Editor,
The recent events where the Syiem of Nongspung practically sold parts of our land to Assam by allowing the Government of Assam to construct a road through our land greatly disturbed our minds. How come petty chiefs with outdated hereditary institutions are allowed to enter into a contract with a government of another state without the knowledge of the State Government or even the District Council? Even the District Council is not competent to enter into any agreement with any neighbouring state without going through the state government.
Ironically, our Government was first a silent spectator but when it decided to react, instead of punishing the Syiem for his misdeeds, Government came out with a statement saying it has nothing to say and interfere with the bartering of our land to Assam. In other words, petty syiems, rangbah shnong etc can barter away any land falling within Meghalaya to any state or even Bangladesh, and the State Government will not lift a hand but will just keep quiet. From now onwards, perhaps, we will see more of such misadventures with the blessings of our Government. What a Government and what a shame!
In the beginning I thought the silence was because Government was too busy dealing with a host of issues like the traffic jam, bringing the new roads through Umsning and Sohiong, destroying Police Bazar during Christmas time and making the Christmas revelers, both young and old, to plough through the mud (it is anything but beautification as it is to facilitate laying of cables by the cable companies)
However, I am not surprised by the deafening silence of our politicians (MLAs) who with the exception of two or three, never utter a single word inside or outside the Assembly. .A few of them who speak outside the house make a mess of it— like someone who compares our Soso Tham with Tendulkar ( it is like comparing Maradonna or Undertaker with Rabindranath Tagore ) or the one who wants that all the hawkers from all over India to come to Shillong and to occupy all the footpaths so that the general public would have to share space with the cars on the roads. Or the one who wants that all roads should go through Sohiong and all recruitments should be made only to people of Sohiong constituency. Or, better still, the only MLA who, without the knowledge of the fellow members of the Privileges Committee, summoned some honest policemen to answer for doing their duties . We hope that these same people would not come back after the next election to torment us again. I expect that new, young, honest and vibrant representatives be elected for the good of our state and its people. I fervently hope that the dream of clean politics by one of our honest MLA, Ardent Basaiawmoit will be fulfilled in the next election, in spite of the usual back-biters and the perennial doubters.
As for our own dear JFK (as Paul Lyngdoh puts it ) all I have to say is that he is a big joke. Last time I voted for him thinking that he was a regional party candidate with a modern mind. But I promise never to vote for him again! Being regional minded is alright but to champion the cause of these outdated ,undemocratic ,dynastic hereditary, corrupt, semi-literate despots is just not acceptable.
I honestly thought that the last king in these parts of the world was the king of Nepal who had been dumped by his own people, but our very own JFK thinks otherwise, and, of course, he is, indeed, a wise man {et te Brutus). It is a tragedy that even in this 21st century, people like JFK still think that these medieval chieftains are relevant. I fully agree with Paul Lyngdoh’s article which said, “Ki Syiem ki dei ki Thliem” (Syiems are leeches). Only some people with axes to grind support these outdated institutions. One has only to see how our own Iewduh is abused and mismanaged to know how these so-called syiems are running their fiefdoms, pocketing all the riches single-handedly.
The time has come for these outdated institutions (syiems and their kins) be consigned to the dustbin of history once and for all .A system along the lines of the panchayati raj or the dorbar shnong should be established but with a popular choice or democratic process and secret ballots. No single clan monopoly should be allowed and the people should vote freely without fear or prejudice.
Yours etc.,
Dondor Warjri
Shillong -2