible anywhere in a coalition politics that one party (partner) should interfere with the working of another party. Rather it is expected that the partners should respect each other. If the present EC members of the UDP are not inclined to work with the present CEM, they could have either resigned or asked their own Party to withdraw from the Coalition. It is also interesting to see that the HSPDP too has seriously taken note of the demand of another Party at the party level meeting.The CEM could have either patched up with the UDP EC members concerned or asked their Party to replace its EC members with others.
In this context the coalition government in West Bengal run by the Left Front could continue for 30 long years up to 2011 without any hitch whatsoever because the CPM which led the coalition could follow strictly the principles of coalition politics, giving due respect to collation partners some of which were so small that they could have easily been ignored. We have much to learn from the working and functioning of the then ruling coalition in West Bengal with 7 parties working in tandem. Once or twice the late CM Jyoti Basu asked the concerned party/parties to replace a minister/ministers who was/were found wanting.
Yours etc.,
Junior Lamin,
Amlarem, War Jaintia,
Via e-mail.
When the young take responsibility
Editor,
Apropos the letter published in your esteemed daily of September 17, 2014, I wish to congratulate 13 year old Athira Saji for the consciousness shown and for the courage to try and bring a change in our behaviour. I am 67 years old and wouldlike to support young Athira’s views on (i) observing the rules and regulations, even in “minor” matters, on reduction, if not elimination, of noise pollution, and (ii) development of the State. I would like to confess that we, oldies, usually, have no qualms about throwing empty packets on the road from running cars when we are by ourselves, but we dare not do such a thing when our children are with us. Then, we would even put the sweet wrappers in our pocket to be disposed off carefully later. I have full faith in this generation, with the likes of Athira Saji, to bring a change for a better tomorrow. But, we all must cooperate, starting with “minor issues”, – abiding by the rules and having concern for others. Come, let us start a movement which will take us, step by step, to quote Athira, “towards a brighter future of our City, our State and our Country.”
Yours etc
S. Ahmed
Shillong- 1