Editor,
“A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation”. -James Freeman Clarke.
Massive tranche of secrets overflowed as the Jeffrey Epstein files opened the Pandora’s box, Julian Assange’s Wikileaks had another story of its own, in whatever way possible, the truth cannot be hidden for long, karma does find its way in biting back. The 22,429 square kilometres state which has lofty dreams of a $10 billion economy in the next five years was warned through the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) (‘CAG warns Meghalaya’s borrowing trend could lead to debt trap’, The Hindu, March 31, 2023). Alarm bells are ringing recently through an RTI activist who laid down the CM’s officers-on-special duty army, which draws lakhs and travels the Forbes magazine style.
Questions galore as to why a christian dominated state has dipped down the charts in its moral values and ethical way of living, or the recent coal mine incident in East Jaintia Hills shows the deep state which we are entrenched in. The ruling elites have become carbon copies of Donald Trump and Putin. Observers have witnessed the gross misuse of intelligence agencies in the past, demonstrating that political masters can subvert the laws of the land for their own gain.
If at all Meghalaya is to elevate its position as prime state in the Northeast, the mindset has to change allowing free speech, intelligentsia, media organisations, civil society organisations and whistleblowers protected and accountability demanded for the wrong choices or else the guillotine is not far from our reach.
Dave Berke, retired US Marine Corps officer and TOPGUN Instructor in his book ‘The Need to Lead’ elaborates the problem is always leadership and the action of a leader is to always take ownership.
Christopher Gatphoh
Via e-mail
