Meghalaya has a chequered history as far as political stability is concerned. The next Government to be soon formed will be the 21st government in a span of 8 elections. It works out to more than two governments in a five-year period. Parties with disparate goals and objectives have formed governments without a common minimum programme or a common vision. Their only intention is to be in power. Two decades ago some senior leaders of the Congress party realized the drawbacks of coalition politics where parties come together only for the sake of forming a government and nothing beyond that. They stressed on stability at every election platform and sought votes on that plank. Today we don’t hear Congressmen and women speak of stability. It’s become an election campaign of promises galore. “I will do this if elected,” is the common refrain. The idea of Meghalaya as a State; its future; its priorities have all been shelved to the backburner. Very few candidates laid emphasis on stability this time.
So does political stability matter? The answer is both Yes and No. Between 1993-98 Meghalaya had a stable Congress-led government but that government dithered. Entrepreneurs who wanted to see Meghalaya move more rapidly to claim the economic benefits that were flowing in as a result of the economic liberalization post 1991 were impatient at the snail pace at which the State was moving. Political commentators called it a “sleepwalking government.” Militancy was on the upswing. People lived in morbid fear and life ended by dusk. The business community was extorted; those who resisted were killed in broad daylight. But the Government at the time had no idea or seriousness about how to tackle militancy. When victims of extortion informed the then Home Minister about their plight they were advised to negotiate with the outfit. It was a period of doom and gloom. Yet the Government was stable. It lasted a full five years.
Hence stability alone is no guarantee for development and progress if those at the helm are clueless about where to take the State. Vision and a clearly articulated mission statement that takes people on board as stakeholders in the system are what are needed for Meghalaya at this juncture. The only positive point about stability is that the vision and mission will not be disrupted by those with short term goals.
