Letter from the Editor-In-Chief
Letter from the Editor-In-Chief
September 2009
We have just finished celebrating our 63rd Independence Day. However the common man is still gripped in the throes of dissatisfaction in free India. 62 Years of self rule and still we lag behind many other countries of the world in so many sectors.
Protests therefore seem to be the focal point this month dear readers and there is no better example of this than the present scenario in Manipur. The alleged fake encounter which resulted in the demise of a former militant and a young pregnant woman has churned the waters and created an administrative tempest where even elderly women and little children are taking to the streets regardless of the curfew being imposed; in a blatant defiance of the authorities. Needless to say, the authorities concerned are sitting on a highly volatile situation, one that has already ignited and which could reach critical mass at any point.
It seems that even developmental projects are targets of protest as is the case with Tipaimukh and other hydel projects across the North East, especially in Arunachal Pradesh. There are two sides to every story and, regarding this particular subject, we have the authorities who rightly say that these projects will usher in a spurt in development and progress and will not endanger anyone; while on the other hand, we have the protestors who also rightly say that these projects will affect the region in a big way besides prophesizing doom and gloom. Now, the question is, who do we believe. Both sides have their pros and cons.
We believe that there are no absolutes in reality; you can not have something that is all good in the same way that you can not have something that is all bad. Ideal situations like these are the stuff of fiction and make belief. If we want progress and development, certain ‘sacrifices’ have to be made. The question is, how much of what are we willing to sacrifice?
Public emotion has not been confined only to upheavals and protests; there is also another primal emotion that has gripped the region. This primal emotion is fear which has been brought about by the dreaded Swine Flu or the ‘novel N1H1’ virus and this fear has been blown out of proportions and has taken the form of paranoia. This is a dangerous trend to have in society because people tend to lose their ability to think and act rationally when paranoia takes root. If man can divert rivers and tame their awesome power, don’t you think that, acting in a rational and calculated way, we can control this dreaded disease if not beat it completely?
Rational thinking dear readers, rational thinking and foresight are the need of the hour. We have to think rationally, make decisions based on those rational thoughts and make a steadfast stand on these decisions. We can not jump ships on whims and fancies as some of our political leaders are doing. Isn’t it ironic that one day they say “BJP will be the next government in Arunachal Pradesh” and the next, they make an about turn and say that joining the Congress is a homecoming? Don’t they understand that, being public leaders, they are leading by example? After all, they not only decide on policies, they also, in a way, decide what is acceptable and what is not in today’s day and age.
Maybe these politicians are of our mindset, maybe they too see that change can not come about without ‘sacrifices’. Let us hope that this speculation is indeed reality, let us hope that this particular cloud has a silver lining.