Editor,
My humble advice to the next government is to take governance seriously.Minimum government and maximum governance should be the mantra.Swindling of public funds should be curb and government officials should hold office with humility and dignity not arrogance. Last week, I finally had the opportunity to travel to Balat, the place where my father learnt his trade of doing trade and it was a really bumpy and horrendous ride. People today from the adjoining villages will have to think twice before deciding to travel to the famed Balat Market and the border haat.Trade has always been an important factor in augmenting people’s income and will always play an important role in enhancing people’s income in the future especially in a state like Meghalaya where seasonal farming is still the main form of agriculture and rampant migration from rural areas to urban areas still takes place in the off season.
The next government should make it their prime priority to improve roads condition and revive border trade. In a world where automation and artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm,we still need people centric development and labour intensive employment to absorb the large unemployed youths of the State.Most countries around the world have either relied on technological advancement,vast natural resources or effective governance to attain high levels of prosperity.We can safely bet on effective governance to propel us to prosperity since the first two options seem a little far- fetched at the present moment.The Nordic countries are prime examples of countries that have attained high levels of prosperity due to the wonders of effective governance.I still find it hard to imagine that there were Khasi families in the not so distant past who became wealthy by working hard and harnessing the full potential that nature has blessed them with. People of villages in the border areas such as Shella can attest to the fact that there ancestors were innovative and hard working people who relied on nature’s bounty to pull themselves out of the poverty trap. Orange plantations on a large scale were possible in those days since the waters of present day Bangladesh facilitated the export of this precious fruit as far as the shores of the Middle East.Let us draw inspiration from our ancestors and take pride in our ability to stand on our own two feet and try our utmost best to be self sufficient so that the rest of country can look to us with admiration rather than scorn.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Oratory Skills and Statesmanship
Editor,
Apropos Jerome K Diengdoh’s letter, “Missing the woods for the trees” (ST March 2, 2018) I would like to remind him that in my letter to the editor dated (ST Feb 20 2018) the main content was to describe people who have oratory skills with substance and who can convert their words into deeds and others who have oratory skills with no substance in their speeches and some others who have no oratory skills but who possess governing and administrative abilities. I had given the names of Gladstone and Disraeli, two famous former Prime Ministers of England to prove my point and both were also statesmen. The state of Meghalaya today is badly in need of many more such leaders.
Finally I would like to assure Jerome Diengdoh that his letter “Can’t see why Paul can’t win” (ST Feb 16,2018)does not need to be “read between the lines”.
Yours etc.,
Michael N.Syiem,
Via email
While reading Patricia Mukhim’s article “Of Church, Politics, Satan and God,” (March 2, 2018), I came across this line, “I stand the risk of being excommunicated for saying this but it has to be said.” To these ringing words of her, I found myself saying, “Pastors, and church leaders of all stripes and ranks should thank God for using her to write this manful, gutsy article. She writes with the voice of a prophet. Christ once publicly referred to Jerusalem guilty of stoning her prophets (Matthew 23:37). Why? Because the prophets pointed up their sins, and did so without pulling the punches or rounding off the corners. They publicly shamed those religious leaders. For this the prophets — God’s prophets— were stoned. So, instead of “stoning” the “prophet”, real Christians should not only welcome Patricia Mukhim with open arms, but make themselves her megaphone so that the rest of the Christian community can hear her message loud and clear. After all, she’s doing their prophetic job which they have ingloriously failed to do. Better being on God’s side than on Satan’s! I’m stating the obvious, of course.
Yours etc.,
Dr.Prof. Boxter Kharbteng (theologian)
Via email
It takes true courage!
Editor,
First of all, I would like to congratulate Patricia Mukhim for the timely and thought-provoking article “Of Church, Politics, Satan and God” (ST March 3, 2018). Truly, one might even risk being excommunicated for writing such a bold and truthful article on the hypocrisy surrounding the church and its leaders. We, as Christians, have over the years, grown so complacent and become silent witnesses of the ills and evils of our own church and congregation. All of us have become very good preachers that we have completely forgotten what it means to put the teachings of Christ in our day-to-day lives and dealings with our fellow human beings whom we meet and encounter. We often speak and fear so much of the unknown that we have completely forgotten to put our faith in The God whom we, at times so enthusiastically, profess to trust. And why not! We have all been blinded to our faith by the air of materialism, and the extreme desire for wealth and power by all means possible. As the author rightly pointed out, we need to face some form of persecution to bring our feet back to the ground and history has proven time and again that it is through persecution that the true faith and spirituality of the people is built. We need to be awakened from this slumber!
I would like to humbly request and encourage the author to keep writing on all such issues without fear or favour. And let God be our judge.
Yours etc.,
A Dkhar,
Shillong-2