Editor,
Increasing news reports of this MDA Govt’s inability to take charge of its collapsing control over environmental abuses apparently perpetrated by powerful politicians belonging to the ruling coalition has left many of us on the verge of despair. It became clearer by the day that unregulated exploitation of our natural resources, mainly through illegal mining of coal, limestone, boulders and river sand by powerful mining cartels, some actually owned and operated by close family members of ruling politicians, is spelling doom for the rich biodiversity that Meghalaya has and could actually spell doom for the whole state and its fragile environment.
It also became clearer by the day that this Government neither had the will nor the inclination to put a stop to these increasing environmental crimes. Therefore the timely intervention of the judiciary, actually the Meghalaya High Court, is a glimmer of light that has started to appear along this dark dismal tunnel of political patronage over the mining lobby. Judicial intervention over this glaring abdication of executive responsibility is a most welcome step for the helpless citizens of the state.
The ST news report of April 8, 2022 over the High Court’s observation over the need for quick urgent action to prevent further decay of our water bodies should be a wakeup call even for a Government that prefers to turn a blind eye to crimes by its own members. The Court’s ruling over the need to close down Marten, which has reached its saturation point, and for the administration to find alternate land fill sites, is again a very welcome step. Well informed sources from within the Urban Affairs Department had indicated that the failure to find alternate landfill sites was not so much because of public objections but it had more to do with ministers with an avaricious mindset asking for their abnormally high commission over any such deals. So much for leaders who buy their way to power and for a greedy electorate that votes such criminals to power
Yours etc.,
Julius Phanwar,
Via email
Lessons from the Animal Farm
Editor,
Animal farm is a satire and an indictment of what happened in the former USSR after the Bolshevik Revolution. Thou shall not sleep in bed was changed to Thou shall not sleep in bed with bedsheets. ‘Thou shall not drink liquor’ eventually became, ‘Thou shall not drink liquor in excess.’ Things went out of hand and Stalin & Company ruled the former Soviet Union with an iron fist with absolutely no room for dissent. Dissenters were sent to the Siberian forced labour cum death camps known as the Gulag.
Let’s go back to the start. The animals in the farm were ill-treated. Through the pain and agony, they suffered in silence. Then Old Major, the wise old pig saw a vision. A vision of hope and freedom. Freedom from the shackles of the tyrannical human masters. This vision inspired the animals in the farm to revolt. Revolt they did and they successfully overthrew their tyrannical human masters. In the real world, Old Major represented Karl Marx. Karl Marx’s, Das Kapital inspired Leftists all over the world. Das Kapital is the Bible of people who lean towards the Left.
Leftists today who believe in democracy believe in democratic socialism. They believe that socialism can work in a democratic framework. Leftists in Meghalaya believe that they should fight for the right of the downtrodden, irrespective of the communities they belong to. According to them, the fight is between the rich and the poor and the haves and the have-nots. Fair enough but what Leftists in Meghalaya fail to realise is that things are not as simple as they seem. In a country like India, there are different dynamics at play which make things like development a complicated affair. For the next 100 years or so, DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA WILL STILL BE COMMUNITY CENTRIC.
What the Khasi-Jaintia community needs are different kind of visionaries. Visionaries who will inspire the community to take on the outside world. Visionaries who will put the community above everything else. Visionaries who will guide the community into a better future.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Tragedy that could have been averted
Editor,
Many on social media have been crying for months on the nature of the construction and modalities of work carried out by the NHIDCL which are scary as earthmoving is done over a precarious site. The other day two precious lives were lost due to a devastating landslide. We in Meghalaya do not learn from history on any subject, especially the tragic ones. In 1988 -1989, the State PWD equipped with only the traditional construction engineering equipment, with no JCBs, attempted to modify one of the world’s most treacherous stretch, the Rngain on the Shillong Dawki road. Even with a soft attack and with utmost caution, the landslide could not be averted and for many months thereafter all Dawki bound traffic was routed through Jowai. It was a nightmare as by that time, the traffic rules and acts were violated by coal laden trucks with three times the permissible load.
This is 2022, when heavy earth movers equipped with power blades to plough and worse the blast hole punche, had wantonly destroyed the earth. When earth is raked beyond its nature-gifted capacity, it rebounds with deadly landslides. Yet we continue to blast through hills and dales thereby provoking mother earth to fight back.
Since the NH6 was started by NHIDCL lots of letters have appeared in this newspaper. There was dumping of red soil on the old road. When the rains came many buses, trucks and cars skidded off the road. Hillocks are wantonly sliced. A lady from Madanrting, had some work in a house by the side of the Umling- Niangbari road. Sadly at night, the whole mountain caved in and red soil pounded on the hamlet killing the poor lady. There was no follow up. Let us admit that callousness, with these powerfull monsters, with wanton uncontrolled dynamite and with no proper survey of the soil or rock structure, will bring more such tragic news in the near future.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Rohit Kshiar and Dilibon Tansang whose lives were tragically ended for no fault of theirs. May their souls rest in peace. And please refrain from washing your hands off all responsibility and blame Climate Change for all disasters. We also hope that this time the Accident Tribunal, if at all it is serviceable, would do something to at least cushion the loss of the bereaved families though lives lost can never be brought back again.
Yours etc.,
W. Passah
Nongkrem