Editor,
These past few weeks have seen a tumultuous turn of events politically in our state. In headline after headline, we see political representatives and leaders of different political parties suddenly changing route and jumping into the NPP bandwagon.
Surely the wave of the NPP is dominant in Meghalaya and it’s neighbouring state like Manipur, but it’s sad to see our Chief Minister and his party giving a red carpet, welcome-home party to any Tom, Dick and Harry and I say this with the infamous blunder of “five Ri Bhoi districts” in mind. Are these really the people you want in your party Mr CM?
Admittedly a politician can join whichever party he or she wishes to, but imagine being a politician sitting in the Opposition for four long years unashamedly bashing, battering and questioning the competence of the party they now shake hands and rub shoulders with? It’s ludicrous to believe that these so-called leaders are doing it for the betterment of their respective constituencies as they publicly claimed, when in reality they are simply just a pack of hyenas waiting to masticate and feast off whatever is left of the MDA carcass.
Considering the upcoming 2023 election, the timing of these unscrupulous acts are obvious aren’t they? It reminds me of the old adage, ” If you can’t beat the enemy, you join them.” After all, no one expects politicians or political parties to be pure and holy. Anyone looking for these virtues should stay away from politics, but of course it’s not too high a standard either to expect politicians to not be pathological liars and their parties to not be a tent of lies is it? What’s even more interesting is the five Congress legislators who successfully managed to beguile our Mr Conrad Sangma and his minions without officially leaving the Congress party that they still represent till date. The question is why? Is the negotiation for tender meat still ongoing? After all, just recently the spouse of the now suspended CLP leader has publicly and officially traded the hand for the book. So what’s the hold up with his fair maiden? In the midst of her indecisiveness, I hope she ponders on this quote by Abraham Lincoln, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”.
We all know that sitting in the Opposition is not rainbows and unicorns for anyone; their pockets are running dry and they need to make a quick buck to rescue them, come 2023. So, let’s leave the holier than thou attitude at the doorstep, and let’s just call a spade a spade shall we? That said, I sometimes wonder if politics is a profession or an art, regrettably not the awe inspiring kind of art but more like a con artist claiming himself/herself to be a professional while trying to convince any naive person that he/she is capable of creating a masterpiece.
2023 is coming sooner that we think, Granted the NPP will bring out their grand artillery and go out all guns blazing with the hope of governing the state solely, which I admit is an impressive aspiration but I hope the NPP doesn’t lose it’s stance while it gets too busy drooling over the newbies without noticing that their staunch supporters in some constituencies are quickly taking the exit route.
Let’s hope that a leader of Mr Conrad Sangma’s calibre will be wary of the wolves in sheep’s clothing lest his party gets dragged to the slaughter house and I hope the masses will see the con artists for who they really are, with their empty promises and rhetorical hyperboles. The ballot box will give the public a chance to rid these opportunistic malignant warts off once and for all. If not, the NPP as we now know it will sadly and inevitably turn into the good ol’ Congress party but with a different symbol.
Yours etc.,
Nikkita Sawian,
Via email
Outdated Laws vs Modern Rights
Editor,
The letter to the Editor, “Women’s Rights trampled again” (ST Feb 28, 2022) frankly speaking came as quite a shock as it happened in Lumdiengjri, a locality in the centre of Shillong where one would have expected, literacy, education and better sense to prevail over misplaced misogyny. In this day and age to prevent women participating in local Dorbar proceedings and to debar them from voting in the election of Dorbar office bearers smacks of a Jurassic Age mindset. That this outdated mentality and behaviour is inspired and motivated by an obsolete and archaic law of Hima Mylliem is a shame for the entire Khasi community.
The letter mentioned above had stressed the pride we as a Jaitbynriew have when we see the prestigious seat of the Chief Secretary to the Government, the chair of DGP Meghalaya Police and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner East Khasi Hills occupied and managed by Khasi women. I now have a very simple question for the Syiem of Hima Mylliem, the Hima that passed the Act prohibiting women from participating in Dorbar affairs. The question is if any of the Khasi women mentioned above, in their official capacity, were to summon the Syiem and his myntris, will the Syiem wave the Act of Hima Mylliem in their faces and refuse to attend on the excuse that as an upholder of outdated tradition he refuses to obey any order passed by a woman? I doubt if any of our Syiems will have such a spine. So let’s not get carried away by tradition and try to live as per the demands of the day and age we live in.
Further, if the officials of Hima Mylliem who attended and conducted the Dorbar elections at Lumdiengjri actually barred the participation of women in the name of tradition and in so doing, knowingly or unknowingly challenged a Meghalaya High Court order on the same subject, will the High Court suo.moto move Contempt of Court proceedings against these officials and the Syiem of Mylliem? Well, I hope so just so that the so-called defenders of tradition and custom are made aware of the supremacy of the Constitution over misplaced emotions and sentiment. In a 21st century Meghalaya , it is the height of nonsense for heads of Traditional Institutions to go by the cheap slogan of “ Ha ri lajong, leh kat bamon”. It just does not work that way.
Yours etc.,
Bilona Rynjah,
Via mail