Editor,
As an ordinary and concerned citizen, I have observed that a series of talks at the high level, have been taken place between Meghalaya and its counterpart Assam right from the past till the present time. However, these talks fail to see the light of the day, as the talks remain talks with no solutions in sight till date. The border issue has been lingering for decades now and it will be a sad state of affairs for our state to celebrate its 50th year of statehood next year given the present circumstances. During the UPA regime, the states of Assam and Meghalaya were both led by the Congress Government. It was expected then that the Government of India would resolve the border dispute at the earliest but to no avail. Looking at the present scenario, the Governments at the centre and the states are the same and I hope this time around, there will be sheer political will and seriousness on their part to resolve the border dispute, which has been persisting for a number of years now.
It is high time that this issue is resolved amicably, before tensions start to rise and flare up, as seen in the border between Assam and Mizoram recently. Lastly, our Government must at least protect our people in the borders and walk the talk this time around otherwise the border issue will continue to appear in the election manifesto of the different political parties in our state who actually forget about it the moment they are elected.
Yours etc.,
Terrence Thangkhiew
Via email
Sorry state of waste in Jowai
Editor,
Jowai – my treasured and well-beloved town is the same town that my friends and I had the most cherished and memorable childhood. I am always proud to disseminate light about my town by engaging in conversations about our Pnar culture, the close relationship we share with our land and environment and how close are to the river banks where we would leisurely spend our time, clear our minds and not to forget the famous culture of picnicking with families and friends. This romanticism of an ideal Jowai town has gone astray after the recent events that are trending in the media in which viral images and posts show the mountains of waste that keep on piling up daily. Recently, a widely circulated meme, “From smart town to sma town”, which has gone viral, directly paints the incapacity of our local representatives (MLAs and MDCs) to tackle waste management. This however is not limited to the waste managers at the government level but we the residents are equally responsible as well.
It is shameful that we, as the residents of Jowai, who are overly conscious about keeping our homes clean and polished, lack the civic culture of cleaning what is beyond our home boundaries (with a few exceptions).
A pnar analogy: da sarom da uwa peit ia u wa eit, a situation which roughly translates to the ‘spectator feeling more uncomfortable than the defecator’ is negatively impacting the residents, especially the localities around Tympang club, Mynthong and Ladthalaboh.
To be fair, we are yet to internalize the concept of waste management and reduction. A simple example is what we witness often – people disposing waste from the window of a moving car. This act of ignorance and idiocy majorly contributes to the piling up of these wastes. Hence, we should learn and appreciate from the silent changemakers who pay heed and take ownership through small but impactful acts such as picking plastic wastes during their morning walks; the few that choose to keep plastic wrappers in their pockets or bags and wait till they get home to dispose them of. These responsibilities may not appear as if one can change the world, but it is definitely a big step in bringing about change in the way we think and the air we breathe.
Now, the ultimate concern is how to get rid of all the stock of wastes that are lying around the whole town, which in turn is capable of adding fuel to the fire in light of the current pandemic. It is about time that we the residents under the leadership of local headmen, leaders/representatives in the legislature, district council and the concerned departments collectively combine our efforts taking into account the seriousness of the issue and go back to the days when Jowai used to be a pristine glory.
Yours etc,
Chenmiki Laloo
Via email
Odisha – A Govt that cares
Editor,
It is praiseworthy that Puri, the temple town in Odisha has set an example for other towns and cities in India in providing fit to drink tap water to people. In addition to being drinkable, the water is available 24×7. Further, the water level is measured and every bill is collected. Water quality is properly monitored and displayed. A community management system that employs women’s service is functioning efficiently for this purpose. This scheme will be extended to every municipality in the state in a phased manner.
Puri’s success story will certainly inspire administrators and political leaders. It is a fact that many deadly diseases are contracted by drinking contaminated water. By providing pure tap water the administration is not just protecting people’s health, it is also showing the importance of functional governance.
Contaminated drinking water, especially tap water is a symbol of poor standard of living. Pure tap water, on the other hand, demonstrates a high standard of living. Contaminated water and poor sanitation result in transmission of diseases. Also, it leads to malnutrition, morbidity and mortality. It causes loss of days of work, affects education and productivity. Providing consumable water and food to people shows a government’s commitment to protection of people’s health. Such functional governance must be transferred to other sectors so that the general standard of living will improve. Failed services lead to unnecessary expenditure. Failure of government services make people seek private services and they are forced to pay for other expenditure. If government services work properly, people would entirely depend on them and a large amount of money could be saved. Further, public places are littered with plastic bottles. It adversely affects the environment. By providing pure tap water, mineral water and plastic could be dispensed with.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam