Editor,
The elections are over and a new government has been sworn in with a new Chief Minister in Mr. Conrad Sangma. Come to think of it, for common people, which group comes to power is not as important as long as the government is stable and delivers. As is the case, during the election campaigns, candidates make promises galore, many of which are not fulfilled. History records the inaction of every government that comes to power. While governments have come and gone, all that we have seen is failure of successive governments to deliver. This time too there are many career politicians whose objective is to do business. It is no longer a service to the people but service to the self and their families.
As an anxious citizen one hopes that this newly formed government will have a different song to sing and will be different in letter and spirit in its work ethics and implementation of government policies. One hopes that this new government will usher in the much awaited change for the people and the state in totality through sincere and honest work. Above all one hopes that this new government will be less corrupt in mind, thought, spirit and action; that it will be God fearing and more humanitarian in its dealings. But one wonders if our hopes are in vain. After all the players are pretty much the same with an addition of a few names in the political list. How different are these new representatives from the old gamesters is a big question. Looking at how much money power has been used during the elections our future is bleak as everyone will work even harder to get back a hundredfold of what they have spent. However prayers and hopes are intact. One never knows; divine intervention may just be the answer!
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Should banks be denationalized?
Editor,
Sometimes, we jokingly say that one needs to cut off one’s head to get rid of a nagging headache! Ironically, the same sort of logic is now doing the rounds in favour of the privatisation of nationalised banks. We cannot deny the fact that it is only the public sector banks that can cater to the needs of the masses who are not well off. But some businessmen, obviously who belong to the private sector, have created huge bad loans for public sector banks using unscrupulous methods. These holes in the nationalised banks need to be plugged immediately. Unfortunately, some people who always are in favour of disinvestment, have now started arguing that public sector banks should be handed over to businessmen in private sector. The logic is somewhat like this: If some burglars can commit a theft in a house by taking advantage of a defective window of that house then the house owner ought to sell the house without repairing the broken window. And there is no problem if among the bidders for the house, there are some burglars!
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Via email