Editor,
The headlines during the 3-day session of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly would seem to show that much was achieved during each day of the session. In fact it was a session in which nothing worthwhile was seriously discussed. The first day’s work produced the headlines “Govt. notifies high level committees to address influx” (ST,SEPT 6,2012) telling us that there are now “two high level committees to address the problem of influx in the state”. Mandate, multi-pronged strategy etc. are high sounding words to fox us the aam aadmi. We are waiting to see when and how things will move “within the next few days”. After that, to see when and how the needed multi-pronged strategy will “be evolved” by the government. What “proactive role” the “traditional and local communities” will play is what we are eagerly waiting to be unfolded or revealed before us; transparently.
We have also been told that the Community Participation Bill is deferred because a Select Committee of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly still needs time to enlighten us by clearing “certain doubts and reservations” that we have regarding it. It bears reminding of what I had written in 2011, about my reservations regarding the Bill. My question was and is, why do we need a Participation Bill or Act when all it is intended to do is to enable us to participate in self-government which a Municipal Board really is. A municipal board can only function under a Municipal Act of a state which we still do not have because the advocates of the so-called Meghalaya Municipal Act in 2011 wanted to make the traditional institutions of Rangbah Shnong obsolete. Once a Municipal Act is in place every citizen is bound to participate in its provisions and the traditional headmen would be obliged to become part of it because either that they have to function in their traditional role or that the Municipal Act would empower them. Traditional headmen/Rangbah Shnong / Sordars etc. can function effectively under any law only when empowered by the provisions the law. There is no need for an adjunct Bill/Act like this proposed Meghalaya Community Participation Bill. I had referred before this to Bah Toki Blah’s suggestion on the empowerment of traditional headmen which, unfortunately had not been followed up by either Bah Toki Blah or the powers that be. We seem to have among our legislators and opinion makers and social activists an abundance of Rip Van Winkles who, after a spurt of physical or mental activities, go into hibernation to wake up only when – after twenty years – they are no loner needed because the wheels of time keep whirling while they slumber.
Yours etc.,
Morning Star Sumer,
Via email