By HH Mohrmen
The people of Meghalaya have made their final decision and verdict though full of meaning but the message is clear. First and foremost the verdict is on the performance of the MUA 2 government which was led from the front by the Congress in general and Dr. Mukul Sangma in particular. The message is that the voters obviously appreciated Dr Mukul Sangma’s performance but were not very happy with it. So the result the people gave is two short of a simple majority. In the school parlance one can say that the people are not satisfied with Dr. Mukul Sangma’s performance and the result is that the people are not willing to even give the Congress its pass mark. To rule the state the Congress still need the grace of the Independents or likeminded parties.
The launch of the flagship program – the Integrated Basin Development Program, the creation of four new districts in the state, without the wherewithal and infrastructure are few tasks that had perhaps helped the party to get at least pass marks. But people are not satisfied with mere foundation stone laying ceremonies hence the result is that they were given two short of a simple majority. Now the remaining task for the Congress is to finish the task that the MUA 2 government had started and fulfil its promises on at least these two major tasks. The performance of the new government in the green campaign that the CM launched and the Year of the Youth celebration will be another task that Dr Sangma will have to complete
The party’s ability to increase the numbers of seats it won in 2013 in comparison with its performance in the last election from 25 to 29 and the Congress win of 13 out of the 24 seats from Garo Hills has earned Dr. Sangma the right to lead the party from the front yet again. Congress was able improve on its previous performance due to Dr Mukul’s leadership hence no one can take away from him the right to lead the new Congress- led government in the state.
The poor performance of the regional parties is an indication that the people are not happy with the way they are run. From the results it was obvious that the voters did not consider the regional parties as a viable alternative to the Congress. Hence the two major regional parties; the UDP and the HSPDP put together could only muster 12 seats while the total numbers of independent candidates who won the elections are 13. The Independents won one more seat than the regional parties put together because the people have lost their confidence in the regional parties. The 13 seats would have added to the regional parties total and taken their tally up to 24 seats but voters punished the regional parties by voting for the independent candidates.
The votes for the independent candidates are desperate votes; they are the anti-Congress votes or votes which would have gone to the regional parties but since both UDP and HSPDP are in disarray the votes went to the Independents instead. This column had predicted that regional parties particularly the UDP would pay the price for hobnobbing with the Congress in forming the MUA 2 government and had also predicted that more independent candidates would win the 2013 general election. The reason is because there is no united regional force to fight the Congress. The people’s verdict in 2013 is a lesson for the regional parties.
The verdict for the regional parties is loud and clear. It is that they should occupy the opposition bench for 5 years – enough time to reorganize the party. The people have given the regional parties 5 years time to rediscover themselves and decide on their future course of action if the leaders really wish to reclaim the former glory of their respective parties.
Congress will thrive as long as the regional parties are disunited and unorganized. Only a united regional party can give the people a viable alternative to the Congress which the state is desperately in need of and that is not an impossible task. I hope the regional parties take this in a positive stride and see that in every adversity there is also a silver lining in the sky. Both the UDP and the HSPDP have two young leaders who can bring change to the politics in Meghalaya. Ardent Basaiawmoit and Paul Lyngdoh must be able to provide a strong opposition and the two politicians need to work together and bury their differences ‘na ka bynta ka jaitbynriew’ (for the sake of the people). They should put the interests of the state above all else. Is that too much to ask from the two young leaders of the state?
In spite of the recent misfortune, one can look at the bright side and see that the people still gave the parties a reason to hope by electing two equally young legislators from Shillong city. Embhah Syiemlieh and Dr Jemino Mawthoh can start working with the youth department and Dr Mawthoh with his experience as the head of the North Eastern Hills University’s, NSS department can be a great resource in the task of re-organising the youth league of the regional force. If anybody suggests that I am counselling the regional parties, the truth is yes, I just did. And I think anybody who wants to see a vibrant democracy in the state would also like to see a strong opposition too.
Critics will say that it will not be possible for regional parties to unite and perhaps people’s memory is still fresh with similar efforts of trying to have a united regional force. No one will be surprised if someone says, ‘ Regional parties have been there, done that. We still remember Hills People Union (HPU) and ultimately the formation of the UDP why would this be different?’ There are two answers to that, first this time unlike in the previous occasion the call for unity is a people’s mandate and not the initiative of leaders themselves and secondly there is no other option; regional parties are in a do or die situation.
If the parties are interested in re-organising themselves they cannot afford to waste time because the election to the Lok Sabha is ticking. In less than a year from now the country will go to the polls again and that will also include the election to the three district councils. The process should therefore start sooner than later.
Then there is the people’s verdict on Julius Dorphang. The people of Mawhati have elected the former Chairman of the banned outfit – Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to represent them in the state legislative assembly. My initial reaction when I first heard the news was a great shock! I thought this does not augur well with democracy and it will also create a bad precedent that people with criminal antecedents will join the fray and win the election. For me Julius is still the same man behind the banned outfit, and his records after he surrendered were also not that convincing. His reported involvement in the coal business at Bri War in Jaintia hills and the drunken brawl his security persons were involved with in a certain bar in Shillong do not suggest that he could now don the mantle of responsibility as a law maker.
Then by sheer coincidence the next morning I happened to read “Help thanks wow: the three essential prayers” by Anne Lamott which helped me gain insight into the profound meaning of the verdict that the people of Mawhati gave the day before. I realized that the people of Mawhati are wiser and kinder than me; they chose to forgive Julius Dorphang and gave him opportunity to change and bring change in the society. They chose the way of forgiveness and reconciliation and they were right when in the first interview that Julius gave after he was declared victorious, he expressed his desire to bring the HNLC to the negotiating table. I hope Julius and the leaders of the outfit will find ways and means to come to the negotiating table and bring to an end the unfortunate history of the tribe.
In fine, we are happy that the election went smoothly without any untoward incidents and the that the turn-out was great, and as good old William Shakespeare said, “All’s well that ends well.’ Kudos for a job well done to all the people who ran the ‘election’ show!