Editor,
The letter ” Christmas a tool for politics and commercialization “(ST – December 28,2023) by Shailin H Lyngdoh hit the nail on the head in highlighting the government’s twisted sense of priorities of giving pre-eminence to glitz and ostentation over the truly important matters. In this connection, I would also like to point out the authorities ‘ callousness in keeping the decorative lights on, day and night for 24 hours since December 24. One wonders how many crores of public money has been thrown down the drain in the process. It is tragic that this is happening at a time when the MeECL is drowning in debt and is on the verge of collapse. (Under these circumstances it is hard to believe that this Corporation just won an award for energy conservation).
Some people have said that the Christmas decorations are necessary to attract tourists. I find this argument to be untenable. For god’s sake, tourists are not small children who come to see the lights!. Everyone knows that Meghalaya’s Unique Selling Point (USP) for tourists is its natural beauty. For sure, tourists are coming here for this reason only and not because of the government’s feeble attempts to attract them. Another negative aspect of the government’s action to decorate Shillong is that in several localities one can see that the wires and lights have been carelessly fixed at very low heights so much so that from December 24 onwards big garbage trucks cannot pass through the internal roads of the above localities thereby causing avoidable inconvenience to residents.
Yours etc.,
Samuel Swett,
Shillong-2.
Of New Year Resolutions
Editor,
It is time to say Happy New Year, 2024! The New Year celebration has a universal appeal. It is not confined to any particular region or religion. It transcends all boundaries. Barring very few, almost all the countries of the world use the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was proclaimed by Pope Gregory Xlll in 1582 as a reform of the Julian calendar.
The Julian and thereafter the Gregorian calendar count years from the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the reason why AD stands for ‘Anno Domini’, Latin for ‘in the year of the Lord’ while BC stands for ‘Before Christ’. Now religious neutral words BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era) have replaced BC and AD respectively to make the Gregorian calendar free from any religious tag.
After these changes, the New Year celebrations have become a truly secular event across the world. The idea of ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ that is the world is one family manifests in its celebration. People of different countries, cultures and religions celebrate it without bothering about man-made walls. It takes us away from the falsehood of narrow confinement of jingoism and religiosity to the truth of our spiritual unity.
Transcending man-made boundaries is the speciality of every New Year’s day. It carries thes dream of John Lennon, “Imagine there is no country/ It isn’t hard to do/ othing to kill or die for/And no religion, too.” In this song, he said, “You may say I’m a dreamer/ But I’m not the only one/ I hope someday you’ll join us/ And the world will live as one.” We can say that at least on New Year’s day Lennon is not the only one as people from almost all countries and religions knowingly or unknowingly join together in celebration to live as one.
Apart from this openness, New Year’s day has another characteristic that bears the signature of spiritual endeavour. That is the New Year resolution. People make New Year’s resolutions to make their tomorrows a little better. It would be pertinent to recall the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” It is important because our resolution is our aspiration to become better human beings for a better tomorrow. This is the driving force of evolution that has taken us from a society of slaves to a feudal society and from police states to welfare states.
Researchers have produced new DNA evidence that almost certainly confirms “Out of Africa,” theory of human evolution that all of us stem from a single group of Homo Sapiens. After originating in Africa, our ancestors began spreading throughout Eurasia 60,000 years ago to seek food after experiencing a “quantum leap in thinking”.
Many generations ago, our ancestors could not help but move out of Africa to satisfy their aspirations that they felt so strongly about after having experienced a “quantum leap in thinking”. It had opened a new horizon in their minds which could be described in the words of Rabindranath Tagore, “Fountain awakened from its dream.”
According to Sri Aurobindo, the cycles of evolution tend always upwards, but they are cycles and do not ascend in a straight line. The process therefore gives the impression of a series of ascents and descents, but what is essential is that the gains of evolution are retained and even if eclipsed for a time, re-emerge in new forms suitable to the new age.
When we look back to the open slave markets in Europe and America and the practice of Sati in India, we cannot deny the upward movement of evolution. But when we see 8,000 dead bodies of children in the graveyards of Gaza, we must also admit that we have to welcome the New Year at a time when a series of descents are going on across the world.
In India we see descents in the cycles of evolution in rising atrocities against Dalits and minorities. The emergence of India as a secular, democratic country was certainly a gain of evolution. But those gains are likely to be eclipsed for a time as an attempt is being made to create the impression that a religious ceremony is but a State event.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Newly laid roads with new potholes
Editor,
It’s really upsetting to see the newly laid road resurfacing at GS Road, starting from the Umiam dyke at Lad Umroi upto Mawiong is not as per the prescribed standards. As soon as the road surface was laid then potholes started appearing within a week of its completion. Though efforts have been made by the contractor to restore the same, but the shoddy repair work has further exacerbated the road surface giving motorists a not so good experience while driving down this busy highway. Further, the absence of paved shoulders along the highway raises questions as to whether the PWD National Highway engineers who are supposed to inspect and check the road quality, have really discharged their duties effectively to prevent such flaws ? It is apparent that nowadays most road construction work in Meghalaya is not properly supervised by the concerned department as we experienced horrible road conditions almost everywhere. Above all, the newly laid roads last only for a few months. Is this not a waste of precious natural resources as well as taxpayer’s money?
This same road, GS Road, was relaid twice this year whereas in rural areas there is no proper road connectivity for several years now. As good roads are not just the backbone of the economy, but it reflects the progress and prosperity of the state, it’s high time that the State Government implements the same to uplift the state’s economy. Most of us can still recall and experience the high standard road quality during the government of Late Purno A. Sangma. He brought in the Oriental Company from Kolkata which built roads that lasted for a decade without any visible potholes. Unfortunately, this Company was later disallowed from further road construction due to protest from certain pressure groups favouring local contractors who bring in their low grade road construction for their own vested interest at the cost of development of the state.
Yours etc.,
Stanley LK Diengdoh,
Via email
