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Copyright © 2008, The Arunachal Times Publications Pvt. Ltd., Siang House, Sector - E, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh - 791111, India

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Editorial

 

 

 

Incident of bridge collapse on rise

21 school children along with a teacher suffered injury after an hanging bridge collapsed at Jumuni village under Desali Circle of Lower Dibang Valley district on August 15 morning. This is not for the first time that hanging bridge has collapsed in the state. Such incident even leading to death has taken place in Seppa. Earlier in February this a year suspension bridge collapsed in West Siang district and seriously injured seven people. The repeated incident of bridge collapse is matter of deep concern. Proper investigation should be done to find out the cause of the collapse.

In most cases allegation of poor quality work leading to collapse of bridge has been made by the citizens. But no one is held responsible by the authorities. This has to change and strict action should be taken against officials and contractors if they compromise with the quality of work. Innocent people should not be made to suffer because of the greed of govt officers and contractors. Also its time government conducts a survey to check longevity of all the major bridges of Arunachal. Many of the bridges constructed years ago have out lived their utility and need urgent repairing. The best example is Barapani Bridge in Naharlagun whose condition is deteriorating day by day thereby posing serious threat to life of the capital denizens. Likewise there are several such bridges across state which needs immediate attention of authorities. Before it's too late, government need to intervene and figure out all such bridges and start renovation work at the earliest.

 

 

 

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Readers’ Forum

 

 

 

Fear and phobias

Dear Editor,

Generally, we have a very long list of fears ~ of losing what we already have at present, like our lives, our near and dear ones, jobs, savings, properties, health, youth, beauty, fame, reputation and so on. There is another list consists of our fears for the future that we may not be able to achieve in proportion to our ambitions, efforts and expectations. With the advancement of our age, the length of the second list gets shorter and the first one bigger. 

Also, there is a third list that contains our phobias ~ from claustrophobia (morbid dread of close spaces) to agoraphobia (morbid dread of open spaces), from aquaphobia (morbid dread of water) to pyrophobia (morbid dread of fire) and from astraphobia (morbid dread of lighting) to nyctophobia (morbid dread of darkness). It is difficult for us to select just one item as our worst fear. But what we need only to fear is the fear itself because it only makes the matter worse in crisis situations. We must remember what the Mother (spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo) said about fear, ~ “Fear is always a very bad adviser.” We can only manage a crisis by keeping ourselves cool. But how can we overcome fear? How can we control a rapid hammering heartbeat? The Mother said, “You can be entirely free from fear only when you have driven out of you all violence.” 

To drive out violence from within is very difficult for us as we are enamoured of macho qualities. Thanks to B - grade movies and some loud TV channels, we have been brainwashed into thinking that loud talk as well as dhooshoom dhooshoom is a signature of leadership qualities. However, the world is slowly realizing that only cooperation and compassion can take humanity forward. This is the reason why Helen Keller and Stephen Hawking are shining bright in our Who’s Who. This is the reason why many countries have graduated themselves from police states to welfare states.

Is there any exact location of fear? Sri Aurobindo said, “Really speaking, fear is in the vital being. When you have thrown it away from your mind and other parts of your being you can see it still passing through you, below the navel. There is a connection between fear and your intestines.” Interestingly, to have butterflies in someone’s stomach means that someone has a nervous feelings. Indeed, fear causes bowel disorder.

To overcome fear and to become free, we are to realize what Sri Aurobindo had said, “Infinite, we are free from death; for life then becomes a play of our immortal existence. We are free from weakness; for we are the whole sea enjoying the myriad shock of its waves. We are free from grief and pain; for we learn how to harmonise our being with all that touches it and to find in all things action and reaction of the delight of existence.”

Yours,

Sujit De, Kolkata

 

 

 

The art of chai-pani

Dear Editor,

Chai-Pani is a well known term and a very relevant culture of our state. It is an art mastered by only one in a crowd of thousand. For the fraction of people who doesn't know the term and often wonders which tea brand or mineral water is costing lakhs of rupees; here is a testimony.

 Sadly and truly in Arunachal, our inglorious Chai-Pani costs lakhs of hard earned common man's money in the name of favour although one is more than deserving enough for a work or job. Higher the pitch investment, higher is the return. Now, one can only guess what or how much money is pitched in the name of Chai-Pani at the higher level by ministers, contractors, engineers, etc. God only knows.

From getting a signature in our STs/PRCs to receiving our hard earned appointment letters; chai-pani is everywhere. One has to comply with it or else, face the oblivion of the concerned.

Chai-Pani is all pervading. And why it shouldn't be. The sorcery of chai-pani is the best way to climb the success ladder. It is the easiest way to get super rich. People don't mind indulging in a bit of chai-pani. For he who masters the art of chai-pani, masters all.

In Arunachal, every job has a price tag just like the items displayed at showroom. But in showrooms, the price can fluctuate as at times there are discounts, but price tag of jobs are ever on the rise. These ever rising, demanding jobs are all of the lower level posts. For those of upper level and the rest, common citizen will never know. Here, meritocracy, qualifications, experience do not matter much. Money speaks and it knows no discrimination/distinction.

Common folks say that as long as there is rich in Arunachal, this culture will not stop. But again, knowledgeable people say that somewhere along the line; we the people are to be blamed for such rampant practice of Chai-Pani. But all fingers are still pointed towards a class of citizens who are haves. They say, the Babu's or officers are not always to be blamed for. Maybe, people themselves are indulging and boosting such immoral practice.

There's many explanations but here is two typical prototypes:

That in a bank/police station/offices because our officers, contractors or haves who know the value of their time: because they don't want to be in queue with the common folks; they give tips or incentives to the concerned person of so and so bank, office or PS, so that their papers or complaints or files are processed at the earliest without further delay. And our respected concerned receives the token with a mischievous smile and automatically complies, thereby eluding others who have their works pending since months.

That, lastly but the crux, somewhere along the employment queue, there are some well to do people, who, because they think that their children was so much molly-coddled from the start; that their child will not be able to compete with others; because they are used of getting everything they ever wanted; therefore in every recruitment they do the talk through money even though their cash exceeds the required sum for Chai-Pani. Here our Babu's are left helpless; their mouths are sealed and choked by the cash these people provides. For who doesn't want money, money inspires confidence; money takes one above religion. Money is honey.

And not to mention nepotism and favouritism.For who does not indulge in a bit of both evils. And who would not, afterall we are humans. There is no man who does not help his family or his close friends. And as long as human relations exists; the above said evil will not diminish, instead would thrive.

Truly, our chai-pani culture has looted so much of our money earned by the sweat of our brows. It has been the cause of so much pain and misery to many dedicated aspirants and parents. That for a time people had lost all hope in the system. But now it seems that HOPE is starting to blossom again slowly but surely enough.

It's really a gloomy world for Have-Nots. One can only hope and pray. But amidst all the pessimistic atmosphere, our Honourable CM surprises us every now and then with a glimpse of cloud no. 9. Just few days ago his cabinet has scrapped the interview for recruitment to lower level posts. In plain words, our PK has put a full stop or an exclamation mark to the Chai-Pani culture in recruitment process. Well, its a welcome step. It is a succour for underdogs or the common man and many thousand thousands hopes are built upon it.

The chai-pani phenomenon is a very exhaustive and multi-faceted subject. The above elaboration is just a rough sketch and a miniscule fraction of the main body. It would take a scholarly research to completely understand the various naunces, subtleties and to completely unveil it in its full glory.

For a time being, Chai-pani had become so bullying and overpowering that it was unstopable. Chai-pani is the antecedent and the mother of all corruption. So much misery and havoc it has catalyzed. Infact, if it weren't for Chai-Pani, the word 'corruption' and it's connotation could have been obsolete.

One would take the recent decision as a gift from CM and his team to the people of Arunachal on the auspicious occasion of 71st Independence Day celebration. Kudos to honourable CM for such a people centric initiative in scrapping the interview in recruitment to lower level posts. On a concluding note, it is felt that government should also monitor all the departments so that the recent cabinet decision is strictly adhered.

Yours,

Kana Naya