Editor,
It is said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. WHO recommended that the doctor to population ratio should be 1:1000, but in India, this figure is abysmal at 1:1400 (approx.).This data is even more appalling in rural areas which is 1:10,000 (approx.). According to an economic survey, India is one of the countries with a high out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare and services which means that the majority of the population have to spend more of their income on healthcare services. This is because the government spending on the health sector is merely 1% of the GDP- that is the government’s assistance is very low when it comes to health. In this matter too the figure is worse in rural areas.
During the budget speech 2021-22, the Union Finance Minister informed that health spending had increased from approximately 1% to 2% of GDP. But if one dissects the budget, one finds that allocation to other ministries (like MoAYUSH, Dept. of Water and Sanitation, etc.) are being clubbed together to display the massive claimed figure of approx. 2 lakh crore.
It is time that the Union Government, in tandem with the state governments prioritizes the health sector so that we as a nation will be prepared for any future health crisis.
Yours etc.,
Kevin M Shangpliang,
Via email
Vacuous arguments
Editor,
BM Lanong’s arguments in his letter, “No memory lapse, this!” (ST May 19, 2021) are unconvincing and bewildering. To us he once again revealed his loss of memory, as also blatant distortion of a forgotten part of Meghalaya’s political history. To buttress his claim that three Garo personalities provided leadership to regional parties, he wanted us to refer to his earlier letter captioned “UDP—a Khasi-centric party?” (ST May 7, 2021) which some of us had missed. On going through the letter, we find a curious claim by him. Let us quote what he had stated in the letter:” After the name of the APHLC was changed to HPU in 1986…”, and went on to proclaim that “nowhere is it written that Captain Sangma, Mr Mody K. Marak and Dr Milton Sangma were UDP Presidents”. In trying to defend his stand, he further stated in the same letter and we quote, “UDP is only a nomenclature, changed two times from the original APHLC to HPU and then to UDP…”. By saying so he is clearly trying to establish that in 1986 the APHLC had ceased to exist after the emergence of HPU. To us that’s a clever and blatant distortion of facts (or is it a proof of his loss of memory?!).
What Lanong conveniently suppressed is that in 1986 only a section of APHLC had broken away to form a new regional party called Hill People Union (HPU). But to say that APHLC was “replaced by HPU” is totally wrong and a deliberate attempt to mislead the readers. His predicament is not difficult to comprehend. Having committed a blunder in the first place, Lanong is now desperate to defend the indefensible. For his benefit, let me put the record straight. Some die-hard APHLC leaders from Garo Hills—and Garo Hills alone—refused to fall in line with the move for creation of a new party, HPU. Despite strong opposition from Garo Hills, a big chunk of APHLC leaders deserted the party and formed HPU. Undaunted, APHLC supporters from Garo Hills kept the party alive and in the 1988 elections that followed HPU’s emergence, the grand old party had won two Assembly seats—Dalamgiri and Rangsakona—both from Garo Hills.
Therefore, Lanong’s claim that APHLC “changed” itself to HPU is a sweeping statement and clever suppression of facts. His other argument that since Captain Sangma was once the President of APHLC therefore he also can be treated as having led the UDP is vacuous, to say the least. To stretch his logic further, will it be right to say that we Meghalayan tribes who were once upon a time under Assam where all residents are loosely regarded as Assamese, should call ourselves Assamese even today?
Yours etc.,
Samson A.Sangma & others,
Via email
(No further debate on this issue will be entertained)
Impact of Covid-19
Editor,
The Covid pandemic has rudely affected our day to day lives, restricted our movement and our businesses. The global economy, barring China’s has dipped once again. Daily wagers such as vendors, local taxi drivers, domestic workers, construction labourers are worst affected as the majority of them have lost their meagre incomes making it difficult for them to pay off their expenses. Kudos to the Arvind Kejriwal, Government in Delhi which has decided to provide Rs 2,500 monthly pension where the sole breadwinner of a family has passed away due to Covid; to provide free education to kids who lost their parents to Covid in addition to Rs 2,500 per month till the age of 25 and Rs 50,000 to the family that has lost someone to Covid.
It is a great step to combat the losses of the most depressed community. Taking the example of the Delhi government, I would urge our State Government to kindly provide relief to the daily wagers to combat their losses so that they would at least be able to feed their family and pay off expenses. Also to provide ex-gratia payment to the family whose earning member has succumbed to the virus. Lastly as a youth, I would humbly urge the public to take their vaccination at the earliest to contain the virus. As advised by World Health Organization we should wear our masks, maintain social distancing , use hand sanitizer even after getting vaccinated in order to prevent others from getting infected .As citizens we should all be responsible since the only way we can get through this is if we think as “WE,” not as “ME”.
Yours etc.,
Alvinson P Syiem,
Via email
Arise, Awake
Editor,
Apropos the letter, “The ignorant are ignorant of their ignorance” (ST, May 24, 2021), in response to the news report about pressure groups refusing to address the hesitancy about Covid-19 vaccine, is timely. Pressure groups should check the names of the mortal souls appearing in this daily, “In Memoriam”, every day. A glance at the daily mortality rates would inform the reader that more than 95% of them comprise of the local tribal population. They are succumbing to the Covid-19 virus across the state due to their unfounded hesitancy and doubt about the vaccine. The pressure groups, who often go hammer and tongs at silly issues in the name of upholding tribal rights, must garner enough courage to see the real picture because the matter is indeed very grim. In fact, they should encourage their people to take the jab.
Also in the same vein may I ask where are our MLAs – who instigate the pressure groups to achieve their subversive goals? I agree with Pynshngain Jyrwa’s, letter, “Where are the MLAs?”, (ST, May 22, 2021) which has raised an alarm over the hibernation of the elected MLAs, barring a few. It is high time for these MLAs to utilize the pressure groups, the way they instigate them to take up political issues and remove the fear and anxiety that looms large over the tribal people of the state. As C. Lyngdoh has rightly said in his/her above mentioned letter, the pressure groups should read the national dailies and watch global television channels since countries like USA & UK have vaccinated a certain percentage of their population – who now can move freely and without a mask.
Let our pressure groups realize that vaccines are the only solution to this pandemic and they should not allow Meghalaya to remain unprotected when the entire nation is rapidly being vaccinated. Arise! Awake! If not for yourself, then for the innocent people who are being misled to not get vaccinated.
Yours etc.
BC Paul
Shillong – 4