Urgent need for responsible event management in Shillong
Editor,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent procession organized by the Catholic Church in Shillong – an annual event that unfortunately resulted in significant chaos and inconvenience for the city’s residents.
The lack of proper planning and execution, particularly in terms of traffic management, was glaringly evident. Shillong, already burdened with congestion issues, was brought to a standstill during the event. The minimal presence of traffic police officers compounded the problem, making it nearly impossible for citizens to navigate the city.
It is disheartening that such events are allowed to proceed without comprehensive consideration for their impact on public life. The Government must reassess its decision-making process when granting permissions for large gatherings, especially in an already congested city. Furthermore, the responsibility lies not only with event organizers but also with disaster management authorities and the concerned ministerial department to ensure smooth traffic flow and public safety.
The confluence of this procession with Diwali only exacerbated the situation, highlighting a lack of foresight and coordination. In the event of a serious concern or emergency during such occasions, who bears the onus for the resulting chaos and potential harm to the public?
Furthermore, the aftermath of the procession adds another layer of distress to the residents of Shillong. It is disheartening to witness the blatant disregard for basic hygiene exhibited by attendees, who indiscriminately litter and leave behind a trail of garbage throughout the city. The streets, which were once a symbol of communal unity during the procession, transformed into an unsightly mess. This lack of civic responsibility not only reflects poorly on the participants but also raises questions about the event’s overall impact on the city’s cleanliness and environmental well-being. It is imperative that event organizers emphasize and enforce stringent waste management practices to preserve the sanctity of the city and to instil a sense of responsibility among those participating in such events. The beauty and cultural significance of these processions should not come at the cost of degrading the very city they aim to celebrate.
It is distressing to note that what should be a solemn religious affair transformed into a disruptive party scene, with individuals from distant places openly indulging in alcohol consumption. This not only undermines the sanctity of the event but also poses a threat to public order.
Moreover, the double standards in response to inconveniences during other cultural events, such as Pujas, raises questions about fairness and consistency in governance. It is appalling to witness patients in ambulances being delayed en-route to hospitals due to the inadequate planning of such events.
I urge all stakeholders, including the Government, the event organizers, and local NGOs, to reevaluate and re-strategize the planning and execution of such gatherings. Strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) for traffic and crowd management must be implemented to prevent a recurrence of this total chaos in the future.
The general public should not be made to suffer due to the inefficiency of the Government, and it is high time that responsible and meticulous planning becomes the norm for large-scale events in Shillong.
Yours etc.,
S Singhania
Shillong.
Need to better define “Work”
Editor,
The editorial “Work more, earn more” (ST October 30, 2023) made interesting reading. The proposal for a 70-hour week by a gentleman who quit his job in 1981 and borrowed Rs 10,000 from his wife to start Infosys and in a span of only four years grew to be a tech giant employing two lakh people and making Bangalore an Information Technology hub is remarkable. Little did this gentleman know that his company would go on to become India’s second largest Information Technology company with annual earnings of Rs 21,539 crores in 2019 (The Economic Times). This is an example worth emulating. But is this possible for a country like India where the standard working week for most office jobs begins on Monday and ends on Saturday?
The work schedule is 48 hours per week. However, most government offices and the software industry follow a five-day workweek. All major industries along with services like transport, hospitality, healthcare etc. work in shifts. Central government offices follow a five-day week. State governments follow half-day working on the first and third Saturdays of each month and rest on the second and fourth Saturdays, except West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra governments which follow a Monday–Friday workweek. There is usually no half working day in the private sector, and people work in two or three shifts of 8 hours each.
Around the world, the average workweek ranges from less than 40 hours in length to close to 50 hours. High Income and /or developed countries with a cultural emphasis on work/life balance and adequate leisure/ family time, generally have shorter official workweeks (some short as four days) and more vacation days. These countries also tend toward more generous overtime compensation, more worker friendly regulations, more favourable parental leave laws, and an increased chance of landing on the list of the world’s happiest countries. By contrast, countries with longer workweeks, fewer worker protections, and reduced amenities often rank as hard-working countries, but also tend to have a populace that is less happy and possibly overworked.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) tracks a wide number of labour statistics, including hours actually worked per week by both employees and employed people. These two terms would be interchangeable in most cases, they have different meanings with regard to labour statistics. Employees are people serving either full-time or part-time in a traditional employment arrangement. Employed people, by comparison, include not only the aforementioned traditional employees but also self-employed individuals. The Economic History Association points out, determining the average hours worked per workweek in a given country compared to another can be a challenging task due to differing philosophies on what activities qualify as work and who is considered a worker. However, with enough data to compile and consider, trends do emerge.
· As a rule, more high-income countries such as Germany and France enjoy shorter workweeks than do middle-income and developing countries. It is likely that work weeks in the low-income and least-developed countries are the longest of all, at least for those people who can find work, but reputable data are often difficult to obtain. Perhaps, people who are self-employed (entrepreneurs) who have grit to work can practice the proposal of Narayan Murthy. It is wonderful that the Holy Bible has this to say about work. “For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat” This command in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 is often interpreted as a call to work and contribute to society. It is also a reminder that we should not be idle and rely on others for our sustenance. Instead, we should work hard and earn our livelihood. This verse is part of a larger passage in which Paul, the author of the epistle, urges the Thessalonians to lead a disciplined life and avoid idleness. He also warns them against associating with those who are disorderly and refuse to work. There are several verses in the Bible that talk about work and labour. Here are some of them:
= Proverbs 14:23: “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”
= Proverbs 12:11: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.”
= Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
= 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12: “And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
These verses if we cannot work for 70 hrs a week provide guidance on how we should approach our work and labour. They emphasize the importance of working hard and being diligent in our efforts. They also remind us that our work should be done with a sense of purpose and meaning
Yours etc.,
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
Upscale local wine
Editor,
The present MDA government’s initiative to legalise and promote local wine of and from the state is an excellent initiative that has helped local entrepreneurs and local wine making units to come up with more varieties and quality wines. In fact, the organisers and founders of the Shillong Wine Festival should be given due recognition for taking this festival to a new level by not only promoting local wine making talent but also for developing a market linkage with other partners and units as well as helping local entrepreneurs in the wine making sector. Though the local wine industry is at its nascent stage, what can be done is to bring greater awareness amongst the local individual farmers and farmers’ groups that are engaged in horticulture activities to collaborate with registered wine and spirits manufacturers across the state. They form the back-end support in the entire value chain and supply line in sync with these local entrepreneurs. Another aspect is to establish a state-funded Wine and Spirits Institute for standardization of wine processing as well as to train people to become wine makers, or trained wine professional who can advise on what wine tastes better with what (sommelier) or even certified wine specialists to inculcate courses that are at par with the wine industry. There is so much of potential to create indirect and direct jobs from this initiative in the coming years but the last call is that of individuals with interest in the trade and more support from the state government.
Yours etc..
Dominic S. Wankhar
Via email