Editor,
Referring to the recent news concerning the non- recognition of the ST status of Khasis born to both Khasi parents who carry their father’s clan name, what are we trying to prove? In a day and age where we claim to be modern, how can a person be a non- Khasi simply because he/she bears the father’s surname? However, when we look at the DNA of that person it will prove otherwise. Why are people so alarmed when we hear that so and so is taking his/her father’s surname and claim that it would disrupt the matrilineal society. I dare challenge the upholders of the matrilineal laws and ask them where the right of the ‘kni’ (maternal uncle) is in a family? As we can see, in the urban setting, his role has been somewhat superficial and a mere showpiece. The father in a matrilineal society has restricted powers over his children that he fathered with his wife especially if it’s the the khun ‘khatduh’ (last born daughter). It is the ‘kni’ who has more power over them when it comes to decision- making. But I rarely see this in modern Khasi society, hence this cherry- picking is the height of hypocrisy. If one wants to follow the matrilineal lineage follow everything or none at all. Nowadays, even parents are alright with their only daughters or youngest daughters leaving them to create a nuclear family, when that concept does not exist in the matrilineal Khasi society and tradition. Hypocrites!
Yours etc.,
Gamelial Kharshiing,
Via email
Call for Transparent Recruitment
Editor,
The Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB) has been conducting recruitment drives for Doctors and Dental Surgeons in the recent past. However, there has been a noticeable lack of effort to recruit for other important paramedical positions like Pharmacist, Lab Technicians, Radiographers, Physiotherapist, and various other technicians under the Directorate of Health Services.
Despite vacancies arising from retirements for so many years, these positions have not been advertised and the Directorate has relied continuously on temporary appointments without following proper advertisement and recruitment procedures which is highly irregular. After years of service, incumbents in these temporary roles are likely to seek regularization of their positions without having been recruited through a transparent and fair process, potentially leading to avoidable litigation in the future. Such recruitment practices also undermine the principles of equal opportunity and fairness while also violating the guarantee enshrined under Article 16 of the Constitution of our country.
As per the terms of reference, the MMSRB was set up with the aim to speed up recruitment processes in a timely, simplified and streamlined manner for vacancies in the Health Department and to conduct recruitment drives on a regular basis as per the vacancies. It is hoped that this matter will be taken up urgently by implementing a fair and transparent recruitment process for all paramedical positions. This will not only ensure that our healthcare system is staffed by qualified and competent professionals but also uphold the values of fairness and integrity.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Create trickle – down channels
Editor,
According to the Britannica dictionary, trickle-down (adjective) – is “an economic theory which says that financial benefits and advantages given to wealthy people, corporations, etc., will improve the economy and eventually help the poorer people in a society.” A research study published by the IMF in June 2015 debunked the theory of trickle-down economics. As per the report, annual growth decreases by 0.1% within 5 years when there is a 1% rise in the income of the wealthiest 20%. But annual growth increases by 0.4% within 5 years when there is a 1% rise in the income of the poorest 20%. It reiterated the dangers of capitalism without effective state intervention.
The experiments with capitalism turned out to be a disaster. It has long been an established fact that trickle-down cannot happen automatically in an economy. Poor children died young after working as chimney sweepers in capitalist countries. Let us recall a line in William Blake’s poem, The Chimney Sweeper, “When my mother died I was very young, So your chimneys I sweep and in soot I sleep.”
A modern welfare state with a mixed economy is now trying to amalgamate capitalist laissez-faire liberty into a socialist endeavour to ensure equality. Such amalgamation is necessary to create a level playing field with the help of positive discrimination in favour of the needy. This helps welfare states climb up the ladder of the human development index.
They realised that the trickle-down effects are not feasible without state intervention. Now, the welfare states have created channels through which some money can trickle-down. Income tax, super tax for the super-rich, and inheritance tax are examples of such channels.
Thomas Piketty has aptly called progressive inheritance taxes the “second major fiscal innovation of the twentieth century” after progressive income taxes. Inheritance tax is 55 per cent in Japan, 50 per cent in South Korea, 45 per cent in France, 40 per cent in the USA and the UK, 34 per cent i0n Spain, 33 per cent in Ireland, and 30 per cent in Belgium and Germany. Those countries spend the money to ensure that every citizen gets quality health care and quality education.
But when a suggestion was made to introduce the inheritance tax in India, the top leaders of the ruling party at the Centre vehemently opposed it. It is unfortunate that the ideas of socialism and left ideology have been branded as dangerous things. But crony capitalism is nothing but turning the promise given to the majority of the electorate into a jumla. Also, to give top priority to the interest of a handful of billionaires means doing a disservice to the labour intensive MSMEs.
Rising inequality is the most pressing problem India is facing now. The French economist, Thomas Piketty and others observed, “The Billionaire Raj headed by India’s modern bourgeoisie is now more unequal than the British Raj headed by the colonialist forces.”
Remedial measures need to be taken without delay. But what is striking is that even a discussion for wealth distribution to cure inequality has become a dreaded topic.
All modern welfare states, including the United States of America, have accepted the ideas of socialism in their policy of giving social security to the people, like health care and handsome allowance for the unemployed. A welfare state is more inclined to socialism than far right capitalism. India needs to make channels like super tax for the super rich and inheritance tax to trickle-down a little money through the state machinery to the bottom to address the rising inequality. It would make a mega-wedding look not so glaringly ugly amid hunger and almost zero access to quality education and health care for the majority of the population.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata