Editor,
The editorial “No Confidence Motion is a serious business” (ST Aug 12, 2023) made interesting reading. It is a fact that No Confidence Motion is a serious business but the recent No Trust Motion in Lok Sabha was to woo Narendra Modi, Prime Minister to attend the House of the People (Lok Sabha) so that he speaks on Manipur. Unfortunately, it was not the way the Opposition planned and narratives became the name of the game. The editor has rightly pointed out that “there is neither need for rhetoric (Jumla) or diatribes and certainly Parliament is no place for personal attack such as “Naamdar” to suggest ‘dynasty’ and we know who the dart is aimed at”. Politics in our country is not only polarised but it has come to such a level that someone has rightly said. “Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles.” Even if Winston Churchill never said these words, the one who framed them is highly intelligent. Shyama Mandal says: “Take a look at this publication “Hindu Regeneration, Volume 3” (1973) page 400, seems to be by Bharat Sevashram Sangha (a right-wing Hindu org). The text reads: “…this juncture is to hand over the destiny of hungry millions into the hands of rascals, rogues and freebooters. Not a bottle of water or a loaf of bread shall escape taxation; only the air will be free.” It is very similar to the miscredited Churchill line above. Shyama Mandal speculates that these quotes were generated by the right wing Hindutva folks to malign the Congress Party but it seems that has prophesied their current condition”. Many if not all politicians have been showing “We the People,” a fool’s paradise. It is time people should teach these politicians to run democracy by words and deeds, not rhetoric (Jumla).
We should not be proud that the World Bank’s latest data shows India is the world’s sixth-largest economy, eclipsing more advanced economies such as France and Canada. The country has the fourth-highest number of billionaires on the planet, clocking in at 166 according to research by Oxfam India, as well as a large affluent middle class. Cities such as Mumbai boast soaring skyscrapers and the country also has a national space agency, both of which are classic signs of a wealthy nation. But we cannot bask on all these because the gap between the rich and poor members of India’s 1.4 billion population is glaring. Poverty is rife and, according to the World Poverty Clock, more than 44 million people (around 3% of the total population) are living in extreme poverty and surviving on just $1.90 (Rs 157.40) or less a day. More shockingly, as much as half of the population doesn’t have access to safe drinking water, while child mortality rates remain alarmingly high. These are the pressing issues that our parliamentarians have to address.
Let us not forget that at our (People of India’s) expense Members of Parliament are drawing salaries, daily allowances etc., to attend Parliament besides constituency allowances, office expenses etc. Their wage is tax free and comes with additional perquisites such as free petrol, free telephone calls and free housing. Most household expenses, furniture, electricity, water, laundry, is also paid for. Members of Parliament travel anywhere in the country by rail, first class, and get 34 free air tickets for themselves or their companions a year. Spouses of MPs can travel free by air from residence to New Delhi 8 times a year when Parliament is in session and unlimited number of times by rail. If all is added up the Cost to the Country (CTC) of an MP is close to Rs 35 lakhs annually according to bemoneyaware.com.
Are the people of India getting their money’s worth?
Yours etc
V.K.Lyngdoh,
Via email
Agony of the Kuki people
Editor,
Last month I chanced to read two letters to the editor appearing in these columns of your esteemed daily dwelling on the on- going unparalleled upheavals in Manipur between the contending communities of majority Meiteis and the minority Kuki tribes. 0ne of the letters titled, ‘Peace in Manipur'(ST July 19, 2023) written by Chongtham Thangamba Meitei has pointed out that the Kukis were the first to initiate the current turmoil by attacking the Meitei villages, thereby leading to the present interminable hell being let loose. Refuting this contention, Dr. Jangkhohao Hangshing, in his rejoinder ‘Let truth prevail’ (ST.July 21,2023)has exhaustively detailed the pre-eminent sequences that led to the unleashing of the current intractable convulsions in Manipur. The latter has accounted for unequivocal conspicuous instances of the mayhem launched by the Meitei radicals from May 3, 2023 by burning the iconic Anglo-Kuki war centenary gate. Incidentally, it was reported that on May 3rd last when the members of the Naga and Kuki Tribal Solidarity under the aegis of All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur returned to their respective destinations after attending the rally against the purported consideration of granting ST status to the majority Meiteis, the returnees were waylaid by the Meitei miscreants.
Subsequently, churches of Kukis were burnt down and 114 Kukis were mercilessly annihilated, not sparing even women as unabashedly parading two naked Kuki women before raping one of them in broad daylight. Additionally, 197 Kuki villages were attacked and people displaced.
To add fuel to fire, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, himself a Meitei,is evidently echoing the controversial views of the Meiteis in equating the Kukis with disparate condemnable comments, as illegal refugees, drug dealers/peddlers, narco-terrorists and still counting. Such tendentious allegations attributed to the Kukis have infused the Manipur security force, reportedly consisting mostly of Meiteis, to exact vengeance on Kuki villagers as exposed on social media, where the latter were beaten black and blue!
The foregoing narratives may arguably not hold water and contestable by some quarters, but,nonetheless,if an objective analysis on Manipur mayhem is anything to go by, the same may not be a falsified version given that a premier national English daily has expressly observed, ” Though the violence has not been one sided, the Kuki community has borne the brunt of Meitei mobs on the rampage across the state over the past few weeks.”
Yours etc.,
Jerome K Diengdoh,
Shillong-2