Editor,
The first list of candidates by the grand old party in regional politics, the United Democratic Party, is an utter disappointment. Not only is there no woman candidate in this day and age but they’ve managed to even overthrow their founding member, Bindo M Lanong, the one person left from regional politics who has remained loyal to the party, region and the very principles it was founded on.
Unfortunately, now it remains a party of spineless politicians following on the tailcoats of a crorepati puppeteer leader whose ultimate ambition is to covet the CM’s chair, in the event the party makes it to a majority that is, which I highly doubt.
I am reminded of that one editorial on this paper few years back which spoke of an analogy of how crabs from Meghalaya are sold in open buckets because the chances of them crawling out is next to impossible as they would pull each other down every time one of them makes an attempt to climb to the top. Sadly, this analogy does not apply only to politics in Meghalaya but in all other spheres as well!
Gone are the days when politics was based on good principles, integrity and respect. How can we trust a party that is not even open to including women as candidates in the 21st century and of betraying its own founder?
Yours etc.,
Namrata Chettri
Shillong-1
Dilapidated condition of footpath
Editor,
Footpaths or pavements are important for the safety of pedestrians walking on the road especially near the national highways where people are prone to accidents and mishaps. Through this letter I would like to draw the attention of the concerned department to the portion of pavement (around twenty meters) near the Jhalupara truck stand along GS road which has remained broken for a long time with no signs of any repair being undertaken. As a result pedestrians are compelled to walk on the highway and expose themselves to danger.
As prevention is better than cure, safety of the public should be the top priority of Public Welfare Departments working in the state. I hope this request reaches the ears of the concerned departments and necessary actions would be taken as soon as possible.
Yours etc.,
Bhanudaya Upadhaya
Shillong-2.
Low-turnout in elections undermine democracy
Editor,
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had expressed concern over the low turnout in elections which is detrimental to democracy. Low voter turnout has its own consequences as India is the world’s largest democracy. Low voter turnout is devastating for democracy as it means that people are not accurately represented. If we continue to allow low voter turnout to persist without trying to get more people involved, then this democracy that we praise ourselves for will cease to exist. But there are things we can do to prevent this.
One way to increase voter turnout is to increase citizens’ interest in politics. When people feel more connected to their politicians and the laws they pass, they are more likely to show their support or disapproval. The ECI had taken many appreciable steps in this regard. Even for a single voter a polling booth had been established. For disabled people arrangements had been made so that they can cast their votes from their residence. Icons for PwDs had been nominated. Now all polling stations are being set up at the ground floor with minimum required facilities being provided at each polling station. Also, every candidate has to publish his/her criminal records in the newspaper.
In the Municipal Corporation election of Delhi too there was low voting percentage, whereas this time there was intense canvassing by all the parties and various chief ministers and Central ministers participated in the electioneering. But residents of our cities seem to be less interested in turning out to vote. The urban areas of Gujarat recorded lower percentage of votes due to urban apathy. Similarly, during the recently-concluded assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, the urban constituency of Shimla recorded the lowest voting at 62.53% (less by 13 percentage points) as against the state average of 75.6%. Cities in Gujarat have exhibited a similar trend of urban apathy during the first phase of voting for the assembly elections on December 1, thus pulling down the voting percentage. This lack of participation in the democratic process has provoked Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar to appeal to the voters of Gujarat to come out in large numbers during the second phase of voting on December 5, so as to compensate for low voting figures in the first phase. But even after this strong appeal by the CEC no impact was seen in the second phase
This is not a recent phenomenon though. Voting percentages have been going down over the years in urban areas in all parts of the country, even though all governments spend a proportionately higher amount of money for development of these very areas. Also, urban areas enjoy more media coverage, leading to their issues being highlighted across different platforms, that results in the governments allocating more attention and resources to resolving them. Another reason for this is that with all government officials and ministers staying in the urban areas, they are more eager about ensuring facilities there as compared to rural regions.
What is happening in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh can be observed in other states of India too. Despite a substantial number of young people joining the ranks of voters every year, the voting percentage is not seeing a proportional rise. On voting day, there is no paucity of excuses: “all politicians are criminals, my vote is not going to make a difference; what is the guarantee that the person I vote for will not quit the party and join another, etc ?” What we need to realise is that each vote has the potential to make a significant difference, especially in a small state like Goa where winning margins are often in the hundreds. If you don’t turn out to vote and are stuck with a bad administration or government, it is your fault too. The worst thing is that you are stuck with it for the next five years. Think about this before you decide not to go out to vote on polling day!
Yours etc.,
Yash Pal Ralhan,
Via email