Thursday, February 13, 2014

POOR IMITATION, GRAND DESIGNS

Letters:-
“Our Pledge, Our Commitment”, this was the title of the booklet released by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha President, Shri. P.S. Golay on 4th February 2014 at Jorethang. I opened the book with palpable anticipation. I was confident that the booklet would contain new and brilliant ideas given the man’s passion for parivartan. But as I flipped through the pages, it was superficiality at its best. It looked more like a sheer copy paste job! But I did not give up! I kept reading in the hope of finding some new  revelations and thoughts! Alas!  From the first page to the last, the booklet contained nothing to write home about. All it did was invoke a deep sense of nothingness. So much for parivartan!
I could not help but pitch SKM’s ideas against the SDF’s achievements. All of us are aware that the SDF Government has been praised and lauded at all levels for its innovative ideas and vision.
The first bullet point reads ‘SKM’s born to end Chamling’s undemocratic rule.’ If Chamling’s really so undemocratic how come he is rated as PM for a possible third front leader at the national level by national leaders?
Other commitments include tourism, conservation and rural development but these sectors already have reached their zenith in twenty years in Sikkim under SDF Government. Shri Golay talks about tribal status for certain communities but he has failed to speak in favour of tribal status for all the left out Sikkimese communities. The word Sikkimese is so vital for our survival. This reveals his lopsided mindset.  He even seems to be more concerned about outsiders than the Sikkimese people. We all know that Income Tax exemption for all Sikkimese communities was brought by the Chamling Government but this fact has sadly failed to find any preservation in Shri Golay.
Shri Golay in the booklet has tried exceptionally well to strike a chord with the common man by playing the aam aadmi card. He says that all representatives of SKM will be treated like any other person and no preferential treatment will be given to them. Well and good. But SDF Government has tied up with some of the best hospitals in the country where the poorest of the poor is treated at State Government’s expense.
He talks about austerity measures. But austerity measures are already well in place! All policies for the old, poor, youth, employees, journalists, environment, tourism all sound exceedingly familiar. Old wine in new bottle? You bet!
How I wish SKM had done its homework properly!
We all hunger for change and it is quite natural to want change. But when change is just a lazy idea in an idle mind, then it makes no sense at all.
When I thought again, I realised, I realised that we tend to take things for granted.  I asked myself if there was anything I wanted from the Government. I struggled for an answer to detect a loophole. I tried hard but could not think of anything that’s lacking in my life as far as basic needs and requirements are concerned. The Government has done so much for all of us. And in turn the least we can do is be grateful to the Government! And a piece of advice to Shri. Golay. Next time please let the parivartan reflect like a mirror in your thoughts, ideas and past actions. Presently, the mirror of parivartan appears to be pock marked and so it will be in the future too. We have to be more careful from now on.
And all I can say about the booklet is ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!’  Indeed!!
PK Chettri, Temi

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