Editor,
The word Fastival is intentionally spelt like that because while some people are fasting others are enjoying all kinds of festivals held in this city and beyond. There are too many of these festivals held at Government expense while school teachers (under different systems such as the Deficit system, SSA etc) have to go without salaries for months on end. Is this fair to the teaching community? All the MLAs and ministers would not be where they are if they were not taught by their teachers. So why do successive Governments play foul when it comes to paying teachers their just dues? And why allot so much money to Arts and Culture which spends most of its funds on entertainment of an elite lot and paying event managers who make money at the expense of Meghalaya. From every Government we hear the same old excuse – financial crunch when it comes to paying teachers on time. When will their payment be regularized so that they too receive their salaries on the first day of the month like all the officers and clerks working in the Government system? Can we expect the MDA Government led by Conrad Sangma whose father was once a teacher, to consider the plight of school teachers and ensure that they do not have to agonise over their salaries after having rendered their duties with all sincerity?
Yours etc.,
Lou Majaw (artiste),
Shillong- 8
Assembly Complex – a distant dream.
Editor,
The much awaited dream of having our own Assembly Complex in the proposed site at Mawdiangdiang appears to be a distant dream or at best a farce. Like someone sarcastically said, perhaps only in the era of our grand grandchildren will we see this structure coming up. It pains and annoys me to see things drifting and not going the way people desire them to when they elect their representatives. Be it during the Speakership of Bindo Lanong or Charles Pyngrope or Abu Taher Mondal … all are just big mouths, visionless and incapable of delivering. People have outrightly rejected them after their speakership. Dr Donkupar Roy, the onus is now on you but I’m doubtful if leopards can change their stripes or a lemon can turn sweet. So, the potential candidates from Shella Constituency can use this as animation to fire the bullet to their heart’s content and be the giant killer. Thus history will repeat itself. But, if Dr Donkupar Roy could make the State Assembly building come up during his tenure he would have turned the dreams and aspirations of every Meghalayan into reality. His own future too would be bright and he would continue to win from Shella.
There is a saying. “Where there’s a will there’s a way”. Wake up Mr. Speaker Sir, time is racing so take this as a golden opportunity to create history and win the people’s hearts with your leadership and definitely your name and fame will be imprinted in the minds and hearts of the people. Truly, we have high expectations from you and the new MDA govt.
Yours etc.,
T.K.Lyngdoh
Shillong -4
Will the State Pollution Board wake up?
Editor,
Meghalaya is called the “Abode of clouds” – a beautiful paradise where tourists love to visit and experience it’s beauty but as development is at its peak many factories have played spoilsport and are polluting the Meghalayan atmosphere. One such is the M/s Abhi Coke Factory located at East Jaintia Hills where every morning you can see and experience black and sometimes white foul smelling smoke emanating from its solid, tall chimney visible up to the district headquarters. What I don’t understand is why this is not visible to others and why no one is speaking up. The smoke is not just purified smoke from the incense sticks; it’s harmful smoke mixed with certain harmful compounds and is released as a result of coke production. This smoke may cause serious health hazards not now but later. What I also see is that the factory doesn’t have smoke precipitators or filtering systems. Moreover the location of the factory is an eyesore where certain schools and important establishments are there so my request to the State Pollution Control Board is to please take measures before it’s too late. Of course the factory may serve be creating wealth for its owners and livelihoods for poor workers but health is much more precious for what is the use of wealth when health is compromised.
Your’s etc.,
Nissar Fazil
Ladrymbai,
East Jaintia Hills
Time to effectively quash fake news
Editor,
Rumours and fake news that have been circulated by ‘cyber-nationalists’ must effectively be dealt with to unplug the panic channel that can instigate the mob to lynch. Recent cases of lynching had their origin in hate – speeches and rumours in social media, which snowballed into street murders. Rema Rajeshwari, Superintendent of Police in Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana reportedly ordered training session for 500 police officers to counter fake news. Officials go to villages and spread awareness about social issues. They have joined WhatsApp groups in villages and nip any rumour in the bud. His efforts have earned him great success. Not a single rumour – related lynching has been staged in his jurisdiction. Given that lynching has become a new normal, Rema Rajeshwari model needs to be followed in every district of our country to effectively stop rising incidents of lynching.
West Bengal police have also done a good job in timely and effectively tackling rumours. Recently, a fake news that the state government had sanctioned a five – day Eid holiday was doing the rounds in social media to incite communal tension. But the police over there promptly took the help of Twitter to dispel the rumour in time. Administrative vigil both digital and direct to weed out any kind of hatred generating rumour is the need of the hour. There should be an effort to build strong public opinion against lynching as it throws down the gauntlet at the law of the land.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata