For years, the massive influx of illegal immigrants in Assam has been viewed as a regional problem. The unrelenting flow of these foreigners from Bangladesh began during the British rule and continues still today through the 262km border that Assam shares with Bangladesh, which is still not completely sealed. The lack of strong laws and political audacity by the previous governments demonstrate their inability or unwillingness to perceive the immigration issue in Assam as a national threat.
The struggle for India’s Independence began in 1857 with the Sepoy Mutiny in Meerut. Later, in the 20th century, the Indian National Congress and other political organizations, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, launched a countrywide independence movement. Colonial powers were transferred to India on August 15, 1947. The Constituent Assembly to who power was to be transferred, met to celebrate India’s independence at 11 pm on August 14, 1947. India gained its liberty and became a free country at midnight between August 14 and August 15, 1947. It was then that free India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech. People across India are reminded of the meaning of this event - that it marked the start of a new era of deliverance from the British colonialism that took place in India for more than 200 years.
The All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) central body has taken a decision to suspend the proposed sit-in-demonstration which was to be held in the capital city on August 21, concerning the non release of the teacher’s salary for the past four months. Addressing media, Lasfurious Marngar who is the AMSSASTA President said, “We had earlier held a general executive committee meeting to discuss on the silence of the State Government over our salary which is left pending to be released for the month of April till July and we had set an ultimatum to the government to release the salary before August 20.”
According to him, UP school teacher’s salary from Rs. 20, 493 has been reduced to Rs, 20, 000 and for LP teachers their salary has been reduced from Rs. 19,943 to Rs. 15, 000. He, however said, “In our discussion with the Chief Minister on August 16, he informed that the State Government will bear the additional expenditure so that the salary of the teachers will remain the same.”
He said that the Chief Minister had also urged them (teachers) to remain patient till the end of this month for the release of their salary. “The Chief Minister had told us that he will try his level best to release the teacher’s salary hence we have decided to suspend the sit-in-demonstration which was scheduled for August 21,” he said.
He informed that this decision was taken by all the members of the association from different district of the state.
The Defence Authorities clarified that the reason for blocking the bridge on the Umkhen Riveron the outskirts of Shillong is for the safety of the local who are using the damage bridge. It is learnt that the residents of Jyntah Village accused the Indian Army’s Assam Regiment of harassment after the Defence Authorities blocked two bridges with barb wires forcing locals to walk across the River Umkhen.
PRO Defence Meghalaya stated that “The 150 year old bridge at Umkhen River is damaged and the support structure is broken causing Army to block it for safety of civilians. It was after the visit of Pyniaid Sing Syiem who is the Member of District Council (MDC) of Mawryngkneng, a Magistrate Mardondor Tongper and members of the Khasi Student’s Union (KSU) met the Army Authorities and the bridge was allowed for civilians to re-use.
The Meghalaya Government will initiate funds from MGNREGA(Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) to implement scheme for construction of fish ponds in the State. This initiative will be developed by both the State Government through the Meghalaya Basin Development programme and the Central Scheme through the MGNREGA. The funds for the construction of the fish ponds will come from the Fisheries Department of the Central Government.
This will also help people with job card to get jobs for 100 days as instructed through the MGNREGA.
Every time the Judiciary has asked the Umroi Air Port Authorities to complete works within a certain time frame work, the dead line is always extended on some plea or another. This time the State High Court in Shillong, seems to be firm in its instruction, that the air port authorities should complete all works by September 30, and that the air port be fully functional. Though Umroi is already linked with a daily flight to the nearest metropolis Calcutta, yet making Shillong the hub of flights within the North East have not been taken in right earnest. The Court had pointed out that, there was breach of the time limit. That was fixed a number of times. It warned that any further delay will be totally at the peril of the authorities. Airport authorities had assured that operational landing and take-off facilities to metro cities in the country are being finalized within the stipulated time frame.
The State Government has teamed up with the NITI Aayog in the preparations of the 2022 National Games in Shillong. There are many constrains, and bottlenecks, yet, every efforts would have to be made in the preparations. The NIT Aayog Vice Chairman, Rajiv Kumar, recently had meaningful discussions with the Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to see that implementation process of the Games do not suffer. The State Government has been able to finalise 300 acres of land in New Shillong for the construction of the Games village. However this is not enough as the venue of the games have to spread out in all parts of the state. This is an opportunity to develop and complete unfinished stadiums in many areas. There are also many abandoned stadiums and playfields, which can be taken up for the games in a team spirit manner of land owners and village Dorbars.
The agitation has completely crippled the higher education sector in Manipur with all of the 86 undergraduate colleges, affiliated to the university affected by the shutdown. Endorsing the demand of the students, 29 of the 31 Heads of Departments of the university have quit their posts and six deans of the university have tendered their resignation, jeopardizing the academic careers of over a lakh of students, pursuing higher studies in Manipur.
