Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

It is said that man is what man wants. It is we who have played with Nature and it is also we who are at the receiving end. From Kashmir to Assam the tragedies are many to list. The casualties and destruction of properties is too large to quantify. To me these are the alarms that we should listen to and ensure that atleast around us we are not playing with the environment. Our cover story this month is inspired with this philosophy wherein our editor Mr. Harsh Jhunjhunwala visited Balat and saw the pathetic condition of Wah(River) Umngi which has been forced to change its course and has engulfed football fields, houses, paddy fields, educational institutions and religious structures etc.

After our team returned from Balat, there was yet another dose of destruction in which much damage to life and property has taken place. The government long back created the Brahmaputra Board to protect the rivers of north eastern region, a job which is of utmost importance from the angle of environmental protection and economic development. Unfortunately the Brahmaputra Board has remained a white elephant and failed in its duties to protect the river. It is so despicable that the people from the Brahmaputra Board shy away from talking to the media. Rightly Shri Kiran Rijiju, Union Minister of Home has hinted that the Brahmaputra Board will be abolished and a separate board will be constituted for each state. This seems to be a logical step in the right direction. However the success of this new initiative will totally depend on effective leadership and transparent working of the new board.

Our cover story this month gives you an in-depth account on this remote part of the region of Meghalaya.

Recent times have been a witness to some major high-level scams getting unearthed. The multi-crore Saradha financial scam and twin murders at Kabalpunjee district of Karimganj are just some incidents that shake the populace from their core. On a positive note, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar insists that a stable and transparent government is all that is needed for development of the tribals. Dividing the state and casting them aside is no solution.

On the international front, the ‘successful’ visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India has left more questions raised than answered. His return was followed by an immediate preparation for war. Why the mixed signals Mr. President? Another threat to national security is from the currently dormant Al-Qaeda. The full implication of the threat will become clear with time. But with a sensitive region like Northeast India, it is better to be safe than sorry.

A special story on road safety is also being carried this month which has some very interesting findings. It shows how more people are dying of road accidents than insurgency. Do the people who die of road accidents get the same compassion and compensation as paid to the person who died because of insurgency? Now that is some food for thought.

Warmest regards to all the readers for this festive season.

Dr. K.K. Jhunjhunwala