(Flights Of Fantasy)
[M Panging Pao]
The sun’s rays over Dong in Arunachal Pradesh ushered in another New Year, 2024. The world bid farewell to 2023, maybe one of the most conflict-prone and eventful year in recent times.
Internationally, 2023 was marked by the Israel-Hamas war, the Ukraine-Russia war, the China-Taiwan/Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, the Sudan civil war, etc. The ongoing Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars killed thousands, displaced millions and could lead to widening conflicts across the world. Due these events and the Covid-19 pandemic, the world economy is in a downfall and many nations are undergoing economic recession. 2023 was also manifested by extreme weather phenomena around the world, like the Turkey and Nepal earthquakes, flooding, heatwaves, and hurricanes caused by global warming.
Nationally, 2023 saw violent ethnic clashes in Manipur, killing and displacing thousands of people, new governments in Rajasthan, MP, Chattisgarh, Telangana, Mizoram and Karnataka. Chandrayaan 3 successfully landed on the moon, making India the fourth nation to do so. The year also saw India finish with a record haul of 107 medals, including 28 gold, at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Talented javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the coveted three, ie, Olympics gold, World Champion and Asian Games gold.
Nearer home, good achievements includes the governments of Assam and Arunachal signing a historic accord to resolve the contentious border issues, improvement in road infrastructure, including inauguration of the Nechiphu tunnel, start of coronary heart care unit at TRIHMS, singing of MoU with Dubai markets for export of agriculture products, start of direct Delhi-Hollongi flights, start of work in the Murkongselek-Pasighat railway line, three Arunachalis – Pebika Lego, Tenzin Yangki, and Dr Austin Tayeng – clearing the civil services examinations, etc. MoUs were also signed for many new hydropower projects. Arunachal’s athletes gave their best ever performance in the National Games and excelled in sporting events like football, weightlifting, boxing, Wushu, arm wrestling, etc.
The APPSC was also recently revived with the recent oath-taking of new members. This would allow conduct of pending examinations for filling up many vacant posts in different departments and thus provide job opportunities for youths. Readers may recall the forced cancellation of the oath-taking after the agitation by different groups during the initial part of the year. All are hoping that future selection of candidates and examinations are conducted in a fair and transparent manner with strong SOPs and tamper proof procedures.
Not so good news included dismal pass percentage in Class 10 board examinations of just 39.72 per cent, Army Cheetah helicopter crash in West Kameng, killing of former MLA Yumsen Matey in Lazu, Tirap. Earlier in 2019, sitting MLA of Khonsa, Tirong Aboh was also killed. It is perplexing that the central and state governments are allowing many militant groups to operate freely in the TCL region. It also seems that Covid is reappearing with a different variant.
However, let’s usher in the New Year with positivity and hope with more development across all fields, peace, stability, lesser natural disasters, lesser corruption, and fewer wars. (The contributor is retired Group Captain, Indian Air Force)
