Editor,
I was very touched to read the article titled, ‘Women: Still Many Mountains to Scale’, by Patricia Mukhim (ST 10th June 2022). Her elaborate discussion on the subject regarding plight of women in the matrilineal society is very well researched and a recurring problem of the day. While sincerely appreciating the learned author, I would like to ventilate some observations of my own in this regard.
The problem of forced production upon the woman is not only confined to any particular community but it is a practice in general since time immemorial. It is observed that during the last decades of 20th century, maximum married women had premature deaths due to ‘Aplastic anemia’ (Bloodlessness) because of repeated child delivery, beyond their physical capacity. Many unhealthy deformed and rickety children were born, burdening the society. There are records of bearing 16-22 children even during the span of 30-35 years of conjugal life; and as a result the ailing mothers had to suffer critically and die prematuredly. The women had no opinion of their own, to force upon their partners, and had to suffer silently. If one wife died, second would be very easily available! That was our traditional society.
Nowadays education has to an extent helped to make women conscious of their own safety; but the percentage of educated women is still very low in this region especially. Moreover, being the weaker sex, women cannot compete with male power in physical strength and helplessly have to surrender against their will!
I can recollect an incident of 1998, in Shillong which hurts me till date. A very sober girl of hardly 19 years would serve tea in our school canteen, a very sweet face with innocent smile. I used to mark a baby with her, back-packed with a sling. One day being curious, I asked her to know how old was the baby she carried on her back. She replied in a very disheartening voice that it was 21/2 years old but could not stand or walk. She had to carry it all day long. I was shocked to see the very sickly and deformed baby with a big head and two exceptionally thin legs all skin and bones. With tears she told that she had two more children at home of 4 and 6 years. She had been bearing a child since she was 13 years old. All the children were malnourished! She cried! I asked about her husband but she kept mum, and controlling her emotion said that he left her, married again and had been living with his new wife and children. He had been serving as a peon in a Government office.
Being deeply anguished, I immediately collected the address of his office and wrote a strong letter to the officer in-charge of that office, relating the subject and requesting him to compel that employee to help his family financially. The officer informed me that he could not help in that regard because the man (Peon) totally denied the relation, and there was no record or witness or registered document in support of their marriage. He was helpless to help despite his sincerest sympathy.
I can never forget the pale face of that helpless young mother and today I could ventilate my suppressed pain after 24 long years. I fervently hope that large scale education of girls and the Women’s Movements could stop the evil practice of forced motherhood upon the tender aged minor girls, and partially remove the plight of women as a whole.
Yours etc.,
Uma Purkayastha,
Shillong – 4
NEHU needs a dynamic VC
Editor,
The entire student community wholeheartedly applauds the Hon’ble Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly, Mr Metbah Lyngdoh, for raising the issues pertaining to lapses in the NEHU governance and administration and the indifference and apathy of the Vice-Chancellor in particular. At a time of mute spectators and silent politicians, Mr Metbah Lyngdoh has emerged as a Good Samaritan during a time of crisis. There have been grave anomalies in addressing the students’ welfare by the authorities of NEHU. Numerous editorials and articles have been written, however, none seem to have had any impact on the stakeholders of NEHU.
The recent announcement of a Japanese Language course is a major fallacy when the English and Foreign languages University is present in the very same campus. Departments like Mass Communication, Tourism & Hospitality Management, etc., need far more impetus than setting up ventures which would only add to the PR value with zero substance for the students. The UPSC Civil Services coaching for Scheduled Tribes also hit a major roadblock as the majority of the students in NEHU are Scheduled Tribes. Will a future civil services aspirant from the state be differentiated on the basis of caste? The logic behind the schemes are exasperating for the student community. The decision makers at the helm need to deliberate on the motive behind such decisions. The VC being from a far- flung area in North India seems to either pay no heed or does not want to understand the sentiments and culture of the tribal people here.
Take for example the implementation of CUET; when he was asked his opinion on the same, he quickly brushed it off his plate and passed the buck on to the State Education Minister. Is this the attitude of a leader who has been given the responsibility of steering an institution like NEHU which has been producing civil servants, renowned authors, politicians, etc., from time immemorial? My elder sister passed out from this Institution during the tenure of the only indigenous VC of this famed institution, Prof B Pakem. She regretfully claims that none of the VC’s post Prof Pakem have paid much attention to the development and mobility of the tribal community. My sister is now well placed in America!
And why is any issue raised always linked to the fact that previous Vice-Chancellors since 1993 have not implemented certain welfare schemes hence they cannot be implemented now? Is shedding of responsibility the new ball game of the current man at helm? The protest of the students’ body which is doing the rounds in social media also has the VC “smiling” while the agitating crowd places its demands before him. Is the Vice-Chancellor enjoying the fact that his very own students are not getting Wi-Fi, clean drinking water, health and various other facilities which are their right from a central government institution? When issues are raised and memoranda submitted he is perennially out of station for reasons best known to him. This only accentuates the fact made by our Hon’ble Governor during the Foundation Day speech that the VC’s being appointed these days do not have the skills nor the capacity to run educational establishments. NEHU currently needs an indigenous Pro-Vice Chancellor who is ever present in office and is in tune with the dynamics and traditions of the place and where students are welcome to place their grievances and are not shooed away under the guise of being out of station. I once again thank the Speaker and the Governor who have been upright and have been vocal about the genuine demands of the student community which needs to be seriously looked at rather than just signing MOU’s and entertaining visiting foreign dignitaries.
Yours etc.,
Adrian Kharkhrang,
Shillong-3