Editor,
When you see the faces of every other politician and participant on billboards, banners, posters, flyers hung on every corner of the streets, numerous circulars being published every day on the front pages of newspapers by the election commission, and calendars being distributed by the campaign ladies visiting our homes like uninvited guests – that’s when you know the season of election is here. That is how Arunachal preps itself for the election season.
The season of election is a wave that comes after every five years and it is a wave that everyone here is familiar with. Everyone is aware of the black dogs, the dirty money involved, and the unimaginable amounts of cash that’s spent by each participant.
Although the process of election is a dubious one and is a painful process for most of us, it does happen to have a positive aspect to it too. The one and only time we see a little bit of progress in the abandoned and poor condition of the roads of the colonies in our state is during the election season. Although the construction of the road is done by just filling up the potholes with stones and some cheap tar, it is much less of a road.
Unfortunately, that is the only time when the condition of the road is at its peak. The roads will come off just after a month or two after the elections; it will be left in the same state till the next election arrives. That is how it was, that is how it is, and that is how it will be.
The honourable chief minister of our state, Pema Khandu hit the headlines recently by his statement that NH 415 would be completed by March 2021. But while NH 415 is being discussed and is taken seriously after three long years of waiting, the condition of the roads of our colonies is never taken in a significant manner.
Before the citizens of Arunachal get cozy and sit around the fire with a can of beer and start blaming just the political leaders for the corrupt system and the poor condition of the roads, it is better to instead take out time to self-reflect.
This time, let us all vote for the leaders we trust and not vote for the leaders with bigger pockets, and pave the way for better road connectivity from our residence to a very uncertain four-lane NH 415.
Ms Yomge Chisi