Editor,
Since the onset of Covid -19 in March last year, educational institutions in the State have adopted online classes especially for the higher classes. However, one school which has completely turned a blind eye to online classes is Pine Mount School in Shillong. There was no effort by the Principal and the teachers of the school to start the classes and the students were left at their own mercy to educate themselves. Very rarely and randomly few teachers, based on God knows what instinct, suddenly send messages on Whatsapp to students to do some work on their own and then they disappear for a few weeks. Education for them is only sending some instructions on Whatsapp. Other schools have exploited Apps like Google meet for online classes. The teachers were and are still least bothered about their responsibility as educators and are happy to draw salaries without teaching.
The school Principal is also least bothered to instruct teachers to take online classes as they get regular salaries and nobody dares to ask them. They should leave their jobs if it is painful for them to perform their duties. The district school inspector or any authority is also shy of taking any action and are just happy doing their desk jobs. Moreover, the parents are also scared that any complaint against the school might lead to punishment of their wards. I ask the Education Minister to please immediately enquire about the pathetic role of the Principal and teachers in the school and set up a Committee to find out the current state of education in Pine Mount School.
Yours etc.,
Donald Swer
Shillong – 22
Urgent need for stable, effective governance
Editor,
Before I start I want to clarify that I am a simple citizen with no preference or leanings towards any political party, dispensation or ideology. I harbour no political ambitions and my only desire is for effective governance where citizens like me can feel safe, secure and at ease with the performance of the Government we have elected for ourselves. I hate to say it but the truth has to be said and the truth is that under this MDA Govt there is no longer any semblance of governance in the state! No one seems to know what is going on and worse no one seems to care either. We are all in the dark as to the direction the state is headed for but from media reports it seems that we are permanently on a back-slide in almost every aspect of human development. Law and order is on the verge of collapse and at one point of time a part of our capital, Shillong, was held hostage by a hysterical mob who blatantly extolled, eulogised and elevated a former terrorist, mass murderer and extortionist as a martyr and hero of the Khasis. Have we all gone mad? The silence on the incident, especially from the Chief Minister and his Home Minister was shocking. Where are the leaders to lead the people and the state?
The message the people of Meghalaya are getting from this MDA Govt are most distressing. The immediate impression collected from the deeds and actions of the two NPP brothers in the Government is that Meghalaya and its resources are being systematically exploited to fund the national ambition of the party. Another senior Cabinet Minister is there simply to augment the prospects of his own family business by grabbing all Government contracts. Looting the state for personal gains seems to be the vogue. Its team B partner, the UDP fares no better. In fact the UDP is proving day by day to be totally unfit to call itself the champion of the hill people. It was quick to demand the recall of the Home portfolio from James Sangma, but has chosen to remain blind and silent to the scams of the Social Welfare Deptt and the non-performance of the Education and Home Deptt, both of which are incidentally manned by UDP members. The party has managed to add hypocrisy to the list of evils usually associated with unprincipled politics. One would also like to solve the mystery as to why the Speaker of the House, supposedly a neutral entity, has to follow wherever the Chief Minister goes like Mary’s little lamb? The less said the better about the other MDA partners the BJP, HSPDP and the PDF. It’s obvious they are simply hanging on to the Government as mere decorative pieces. Their contribution to the overall governance and welfare of the state till date is a big Zero. It would therefore not be unrealistic to describe the MDA as a big colony of leeches.
So what hope do the people of the state have for 2023? The need of the hour is for a majority ruled, stable, no-nonsense leadership to take over the reins of Government. A Government that has the ability to deliver. The Congress is no assembly of angels and saints but at this moment, for better or for worse, it seems to be the only hope for Meghalaya, but unfortunately it too is a house divided within itself. To come to power it has to do an immediate introspection and reconsolidate itself. Personal interests and ambitions should be discarded in the interests of the state and its people. Vincent Pala is a go-getter with the agreeable demeanour to patch up differences among disgruntled members. But by no stretch of the imagination can he be described as Chief Minister material. He should be satisfied to continue serving the state as its representative in the Lok Sabha. Mukul Sangma has had his innings as CM but many are not happy with his style of leadership. Many see him as good MP material. Why not him as the 2024 MP Party candidate from Garo Hills as he would be sure to unseat the voiceless Agatha?
For the Congress to come back with a thumping majority in 2023 there is a need for the party to declare beforehand its CM candidate. For this there is none better than RG Lyngdoh. Declare RG as the CM for 2023 and bag the majority of the 36 seats from Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Let Dr. Mukul canvass for the party from Garo Hills as he is sure to make possible the return of quite a number Congress seats. A win-win situation for the Congress and why not? This is bound to get the Congress a comfortable Majority in the House and give Meghalaya, after its bitter tryst with incompetence, taste once again the fruits of governance and development all framed within the Rule of Law.
Yours etc.,
Shaikupar Lyngdoh,
Shillong-8
The political circus begins
Editor,
The upcoming bye-election in 3 constituencies would be an interesting game to watch how the regional parties that are allies of the NPP will pit one against the other while Congress and BJP would be pitting against all and one another in a different game. So, all the rhetoric that is spewed on the media or on public platforms would be just an eyewash. The UDP has gone on an overdrive telling people that it is not Team B but Team A in the State. Well then my question is – what has the Party done in respect to its coalition ties with NPP if it’s really a team leader? A team leader should basically lead from the front and excel in quality leadership but from what is evident it doesn’t demonstrate those qualities. The BJP too which follows its ‘Masters Voice’ against corruption has in fact compromised on its principles so we need not say much. The NCP has even gone to the extent of asking parties not to put up a candidate against a family member of a deceased candidate. The question is – have we sold our democratic rights to family dynastic politics? The election drama as predicted would be full of surprises, thrilling and akin to betting on a “Teer” counter. The party that hits the bull’s eye will call the shots for the 2023 state assembly elections.
Yours etc…
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Shillong