By: Morning Star Sumer
The news reports, ‘Cabinet defers discussion yet again’ (ST. AUG 2,2012), and in the box to draw readers’ attentions, ‘Other decisions’ on the front page of the issue make for very interesting reading.
On the Meghalaya Mineral (?) Policy (MMP), chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma was at pains to explain away the state governments palpable inertia which has been making them unproductive in more than four decades – more than 40 years please – of governance. In the report we read of Dr. Mukul Sangma, the CM lecturing to the eager media about how an issue of policy matter is represented and discussed before placing it before the Cabinet. Fine!, the media is now suitably educated to keep this in mind for future reference. Then came the bomb shell when the CM nonchalantly stated “that the government has fixed August 16 for the presentation”! The Supreme Court’s 2005 directive to the State government to draft a Mining Policy was treated as dirt by the then (2005) as well as successive state governments. Since then, governments have been coming and going. Now the CM of the present government unabashedly and coolly sated that the presentation is scheduled for the 16th August 2012. So, we are to understand that it takes more than half a decade (7 years to be precise) for taking the first step to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive to our state governments. A snail could have encompassed the globe more than once in that duration of time ! That is beside the fact that the State’s Minister for Mining and Geology had declared several months ago that his Mining Policy was at the ready to fire. Now when the scribes fire away questions at the Minister for Mining & Geology, Mr. Bindo M. Lanong, he nonchalantly passed the buck to the CM who, now, says, that the mere representation is scheduled for August 16, 2012. How long will the Cabinet take to discuss it ? The CM should clarify, if he deigns it necessary. So, we have it from the horse’s mouth, how our governments have been functioning. It destroys confidence in the elected representatives of the people – the political class as a whole.
Consistency and truthfulness do not seem to be Dr. Mukul Sangma’s strong points. In the same report, he was quoted by The Shillong Times reporters to have said, “Everything is in place, the Policy only requires the approval of the Cabinet”. Going by this statement one may assume that the MMP is only awaiting the Cabinet’s approval before being implemented. One may be excused for being nonplussed when faced with palpably contradictory statements in the same report! On the one hand we are told that the MMP has yet to be presented (on Aug 16 2012) to the Cabinet for discussion only; meaning that it is still a long way from the stage to be discussed (how long?) and to be approved (how long after Aug 16, 2012?) On the other hand we are told that “Everything is in place” and only awaiting the Cabinet’s approval! How inconsistent and how deceitful the CM get ?
The people of Meghalaya are no longer surprised by new revelations in the media of the image of dawdling governments groping their way to find scapegoats and specious devices to explain away their sins of omission and commission which , however we, the people, do not buy. The speed with which governments deal with the inter-state boundary issue is one example of the image of governments as slow coaches – snails. The meeting of all political parties and NGOs on July 26, 2012, called by the CM, purportedly, to discuss the inter-state boundary dispute with Assam was high-jacked by design; else why should the issue of security in border areas have been brought up to distract the attention of the assemblage. That is the kind of subtle device used by governments to scotch any serious attempt to solve any issue. All representatives of political parties and NGOs that made up that assemblage should ponder upon this statement.
In the box to draw attention to the ‘Other decisions’, (Cabinet’s recent decisions), our attention is drawn to the one to rename Jail Road Bazaar in the city as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Square. It is degrading to associate a bazaar with Netaji who was a patriot, an intellectual and a brilliant political leader to boot. Why not find a suitable niche to commemorate him. We already have his statue adorning the grounds of the State Central Library. Why downgrade his stature by naming a Bazaar after him?
It is also a reflection of the mind set of the day’s powers that be who took seven years just to suggest a date for a representation of an issue to comply with a 2005 directive of the Supreme Court and took only an instant to decide to rename a public place. How come! It is also injudicious as it may hurt indigenous people’s sentiments. Who proposed the renaming and when was it proposed? Should not there have been a public debate or at least a public discussion among the people of the state before taking such a decision. It is relevant to mention here that the Martin Luther Christian University Act, 2005, took less than 24 hrs to be enacted – without discussion and debate that we are aware of. That was speed indeed! By mentioning that fact I am not suggesting that the establishment of an institution like the Martin Luther Christian University is wrong. I am suggesting that it gives the impression that there might have been ulterior motives behind these lightning speed decision and enactment of laws.
It is relevant to remind the powers that be that, though we honour and respect Netaji for his contribution to the country as a whole, he had not done anything for our State except for having visited Shillong once only. For that matter, it may be mentioned even Guru Dev, Rabindranath Tagore had visited Shillong only to enjoy his vacation in Shillong’s salubrious climate. That statement should not detract from our respect and admiration for his achievements in the national scene. However, it speaks volumes of the distorted perception and convoluted reasoning of the powers that be to deny a place for a statue of Rev Thomas Jones I who is acclaimed by one and all as the father of the Khasi Alphabet without which there would be no Khasi literature and I would not be writing this piece now.