Editor,
The special article, “Profile of a Sellout” by Shambud Joshi (ST October 23, 2024) made interesting reading. Late J. Dringwell Rymbai, a former school teacher who later entered politics and also became the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for 268 days (June 15, 2006 to March 10, 2007) knew very well what he was doing and he did what was right. But a person whose conscience is already dead will do anything to profit from the so-called single window system. The book of Mark, Chapter 8 verse 36 records the statement of Jesus Christ as, “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?” If the statement of the author in his article is factual on the removal of the simple Chief Minister, who did not act as the Chief of the Congress party wanted, then what we have is the Congress party as it is today.
This business of cement plants in Meghalaya initiated in 2004 was never meant to benefit our people. It benefitted and continues to benefit the rogues and rascals who are guided by those ‘fly by night operators.’ Reading the draft Vision 2047 of the NEC which is in the public domain the document states, “The industrial promotion schemes and incentives initiated in 1990s in the form of NEIPP and still continuing as NEIDS could not make any major dent”. The document cites several examples like the “Tea industry and how the outflow of development gains has consistently occurred and been institutionalised. The very pattern of ownership, modes of production system and linkages with markets ensure that nothing remains in the NE Region except low wages and fringe benefits to the workers. Most of the sales proceeds derived from both national and global markets get directed to the metropolitan cities, consistently usurped by merchant capitalists and other intermediaries. Only a trickle flows down to the hapless workers who actually struggle for generations to recover their own savings of gratuity and provident funds.
The much-celebrated new dictum of ‘fair trading’ has actually justifiably consolidated these outflows. A more telling story has been that of the manufacturing sector where some of the top brands have set up their factories, mostly attracted by and to the avail of both NEIIP and NEIDS.” The document goes on to say, “the failure of the respective state governments to devise ways and means to monitor some of these ‘fly by night operators’, legally retain them for at least a few decades and institutionalize the participative process has led to huge industrial development vacuum and credibility gap as reflected in increasing local resistance to such outside participation. This phenomenon is widely prevalent across the sectors and sub-sectors”.
The draft NEC Vision 2047 adds and suggests “As the returns from private economic activities are not ploughed back the generation of employment and income outside the government sector has been very dismal. The cream of development gets siphoned off outside the State. This is how the North Eastern Region has been steadily losing what John Maynard Keynes calls the multiplier effect.” The writers of the document further suggest that the policy makers should steadily revert to a growth model that retains maximum generated development gains within the communities and geographies of the North Eastern Region. It urges the rebuilding a class of local entrepreneurs, injecting newer technology and skills, bringing a variety of multilateral development and philanthropic organisations, up-skilling the youths for local-national-global employment market, promoting multiple stake holdings, reorienting the entire natural resources, commodity, hydro power and industrial policy, all geared towards the economic growth of the region. Sadly, no state government even bothers to read the vision document. All are interested in short term personal gains.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh
Via email
Exploitative work culture
Editor,
A four-year old child and her father died after being run over by a taxi with an allegedly dozing driver when they were walking to board a bus for school in Kolkata on Tuesday morning. Amid the persistent demand for a 70-hour work culture by the Infosys co-founder, N.R. Narayana Murthy, and other corporate entrepreneurs, overwork makes drowsy drivers meet fateful accidents on highways.
According to a study, almost a third of app-based cab drivers work for 14 hours a day, while more than 83% work over 10 hours and 60% work over 12 hours. This kind of overwork is a slow way to slaughter people.
Not only is this a loot of the lifeblood of our youth but also it is taking the lives of many people in road accidents. Long work hours made drivers physically exhausted. This, plus the 10-minute delivery at the doorstep policy of certain e-commerce platforms are two of the reasons behind many road traffic accidents in our country.
On the other hand, Indian Railways have been playing with our lives by not filling up vacant posts and by forcing their personnel, even loco pilots, to overwork. An RTI reply says that of 1,27,644 sanctioned posts of loco pilots and assistant loco pilots, 18,766 – nearly 15 per cent – were vacant as of March 1 this year. How can a loco pilot remain alert if he has to do extra shifts?
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Ward’s Lake bridge an abandoned project?
Editor,
This letter pertains to our very old, beautiful and iconic wooden bridge at Ward’s Lake. This small yet beautiful and centrally located bridge at the Lake had been serving as a go between the two scenic pedestrian paths circling this amazing lake for the public since its inception.Sadly this bridge has been closed for two years now as it is no longer safe due to its dilapidated condition. The locals as well as tourists who throng the lake on a daily basis now have to walk around the entire lake in order to cross from one path to another as this bridge is no longer serviceable.
Apart from the scenic beauty of this bridge are the beautiful flower beds encircling the Lake. I feel that without being able to use this bridge visitors are deprived of the sheer pleasure of experiencing the breathtaking beauty of Ward’s Lake.
My question is – what is hindering the concerned Department of the present Government from repairing the old bridge. And if it’s beyond repair then why can’t a new one be built along similar lines or something even more beautiful with a modern outlook for the past 2 years? It makes me wonder if for this very small and narrow bridge,it should take so long for the Government to address then do we dare to expect the same Government to have the sincerity and commitment as well as the financial resources to build an alternative bridge across the Umiam Lake for heavy vehicular traffic for the convenience of all. Considering this snail pace of all developmental projects across the State, I dare to state that this will never materialize in the near future. This is such a sad state of affairs, isn’t it?
Yours etc.,
Helen Dkhar,
Via email