Editor,
I’m writing this letter not as someone from a particular field or background, but as a regular citizen of this state: a common woman who lives in Naharlagun, travels to Itanagar, stands in government hospital queues, struggles with public transport, and tries to make sense of rising costs everywhere. It’s exhausting – not just physically, but mentally.
Let’s start with healthcare. We’ve seen new blocks added to hospitals and announcements of free diagnostic centres. But in reality, we wait in long lines with no proper system. The staffers are overworked and understaffed. By the time your turn comes, the person taking your blood sample is too tired to even talk. If you go to a private clinic, the costs are so high that it feels like you’re paying for hope, not healthcare. Tests are prescribed without explanation, and there’s a sense that profit matters more than the patient.
Then comes infrastructure. I live in what is supposed to be a part of the ‘twin capital’, but we still don’t have basic things like municipal water supply. The colony road in my area was built two years ago, but it’s still incomplete. If you don’t have a scooter or a car, just getting from Naharlagun to Itanagar becomes a task. Public transport is too expensive for daily use, and the system is not even reliable. A simple trip from Doimukh to Itanagar can cost up to Rs 400 a day – a price you could use to travel to Guwahati.
Then there’s the matter of education. Private schools in Itanagar charge anywhere between Rs 50,000 to over Rs 2 lakhs a year, but offer no real facilities. No proper playgrounds, no infrastructure to match the fee. You’re forced to buy books and uniforms from the school itself – they’ve turned education into business. On the other hand, most government school teachers are running tuition centres instead of focusing on their actual job. Our education system is broken and no one wants to admit it.
The condition of roads and traffic is another daily headache. Traffic jams in Itanagar have become normal. Civic sense is missing. People drive however they want, and no one seems to follow the rules. Getting late for a meeting or appointment is expected. There’s no order, no discipline.
What bothers me even more is that, while all this is happening, our so-called pressure groups and leaders are busy shouting about other things – cancelling ST status of tribal women married to non-tribals, debates over ILP, and other topics that grab headlines but ignore ground reality. Yes, these are sensitive topics, but are they more urgent than health, education, transport, and basic public services?
Even when it comes to entrepreneurship, only those with the right connections seem to benefit. Loans are given to those who already have people in powerful positions. Honest and hardworking individuals are left to struggle without support. And let’s be honest, most of us are trying to survive in a system where shortcuts are rewarded more than genuine effort.
I don’t have all the answers. I don’t even know what the perfect solution is. But I do know this – if someone organises a protest for proper water supply to every house, I’ll join. If someone takes a stand against rising public transport fares, I’ll be there. If there’s a movement to fix our education system, I’ll lend my voice.
All I want is for us to start talking about the real issues. Not the loud ones, but the ones that affect us every single day.
A common woman