Editor,
People have been questioning the role of the Students’ Union of the North Eastern Hill University. Many of them have also voiced out their opinions in newspapers and other forms of media. And yes, it is a fact that in the recent years the Union has taken bold measures in the hope that their actions will trigger an effect on the university authorities. But the question that begs an answer here is “why do they have to take such extreme measures?”
As a student and a former member of the North Eastern Hill University Students’ Union, I have witnessed first-hand the hardships that the students are facing on a daily basis. Issues such as poor hostel management, inadequate library resources, pathetic health and transport services and inhumane treatment of students by teachers and staff of the University are among the prevalent ones often voiced out by the students’ union in the recent years. As a matter of fact, even issues like the miserable condition of roads within the campus, university buildings, street lights, toilets and other infrastructure which can be rarely seen or heard in other Central Universities also have to be taken up by the students. Yet questions have always been raised against the Union especially by the university authorities, without trying to reason out the distressing situation of the students.
Also in lieu of trying to build a bridge with the students, it is seen that the authorities are busy in softening and infiltrating the students’ union by trying to interfere and influence the outcome of the student union elections which is a shame not only to the university but the state and the country. Although false promises and crocodile tears have been the strongest strategies of the authorities in the past, but as we all know, none of those will work with the students any longer.
To conclude, the authorities need to address students’ issues as soon as possible to ensure peace and harmony in the university. This is because in my opinion the students’ union of the university is just reacting to the stimuli caused by the many issues that surround the student community as a whole.
Yours etc.,
Johnson Langdon
Research Scholar, NEHU
“Teachers’ woes.”
Editor,
Recently the Union Cabinet announced revised pay scales for nearly eight lakh teachers of higher educational institutions funded by the UGC and also 329 universities which are funded by state governments and 12,912 government and private adding colleges affiliated to state public universities. But what about the un-aided self-financing colleges across the country? Teachers in self-financing institutions are being paid the least. Their salaries also need augmentation. The problem starts at the grassroots with very low pay scale for teachers in self-financing colleges. They are being paid a pittance, so invariably teachers who are working in such colleges are typically those who haven’t got a job elsewhere or who find teaching convenient. So, instead of having teachers who are motivated to enrich the learning experience of students, we have teachers who barely know the basics of the common core subjects.
The government needs to take steps to extend financial assistance to self-financing colleges so that teaching as a profession attracts best minds which will improve the quality of education.
Yours etc.,
Phrangshai Hynniewta
Shillong-2
Ph No. 8257036866
Of columnists and their politics
Editor,
I am a young student who is currently doing my masters in political science in the national capital Delhi. I am an avid reader of your newspaper through the online e-paper. Your newspapers employs other writers to offer their individual opinions in the newspaper but do these columnists do thorough research? Do they write factual news stories or rather their own personal views on events? Some columnists focus on particular issues such as national and state politics, local current events, food, parenting, sports or environment etc. Others write on a variety of topics. By reading several columns by the same writer, a researcher can begin to determine the writer’s attitudes and politics more broadly. We are aware that our state will go to the polls next year and hence writers will write a lot about this great event which will happen in February-March 2018. One noted columnist of your newspaper seems to be slanted towards a particular political party. He even went to the extent of acting as adviser of this party and tendering his advice to them through your newspaper. Columnists are human beings and human beings will support a particular party, a particular club or particular individual. They have every right to do so on their individual capacity but using a space in the leading newspaper of this state as a platform form to indirectly or directly canvass for a party, group or individual is disrespectful for the readers of The Shillong times. Therefore as young citizens of this country I request the noted columnists of our state not to be biased in their writings. The Shillong Times is not meant to be used by few people but is meant to serve the larger public.
Yours etc
Manny Lyngwa
New Delhi,
Editor replies: A column is not a news report. Columns are usually commentaries of the news that have appeared in this or other media. The editorial page is a space provided for people of different persuasions and politics to express their views. The reader many or may not agree with those views. Those with strong disagreements on what a columnist has written can write a rejoinder to counter the points put forth by the writer. Democracy is about expressing multiple views and about encouraging the climate of debate and dissent.
Humanity or hatred?
Editor,
There are only two religions ~ Humanity and Hatred! Fundamentalists had killed many rationalists in Bangladesh notably Niloy Chatterjee, Washiqur Rahman Babu, Avijit Roy, Nazimuddin Samad and Rezaul Karim Siddiquee. These rationalists belonged to the same religion of humanity as that of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, Malleshappa Kalburgi and Gouri Lankesh. All these killers belonged to the same religion of hatred as did Stephen Paddock, the sadist gunman of Las Vegas.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata