Editor,
My son aged 9 is in class 4 in a city school. We got a message from the school saying classes 1-5 will revert to online classes from Feb 14 as per Govt order dated Feb 2, 2020. I hope there are plans to open up schools soon. The adverse effects of such a prolonged period of online classes far outweighs any benefits of keeping children out of school. Unlike the elder children, my son and others of his age have missed out on basic classroom teaching and discipline, and peer interaction, which has stunted their normal development. Even the WHO now says children should get back to school. They have already lost 2 precious years of their school life. Neighbouring Assam is doing away with all restrictions from Feb 15. I hope the Govt realises the importance of offline classes more so as Covid cases are now receding. Parents/wards having reservations can keep their children at home, but going by the response in the limited period classes were held last year, the majority of parents will send their wards to school. Unfortunately, we don’t have parents’ associations in schools here to press for our case. This has been a frustrating two years us for us parents! Hope to see some positive decisions soon.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Atomized Autonomy: An Adjunct
Editor,
The article “Are We Still Stuck in Distributional Politics and Party Hopping?” by Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh (ST Feb 8, 2022) has eloquently highlighted the ailments in our polity. We can still safely assume that the bedrock of our political economy is based on a “begging bowl’ policy. It’s a policy of appeasement of states ruled by the same dispensation. 50 years of Statehood and we have not yet fully realised and fully tapped the potentials and identified our weaknesses. Nearly all that we adopt and adapt are ‘knee- jerk’ reactions within an electoral frame of 5 years. To surmise we truly are on a 5-year rent, exchange and distribution political economy of superficial paraphernalia and a subliminal colonization and parochial politicization of the mind of voters comprising the vocal, the silent, the indifferent and the ignorant (we have more of the latter three than the vocal). We are in such a situation, that to collectively describe our fate we need to use the metaphor of a pressure cooker that boils with a mixture of all kinds of eatables that none of us can delineate the taste of each ingredient. Hence we are in a state of perennial agitation, competing for our existence.
Right now, there are more pressure groups that we can accommodate, digest and even remember their abbreviations. This is not an indicator of good democracy but worse it is also an indicator of lack of good policies, governance and efficient administration. This is also a major failure of the opposition party. If the opposition is strong, dynamic and cohesive, there’s no need for pressure groups to come forward and spell out their needs, angst and desires.
The entrails of our politics are sore with ulcer that grows into a cancer which will ultimately engulf the entire system. To understand this, we need to look at the basic fundamentals of our economy, ecology and public amenities also the rural-urban disparities. We are also seeing more polarization of identity (class, religion.), ideas and opinion. We are seeing the increasing craze of rampant land accumulation by the well-endowed in power and cash. We are seeing the increasing numbers in relative poverty, the landless, the powerless. If democracy is still at play, and if our State has still some ounces of egalitarian principles (Ri raid, Ri bam lang), these will not arise at increasing rate (within 50 years of Statehood).
Our politics is not mature enough. It is neither conscientious, ideological, rational, ethical or methodical. Our politics is emotional, it is still about rhetoric, appeasement and individualistic political drama and political somnambulism.
Like K. Pyrtuh said “…CCTVs, Laptops, Android phones etc., and JCB machines are the new metaphors in the electoral narrative of the State”. Are we on the right track or into the path of eternal state of penury?
Yours etc.,
U.D.Tmar
Shillong-6
What’s behind GHADC, CEM’s removal?
Editor,
The recent happenings in Garo Hills vis-à-vis GHADC is only the tip of the iceberg. The murky goings-on have been taking place for a long time. Right now the issue may be about the CEM but behind it is the hand of a non-tribal businessman from Tura who has been working in close nexus with politicians and officers for a long time and who has his hands in every pie in every department such as huge building contracts of GHADC, wholesale dealership, DRDA, petrol and diesel retail outlets, PMGSY, contracts of different departments, etc.
This benami contractor was also the blue-eyed boy of the previous government but he shifted allegiance to the present government after the election of 2018. Many of the buildings he constructed are incomplete and of poor quality but little action was taken then and the same is happening now. The building contract of the controversial Rongjeng Model College which was given to Rakesh Newar/Sangma was constructed by him and many other useless buildings under the GHADC which have disappeared or are incomplete are his handiwork for which money has been drawn with the help of officers and politicians. The previous CEM Benedict Marak was removed because this person was not given indulgence and his MDC/MLA partners could not draw money through him.
This same person has been given wholesale dealership under different Garo names and is now monopolizing supply of grains all over Garo Hills and this has been possible because he is a business partner of top- level Garo politicians and officers. He is also running petrol pumps in many parts of Garo Hills and C-forms are being issued even on non-payment of taxes by the Taxation department as a special favour.
Many buildings constructed by him under DRDA are incomplete and of poor quality. The PMGSY road being undertaken by him is yet to be completed till date. His boldness in evading taxes and blatant benami transactions by directly flouting the Meghalaya Benami Transactions Prohibition Act, 1985, in which all benami transactions between a tribal and a non-tribal is illegal. His actions in collusion with our very own Garo politicians and officers have incurred loss of revenue to the Government and opportunities to other genuine Garo businessmen, and have deprived Garos of many developmental schemes which would have benefited society. In fact, he has amassed a lot of wealth and has made investments outside the State with the profits of his benami activities from Garo Hills and people of Garo Hills are silent spectators.
Now the question is, why is this person given so much importance that his advice has led to removal of Benedict Marak who was working well and smoothly running the GHADC? Why is he so powerful that he can choose Rakesh Sangma or Newar to be CEM? Why is the opposition quiet about his role in depriving Garo Hills of development? Why is he given special favours by officers of Taxation Department while others are harassed? Why is he monopolizing the Food and Civil Supplies Department in Garo Hills? And why are NGOs who have made a hue and cry many years ago about benami business silently watching this businessman dictate what is happening to Garo Hills? Why is the Government which says it is promoting small and local entrepreneurs letting this man monopolise all business opportunities belonging to locals and carry big bucks to other States?
The hypocrisy and greed of politicians and officers is at the cost of the development of Garo Hills. Wake up!
Yours etc.,
Mikhel D Sangma,
Tura