Editor,
After being away from the country for some time it is nice to be back home in Shillong which, apart from the dirt and garbage lying around, the chronic traffic jams, the indisciplined drivers, the unruly crowds, the power cuts, the water shortage, the closed booze shops and the scary earthquakes, is a great place. I wish to thankThe Shillong Times for keeping me in touch with my home through their on line newspaper which I diligently read every day while abroad.
Yours etc.,
D M Pariat,
Via email
Where is the dignity of the legislature?
Editor,
Sixteen years and four months have passed since January 9, 2001 when the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly was gutted in an engulfing fire. For almost fourteen years the Legislative Wing of the state is functioning temporarily in the Chamber of the Arts & Culture building, Rilbong. Being the most important secretariat and durbar where state government policies are being debated, framed and passed, it is an unpardonable lapse on the part of the State Government. Sixteen years have passed and it is still temporary! It is sheer irresponsibility on the part of the Government of Meghalaya. The indifference has exposed a serious shortcoming in the functioning of the Government: its lack of foresight on the functioning of the Legislature. The indifference has seriously brought down the dignity of Meghalaya as a state.
Side by side in the past few years new buildings have been constructed by the Government. Now the state has its own multi-crore state constructions; the multi crore State Convention Centre, the multi crore palatial residence of the State’s Chief Minister and the ongoing construction of another multi crore residence of a Government official at Rockside. Where is the permanent chamber of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly?
On the issue of a new Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Building, the Government has put the people of the State in a poor light. It shows the world that the State of Meghalaya has already forgotten the most important issue. We are living in a State without a permanent Durbar Hall. Where is the dignity of the legislature?
Yours etc
Baston Singh Lyngdoh,
Shillong-2
How liberal is India?
Editor,
Sadiq Khan’s appointment as mayor of London Mayor is being termed by many zealots as the “triumph” of the non-Whites, Asian from the Indian sub-continent, minority, Muslims of the erstwhile British colony!
But the fact is just the contrary. Actually the elevation of Sadiq Khan, the son of a Pakistani-origin bus conductor, to the post of London Mayor provides direct proof of the unfathomable broad-mindedness of the British society. Yes, cosmopolitanism is neither a gift of God nor does it just fall from the sky at a particular place. Cosmopolitanism is nothing but the end product of supreme liberalism and humanity. Unlike the rest of the globe (barring a few exceptions) which builds an Iron Curtain so as to prevent the entry of migrant population and suppress the human rights of the minorities or marginal groups, Britain offers a fertile ground to all so as to prosper in each and every sector irrespective of their roots.
Instead of exploiting Khan’s elevation to the post of London Mayor so as to flaunt the “victory over the British Empire” and viewing it as a “triumph” of Indian sub-continent, Muslims or other narrow identities; India and the rest of the world should learn from Britain what liberalism and humanity are all about.
The UK offers a contrast to this self-declared liberal nation which shamelessly brands a certain lady politician as a “foreigner” despite her Indian citizenship or belittles another leader by invoking his childhood avatar of tea-seller! Yes, narrow regional identities and “colour of blood” shamelessly dominate the Indian society which beats its own trumpet of liberalism, equality and democracy.
I vividly remember how the country, specially the North Indian heartland, raised a shrill hue and cry when H D Devegowda assumed the post of Prime Minister because he did not know Hindi! The incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee once revealed how his handicap in Hindi acted as a disqualification and obstacle in the race for Prime Ministership! It seems that only Hindi speakers hold the monopoly of leading this multi-lingual heterogeneous secular democratic nation! Perhaps to be seen as a part of “mainstream”, Narendra Modi has preferred to remain as a MP of Varanasi by forsaking the Baroda seat and promotes Hindi much more vigorously than even the North Indian politicians! If a Kannadiga, Bengali or Gujarati Hindu has to face such predicament, it is a foregone conclusion as to what would happen if a Muslim or Christian(specially in this communally vitiated times), South or North-East Indian (specially if Hindi-ignorant) vies for the post of Prime Minister! Even a ticket for a Panchayat/Municipal election gets handed to an individual by taking into account the demography of the constituency and his/her racial, linguistic, religious, caste and even sub-caste status! Yes, election results do get influenced not by the intellect, efficiency or honesty of the candidate but by his/her demographic credentials! Yet we are all Indians and have to raise the slogan “India First”! And also Royalty and “blue blood” in the veins act as a great qualification for garnering tickets and votes!
Hence instead of engaging in cheap rhetoric, Indians should draw lessons of humanism and liberalism from the Sadiq Khan saga and try to raise themselves above all divisive credentials of race, religion, caste and “colour of blood” which are nothing but accidents of destiny. Let Equality and Humanity be our only guiding force.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Via email