Editor,
I came to St Edmunds College last week to submit the application form of my nephew. It was raining and I somehow found shelter in the arms of a boy who looked really young, so I thought he came to take admission. I was wrong; he’s now waiting for his graduation result. Then while standing in the queue, I struck up a conversation with a girl who I thought was also taking admission. I was wrong again. She had completed her Masters. Both looked incredibly young for their age. Most of my non-tribal friends do agree that we Khasis and other communities in NE India look much younger than our actual age. I guess it’s in our DNA to look young. The boy is about to become a mathematician and he’s highly ambitious. NEHU is not on his radar. He’s planning to go outside for further studies; the girl on the other hand has just finished her MSc in Biotechnology and she’s highly ambitious too. She wants to take a break from studies for now and to pursue her studies again later. It’s a refreshing sight to see such ambitious attitude among our youths. It fills my heart with joy and pride to see our youths doing well in their studies and branching out into fields of studies that require a lot of head-scratching, hard work & dedication.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Need to cleanse the rot in the system
Editor,
The letter to the editor, “Mr. CM give us a break” (ST Aug 12, 2021) though written anonymously reveals the sense of anger and frustration of our generation. While there is anger there is also fear and hopelessness due to lack of employment and future prospects. Their being aware of the existence of nepotism and fovouritism in every sphere leaves them feeling deprived and disgusted; hence the birth of “negative thoughts.” The fact that they long to prove their worth and excellence and are eager to compete in a healthy environment must be acknowledged, appreciated and most importantly must be encouraged and allowed. The letter also spells out the lack of faith in the system that has been condoned by us the elders. Perhaps the youth may not be totally wrong in having such feelings since we have kept quiet all the while and have allowed this state to deteriorate.
As parents, elders and responsible citizens we must contemplate on the failure of governments, the society and more so our individual selves. It must worry each one of us that our young minds are aware of the “hypocrisy” embedded in us; that they are unhappy with the way we have allowed the system to decline and worsen; that we have failed to nip the vice in the bud. Personally, the letter shook my conscience and made me re-look at the way the world of righteousness is falling apart. We have really kept mum for so long. It’s time we make a start for the good of one and all especially our children. It’s about time we get more alert and aware and find out ways and means to combat the challenging ills that are present in the society. In order to provide a safe haven for our children we must join hands and fight against the prevailing evils. Yes, together we are stronger and better.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Parliament pulverized
Editor,
It is worrisome that over the years, the very business of Indian Parliament has declined sharply. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, two days ahead of schedule bringing to an end a tumultuous monsoon session disrupted by Opposition protests over the Pegasus snooping row and farm laws. During the monsoon session the Lok Sabha functioned for only 21 hours, lost 74 hours 46 minutes to disruptions and its productivity was 22 per cent. The productivity of the Rajya Sabha was 28 per cent and it lost 76 hours 26 minutes to disruptions. This pathetic state of the functioning of Parliament is a cause for concern. In fact, the business of the institution has declined both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The present state of the functioning of Parliament shows a bad situation. Both the opposition and the Government must be held responsible for not allowing the institution of democracy to function properly. Even a small disruption in the Parliamentary proceedings costs heavily. Even a minute of disruption will cost lakhs but while the monetary cost of disruptions in Parliament can be estimated, how it affects people’s lives cannot be estimated. Lack of proper legislation will adversely affect the lives of people cannot be calculated in financial terms. As in the case of the Central farm laws, when a Bill is passed during disruption without any deliberation, the impact is tremendous. The conflict between the farmers and the Central government has led to a chaotic situation.
Apart from productivity, reduced role of Parliamentary standing committees and increased promulgation of ordinances are also a cause for concern. Parliamentary standing committees play an important role in deep analysis of laws and adding expert data in legislation. In the 16th Lok Sabha between 2014-2019, the involvement of these committees declined to just 25%. A law enacted for a diverse country like India must come through proper deliberation.
Hence, the causes of Parliamentary disruptions must be identified and solutions found for them. Smooth functioning of Parliament is dependent on how well the Opposition comes out with severe criticism and how well the Government builds a consensus. An institution of democracy must not be allowed to be badly affected by vested interests. The importance of law making must be understood by everyone involved. Parliament’s precious time must not be wasted for running political narratives. It is of paramount importance to restore the sanctity of Parliament. The temple of democracy must be used for serving people and not for petty political gains. Voices must be raised there for people and it must be heard attentively.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS
Kollam