Editor,
On May 18 last, the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had called on the Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Sardarshan Bhagat to seek Centre’s support for establishing a full-fledged Agriculture University in Arunachal Pradesh. Further, Khandu has also impressed upon Mr Bhagat to consider for a Centre of Excellence for Horticulture in Arunachal Pradesh. The Union Minister of State has assured Khandu to peruse the requests and promised to proffer all out support for the establishment of such an enviable full-fledged farm-based academic centre. Thus, Arunachal Pradesh can rightly boast of having achieved another grandiose mile-stone of development in as much as the Central Govt. could favour this saffron-ruled State in its demand.
It is lamentable to put it on record that this Agriculture University was in the first place offered to Meghalaya more than a decade ago, to be precise way back in 2003 in Ri-Bhoi District on a 200 acre of land but, to most, it is still anybody’s guess as to why that dream proposal had not become a reality in Meghalaya. Either way, the most potent reason why our State was denied this unique opportunity was evidently owing to the couldn’t care less attitude and half-baked professional approach of those at the helm right from the grass-roots level to the highest echelons at that opportune moment, thereby letting slip away a god-sent opportunity. Nonetheless, there were a few State Agriculture Officers like Dr. R.B. Dympep, former Director of Agriculture Department, Meghalaya as well as from bureaucratic levels looking after the Agriculture sector who had selflessly tried their level best to pave the way for this Agriculture University in Meghalaya but, regrettably, their sincere efforts proved a non starter for reasons best known to successive governments. The establishment of such a University could have gone a long way in ensuring not only the progress of the farm sector to dizzying heights in Meghalaya but also open up potential avenues of employment generations to jobless youths just like the establishment of NEIGRIHMS in Shillong has benefitted not only by rendering quality and cost effective health care to people but also by opening unprecedented scope of employment to the unemployed army of youth of the State. I hope those sitting in the corridors of powers are listening!
Yours etc
Mr. Jerome K. Diengdoh
Shillong -2
Who will take Meghalaya forward?
Editor,
The game is up and the pre-election wheels are hotting up in the state against the Congress. A ‘maha- gatbhandhan’ of political foes turned friends typical of what happened in Bihar is something that the two major regional parties UDP and HSPDP have forged. It is something to watch out for in the coming months. That regional parties can stake claim to form a government is uncertain given the voter demography which constitutes a big chunk of non-tribals. There’s a possibility that their votes would equally sway towards either the BJP or Congress. The erstwhile Regional Party Alliance could not bring any positive outcomes in the past as the result was political squabble for cabinet posts and other similar selfish drive of every political party. As such the road map and the vision document of the regional parties is not clear and what kind of arrangement they would have is a distant dream to foretell. Whatever be the results the question is who can deliver and provide leadership to take Meghalaya forward.
Yours etc….
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong
In 2018, CM should be from Jaintia Hills
Editor,
The recent statements of UDP’s Member of District Council (MDC) H.S Shylla, (ST May 20, 2017) to the effect that it was time that the next chief minister of Meghalaya should be from Shillong ( Khasi Hills) in 2018 rather than Garo Hills which has given us many CM’s are absurd. Going by Shylla’s logic that the District represented by Chief Minister sees more development, then in my humble opinion, the next Chief Minister should be selected from such regions of Meghalaya like the Jaintia Hills which have seen lesser levels of development since the creation of Meghalaya in 1972. So far the district has produced only Deputy Chief Ministers. I hope soon we will be producing a Chief Minister because a CM from the Jaintia Hills would then be able to give attention to the needs of the district. At this moment, I am tempted to say after Martin Luther King, I too have such a dream for the Jaintia Hills District.
Yours etc.,
Dr Omarlin Kyndiah,
Via email
Plight of farmers
Editor,
The death of six farmers in police firing in Madhya Pradesh is horrific. We are achieving success in space one after another. But are we really trying to improve the lot of our small farmers? Are our policies meant for the people in general? How long are we to stay put at and around 131st position in Human Development Index? When will we give small and marginal farmers “the ownership and control of the material resources of the community,” as enshrined in Article 39 (b) of our Constitution? When will our people “have the right to an adequate means of livelihood,” as per the Article 39 (a) of the Indian Constitution? And when will we follow Article 39 (c) so “that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few”?
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata