Editor,
There’s no life harder than being confined in our homes against our will and to know that freedom is only a word that is meaningless in our circumstances. This is what a bandh does. To ask someone whether this will benefit our people in the long run is also like asking for trouble. We take life as it comes because our lives are no longer important for those in governance. We know we are least important people! But when it comes to voting, our vote counts, and we are liable to be punished if we don’t exercise our voting rights. Whose voting rights are we talking about? The rights of those who only protect themselves and not their people; those who zoom around with noisy sirens and red beacons followed by 20-30 vehicles? For those whose properties and assets have no limits? How long are we going to ruin ourselves when they longer serve the people? We have lost faith in the Government and we have had enough of this bandh culture – the only tactics that people of Garo Hills resort to! When Government is paying no heed why should we suffer? Whose response are we waiting for? The Government does not care for civil society. Their political agenda cannot be understood by simple, practical people. We are ruled by a Government which is insensitive and has insulated itself from the woes of the common citizen. I am ashamed to say that I am from Meghalaya and that I voted for this Government to keep me confined within the four walls of my home every now and again.
Yours etc.,
L A Sangma
Tura
Educational institutions of today
Editor,
Students from the North Eastern states opting to study in private educational institutes need to be aware of the institutions they opt for. Many institutions come to the North-Eastern region through EDU-Fair which is just an advertising agency where private institutes take part and facilitate the admission process of the students. After the EDU-fair some institutes open a temporary offices in Shillong so that students can get tgheir enquiries and enroll themselves. Those who are interested are warmly received with convincing lectures and lucrative vouchers and video CD’s with photographs of the institute’s past students showing well furnished laboratory, classroom, libraries, gymnasium , playing ground, hostel etc with lots of strict laws and by laws .
Most interestingly, in their local office they will introduce new students with local past students of the Institutes to convince them to join their institute and to impress upon them about the facilities offered. Actually the past students are engaged to say what institute wants them to say. They are virtually hand-cuffed by the authorities of the institutes who will not confer their degrees on the students till the recruitment of new batches of students is over. Another modus-operandi used by the institutions is to engage some local individuals or NGO’s on commission basis.
It is a fact that a few institutions in Dehradun , Uttarakhand namely DOLPHIN, DEV BHOOMI and BFIT (BABA FARID INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY). DOON GROUP OF COLLEGES do not have permanent faculties in different course offered by these institutions and also do not have all the courses offered by them in their booklets.
I would urge the students who may be interested to join these private institutions to kindly verify beforehand about the courses affiliated under UGC or other Universities Most importantly they are to check whether the institutes have completed a term of 10 years of running courses with seniors passed out and whether they have permanent research fields, laboratories, proper library and other facilities related to the respective courses. Students should be careful not to get carried away by the glossy brochures and charming words of these institutions.
Yours etc.
Bankupar Dohtdong,
Marbisu, East Khasi Hills
HSPDP’s office picketing
Editor,
I write to express my anger on the one-week office picketing announced by the political group headed by a young, energetic politician, Ardent Basaiawmoit. I am working at one of the banks at Police Bazar, Shillong. During this office picketing, we were told not to violate the call and not to attend office. As I reside outside Shillong, I left for my home town on Friday, May 15, 2015, excited to be at home with my children. But the next day I was shocked to learn that the bank was functioning both on Friday and Saturday as “Bah Ardent” had called off the office picketing. During these two days that I was absent, I was told to apply for casual leave (CL). Normally CL is applied for only when I or my children are very sick or due to some very urgent work. But this is the price that I had to pay for no fault of mine. How do the organizers of the office picketing expect people, especially those who work in banks ( government employees can remain absent for days without any leave and get their full pay) and are not residing in Shillong to know all the news that is announced in the last minute? That’s the big question! Will anyone answer?
Yours etc.
Name withheld on request