Editor,
Rahul Gandhi’s ascension to the top post in the Indian National Congress has always been a question of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. Rahul Gandhi is now the fourth-generation and the fifth individual from the Nehru-Gandhi family to officially lead the 132-year-old party. His elevation to the post of Congress President is happening at a difficult time for him and his party. Is he really good enough to lead the grand old party? That’s the pivotal question. Is he the best and only candidate to lead the party? Does the Congress not have any other alternative candidate other than him? Is he better than the likes of P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot Madhav and Shashi Tharoor? Can he connect with the people? Does he have the organizational skills like the BJP chief Amit Shah? Does he have the oratory skills like Modi? Only time will tell. We have seen in the past that even a mediocre political science student can force his mouth shut on politics. His quotes always court controversy and are full of gimmicks like ‘Aaloo ki factory,’ ‘Jupiter velocity for dalits’, ‘Politics is in your pants’, ‘Poverty is a state of mind,’’ ‘Mahatma Gandhi is an NRI’ etc, have made him the laughing stock on social media. However social media is not the real battle. The real battle will be elections . First there will be the Lok Sabha elections in the first half of 2019, when Rahul Gandhi would be the automatic Prime Ministerial candidate for the Congress. The election schedule means Rahul Gandhi will have to lead the Congress in 10 assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls in the next 18 months. Only the elections results will tell us whether Rahul Gandhi is a leader by ‘merit’ or by ‘default’ .
Yours etc
Manuel Carey Lymba
Shillong -8
Abolition of begging!
Editor,
It is highly unfortunate that some people are speaking in favour of abolition of begging in our country on the pretext of our progress and development. Though there is no doubt about India’s progress but this unfortunately remains a lopsided and jobless growth. Indeed, India’s unemployment problem has been growing since much hyped 1991 liberalization of economy that has, unfortunately been followed by all successive UPA and NDA governments. Employment to population ratio is a clear indicator of what is the general outcome of this policy. While employment to population ratio was 58.6 per cent in 1994, it has, alarmingly, come down to 52.4 per cent in 2016. The disinvestment policy and the policy of ignoring cottage industries, farming and tourism are the reasons for growing unemployment in India.
In this scenario, it is too much to ask a beggar to fend for her/ his job when almost half of our work force are unemployed! Government should generate employment for all. But before doing so, if we abolish begging, it will be tantamount to killing most of our beggars.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Zebra crossing for what purpose?
Editor,
Kudos to the Government for painting zebra crossings to allow pedestrians to cross the roads, especially at junctions where traffic is very dense. There is a zebra crossing at the gate of the Meghalaya High Court and another near the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. It was very important to have either a zebra crossing or an over bridge at these two places as pedestrians are always faced with the challenge of crossing the road against the heavy traffic driven at high speed and endangering their lives. After the zebra crossings were painted at these places, I thought it would become convenient for us to cross the road. Unfortunately it has become more difficult.
We cross the road thinking that there is a zebra crossing and the vehicles would stop or slow down but the speeding vehicles drive past as if there is no zebra crossing in spite of seeing the pedestrians waiting to cross. Barring a few, most vehicles refuse to slow down at the zebra crossings unless the traffic police stop them. And then pedestrians are made to rush to the other end to make way for traffic.
I have also witnessed similar predicament at other zebra crossings in the city. As per the Rules of the Road Regulation, it is the duty of the driver to slow down when approaching a pedestrian crossing but the same is not followed. Perhaps the drivers are ignorant about the rules or they are not bothered. In January this year I visited Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan and there I found many zebra crossings in the city but surprisingly when we crossed the road the drivers always halted their vehicle at the crossings until pedestrians had crossed. The concerned authorities must educate the errant drivers about rules pertaining to zebra crossings so that they adhere to it.
Yours etc.,
Netra Kumar Rai, (Advocate)
Shillong -1