Editor,
Polling for the elections to the Garo Hills District Council is to be held on 12th October 2015. In the Tura constituency, there are as many as seven or eight candidates mostly Independents. The last few days has not seen very frantic electioneering by the candidates. In fact if one visits Tura at this time he will not even know that there is an election going on. This raises the question – Is the district council relevant anymore in the Garo Hills? Why are even the candidates so quiet during the elections? When you talk to people, most are not even interested to discuss these elections! However it is noticed that in all this quietness, some candidates are openly breaking the election rules. You will find candidates who put up their posters even on walls of Government property and defacing the place, yet no one from the Election Department seems bothered about this. Many of the candidates have hired more vehicles than they are permitted to and every day hordes of people go around in these vehicles generally for eating and merry making. This is a time only to enjoy and nothing else while public money is being wasted.
Then we have a candidate who in spite of being a Government University employee is contesting the elections. I understand that when a Government University employee files his nomination, he has to provide a no-objection certificate from his employer (if he is a teacher) or he provides proof that his resignation is accepted by his employer (if he is a teacher or an administration staff). In this case I am told that he has done neither though he is a clerk in the University. But what is even more surprising is that during this election time NEHU is providing water to his residence in the official tanker of the University. Can an Institution get itself involved with a candidate or show its support to any one of the candidates as is the case with this candidate?
All this shows that no one is interested in the District Council. It has lost its relevance and should be disbanded and crores of public money will be saved.
Yours etc.,
Hondro Sangma
Tura- 1
Nongstoin bye-election
Editor,
The aspiring candidates for the upcoming bye-election in Nongstoiñ Constituency are gearing up for the show. They will have to give it all their might and be well equipped for this battle royale as the whole state of Meghalaya is watching this election. Nongstoiñ constituency has been a strong hold of the HSPDP since the beginning and Late HS Lyngdoh who died recently has been its unvanquished hero. For several decades other political parties didn’t stand a chance against the mighty king of the jungle or the Lion symbol of the HSPDP, but now other parties have a chance to prove if they can win the faith of the people of Nongstoiñ. We cannot deny the fact that money plays a decisive role during elections but I urge the people of Nongstoin not to be fooled and get persuaded by money. It is the perfect time to choose not only good, honest leaders but also intelligent leaders who know the Law because representatives are lawmakers for heaven’s sake. Being honest is not good enough to become a leader but dedication, humility and above all intelligence and competence to deliver are important criteria for any MLA. We need leaders who can make laws which benefit the public; laws which protect the customary rights of the people so that no customary practices will be snatched away by any Institution for lack of a written law.
During electioneering lots of promises will be made. Some candidates and political parties will even promise the moon but we have to be very careful for one false move in this upcoming by-election then the future of Nongstoiñ will be in limbo.
Yours etc.,
Micky Marwein ,
Via email