Editor,
“A spark neglected burns the house,” is an adage of the wise that has proven its correctness down the ages and is a saying that the wise pay heed to. A fool on the other hand will ignore such wisdom and plunge in regardless, without any thought of the consequences that his action or inaction might bring. Events post August 13 happening in and around Shillong which send a chill down one’s spine if one only takes the trouble to imagine where such actions are likely to take the State and its people. Citizens seem to have lost all confidence on the credibility of the Government and the politicians who compose that Government. Youth has once again taken to the streets to voice their resentment and the Rule of Law seems to be an unfamiliar concept to both the Government and to the citizenry it is supposed to serve.
The uncalled for police encounter of Cheristerfield Thankhiew in Mawlai Kynton Massar on August 13, last seems to have been the last straw on the camel’s back for a public that has been seething for the last four years over Govt apathy to governance; the regular financial, coal and power scams that have been tumbling out of the MDA cupboard; the perceived obsession of the NPP to suck Meghalaya dry simply to finance its national ambition; corruption at the highest echelons of governance and the seemingly impotence and helplessness of the coalition regional parties in the face of all the mal-governance that is going on. The youth have now once again taken to the streets and the rising crescendo of “Ka Sur ki Nongmawlai” seems to have caught the imagination of those who believe that only violence and agitations will make this Government wake up. Militancy or a call for its return seems to many as the only answer to the rampant misrule we are suffering from.
It’s a dangerous trend and here I would like our aggrieved youth to pause and rethink; review and ponder wisely over the course of action they have charted for themselves and the jaitbynriew. Let the events that recently took place in Kashmir be a reminder of the extent the Centre will tolerate any form of agitation or protest it perceives poses a threat to the security of this country. That I can safely say will not be tolerated and might lead to regretful decisions over which we will have no control over.
Having said the above one is also shocked and bewildered by the total silence and indifference that the Government and its administration is treating the agitations going on in Mawlai. It’s alarming to see the spread of the agitation to other places in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The DC of EKH has taken recourse to the law and she has simply acted as per her training and background as a bureaucrat and no one needs be surprised over this. The Mawlai movement is now taking a distinct political colour with a dash of militancy in it. One would expect experienced politicians and statesmen to step in and douse the fire that threatens to flare up. Yet none of this is happening. Where is the Home Minister? Does he know the responsibilities of his portfolio? Why has no positive and determined action or step been taken to quell these public protests? I hope the MDA and its major partner the UDP have not pinned their hopes on the wrong guy. So, as a Government is the MDA and its partners going to pretend that all’s well and we have nothing to worry about? Sorry that’s not what the public is seeing. From what one sees it seems Rymbui is not averse to ignore the spark that can bring down the whole house!
Yours etc.,
Jericho Lyngdoh,
Shillong- 8
Who advised Govt to eliminate Cherister?
Editor,
The current NPP led-coalition seems to be buying time on how to deal with the public demand to drop the State Home Minister from his portfolio and to suspend the police personnel accused of a fake encounter against a surrendered militant on August 13 last. Why is this Government twiddling its thumbs when it should be taking firm action? First things first, the Home Department should have immediately placed those police officers leading the team that fateful day under suspension pending investigation and if proven guilty of overreach they should face punishment under the law of the land. Secondly, the Government that has been voted and elected to govern cannot take people’s sentiments for granted and play with their emotions. Rather, the Government should heed public opinion and drop the Home Minister from the Cabinet. Mere statements and semantics used such as “issue is under examination” or “under consideration” shows the duplicity of the MDA government. With so many unproductive advisors around the Chief Minister only God knows who gave him such an advice that allowed such a folly to occur.
Yours etc.,
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar,
Shillong
Higher Education in a sorry state
Editor,
The pathetic state of Indian higher education is discernible in the fact that even the best Indian higher education institutions(HEIs) are not ranked high by international standards. It is worrisome that no Indian higher education institution appears in the top 200 globally in the latest Times Higher Education(THE) rankings. In fact, the rankings are not done based on the excellence in teaching ,research or reputation. Times Higher Education considers parameters such as knowledge transfer that measures participation in exchange programmes and collaboration with other international universities and measuring progress against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). It must be noted that several Chinese universities figure among the top 100. In contrast, only three Indian institutions figure in the 300-400 category.
Criticism can be levelled against the parameters used for rankings but it must be understood that institutions that wish to be globally competitive must strive for it. If India wants to be an academic superpower, it needs to do a lot. It is shocking to know that some reputed higher education institutions in India kept away from competing with global institutions. Those institutions that competed were left behind. While India’s National Education Policy 2020 is considered a game changer, pathetic performance of higher education institutions is a matter of concern. It is ironic that even when the number of higher education institutions and PhD candidates has increased, the allocation for higher education in the central budget is very low. The NEP lays emphasis on research in the country. India must take a leaf out of the book of China and overcome the drawbacks in higher education.
Despite rapid expansion in the higher education sector, challenges remain. Low employability of students, poor quality of teaching, weak governance , insufficient funding and complex regulatory norms continue to plague the sector. One wonders how India would fulfil its wish of getting to the 50% GER(Gross Enrolment Ratio) by 2030 from the current ratio without proper strategy and execution plan.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam
