Who do we choose in Meghalaya?
Editor,
This is not about the Autonomous District Council elections coming up in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, but nevertheless relevant.
After all these years (was it almost two decades?), the Congress party seems to not have learnt anything. It’s sad that at this critical stage of the country’s political journey, this major national party has failed to live up to the people’s aspirations. INDIA bloc was a short-lived euphoria among the masses, a euphoria that ultimately boiled down to the politicians; even I have forgotten, and will forget after this post, what INDIA in the bloc stands for! My personal experience in the INC many moons back, was it was a national party, with a regional outlook, but operates with a strong sycophancy at all levels.
It seems that this sycophancy is still the case at the national level, as it is in Meghalaya. So where do we Meghalayans turn to?
A national alternative is the BJP, but this will never have the numbers that count in the Meghalaya assembly, at least in the near, or further-near future! And it’s anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, anti-minority, one culture, one language etc. stance will find no majority takers in the hill regions of this part of India.
Another alternative is the NPP (another just-about-national party) which is in power now in Meghalaya. The actual people-supported strength of NPP is in the districts of Garo Hills. One can’t say that there is people-support for the NPP in Khasi and Jaintia hills – as I see it, it’s all about the money and the barons and the profiting sycophants.
So are the regional parties like UDP, HSPDP, VPP and others an alternative? Parties like the UDP, I’ve, for a long time, coined as a parasite party. They work together in a national party led government, curse the party in the elections, and then slide in to join the same government led by the same party – and you know what? They always say it for the sake of stability, but as one of their senior office-bearers confided to me (and it’s no secret), and I quote him, “If we are not in the government, our future is gone.” Please read ‘future’ as ‘career,’ as that is what representing a constituency has become! So, so different from the political scenario in my time, the 80s!
A special mention about the young maiden, VPP. WOW! What a party! Hardly out of the womb and they captured the whole of Khasi and Jaintia Hills, and birthed an MP. What a ray of hope the VPP was, and I wonder whether that ray of hope has now been extinguished with its arrogant opposition to the authority like the Dorbar Shnong, and the sycophancy that appears to have crept in, in its organisation. A party that I had publicly said I would have been comfortable with. There’s still time to turn the sails of the boat and survive, unlike the Congress that is already struggling to stay above water.
Yours etc.,
Eugene Thomas,
Via email
Appalling road conditions near Nazareth hospital and Nongrimmaw
Editor,
While walking near Laitumkhrah, I noticed a large pothole just outside Nazareth Hospital that has remained unaddressed for nearly a month. It makes me wonder how it formed and why no action has been taken to fill it. The inconvenience it causes is frustrating, but more importantly, it poses a serious risk—especially for patients in ambulances. The impact of a sudden bump while trying to manoeuvre around or over this pothole is something that should not be overlooked.
Beyond this, the road leading to Nongrimmaw, particularly towards Assam Rifles (DGAR), is in an appalling state. With winter being a dry season, it is concerning that the road has yet to be repaired. If maintenance isn’t carried out soon, the arrival of the rainy season will make the situation even worse, turning the road into an impassable mess. I hope authorities address these urgent repairs before it becomes a much bigger problem.
Yours etc.,
B. Laitphlang,
Via email
Media cannot disseminate fake news
Editor,
The editorial “Media and Politics” (ST February 6, 2025) made interesting reading. Nipping the attempts to sow the seeds of communalism and racism among media persons in the bud is crucial. Promoting communalism and racism among different communities and ethnic groups, could lead to social unrest and violence. Media has the power to foster unity and promote a sense of community by highlighting shared values and experiences. Communalism and racism can lead to biased reporting, which distorts facts and misleads the public. Ensuring unbiased and fair reporting helps maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of the media. Ethical journalism involves reporting news without prejudice or discrimination, focusing on truth and accuracy. Media persons should set an example by practicing and promoting ethical standards, discouraging any form of communalism or racism. Communal and racist narratives can harm vulnerable groups, leading to discrimination, marginalisation and violence. In fact, the media should strive to give equal representation to all communities, ensuring that their voice is heard and respected.
A free and fair media is essential for an informed public, which is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. By addressing these issues at an early stage, we can ensure that the media plays a positive role in promoting social cohesion, accurate reporting, ethical journalism and a strong democratic society.
Dealing with YouTubers who sensationalize and misinform the public requires a multifaceted approach. Some steps to address this issue are: (1) encourage media literacy education in schools and communities to help people critically evaluate the content they consume (2) there is need to raise awareness about the impact of misinformation and the importance of verifying information from credible sources (3) advocate for stricter content policies on platforms like YouTube to ensure that misleading and sensational content is identified and removed (4) support government regulations that hold content creators accountable for spreading misinformation (5) support and promote fact-checking organizations that can debunk false information and provide accurate content and use platform reporting mechanisms to flag content that is misleading or harmful.
It’s critical to ensure that content creators adhere to a code of ethics that emphasizes accuracy, fairness and responsibility. Apart from this there is a need to create incentives for content creators who produce high-quality, factual content, such as awards, sponsorships and partnerships. For the sake of public accountability there is a need to engage with YouTube communities to foster a culture of accountability and discourage the spread of sensational and misleading content.
Public pressure and campaigns to encourage YouTube and other platforms to take stronger actions against misinformation is the need of the hour. In cases where misinformation causes significant harm legal actions such as defamation lawsuits to hold content creators accountable are required. It’s important to promote and support alternative sources of quality content that provide accurate and reliable information and encourage credible content creators to continue producing fact-based content and reach wider audiences.
By combining these strategies, we can work towards reducing the impact of sensationalized and misleading content on YouTube and other platforms. We have to ward off the modern bogeyman and the fourth estate can play a positive role in doing so.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
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