By Toki Blah
The people of Meghalaya have given their verdict at the polls and we now have the Meghalaya United Alliance II Government firmly in place. For a change, it appears we now have a Chief Minister with a vision and a sense of strategy. The Cabinet has been formed, important portfolios allocated and in general, a lot of expectations have been generated by this new political dispensation. Also the first Budget session of this new Govt is nearly over and Meghalaya can expect a financial package from the Planning Commission of India to the tune of approximately 4000 odd crores or so. Quite a lot of money. Question before the people and the state as a whole – do we now live happily ever after? Fact is what we do today will have repercussions on our tomorrow as this world does not belong to this generation alone. We are simply temporary caretakers of our children’s future – a truth we are still unable to live with. If the truth be told- we have done everything possible to deprive our children of what is rightfully theirs.
One of the central ideas behind this write up is on the need to introspect on our past performance and why Meghalaya has such a dismal record for development in the last 40 years? Our biggest mistake perhaps is in measuring development by the number of roads, bridges, buildings or institutions created. Development has been computed solely by the rise or fall in our GDP/ Per Capita. The above at best, are simply indicators or contributory factors to a more holistic definition of development. Development in the final analysis is the transformation of society from one level to the next. For the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos the last transformation of society took place 150 years ago with the introduction of the written word and education in general. 40 years ago we attained state hood and decided that transformatory development is not for us. We will live for today and to hell with tomorrow. Statehood failed miserably to translate into hope for the future. We now need to question why!
As we ask this question of ourselves one of the major areas of failed statehood is in the realm of governance. Time and again the state has been reminded of its governance deficiency. Time and again comparisons with other states of the country, on issues of overall governance, has been positively unflattering to Meghalaya. Then the other day there was an informal discussion with leading youth and student leaders of the state. The issue of Meghalaya’s lamentable state of governance came up. They made an eye opening observation that 40 years of confrontations between civil society and the Government has not yielded the desired results. This observation from a section of society whom we have always associated with bandhs, hartals and law and order problems. It was a stunning revelation to say the least. People have apparently started questioning themselves; have come up with answers that are not complimentary; yet have accepted these unpleasant findings about themselves. The people we are talking about are our youth; our future. It is an opportunity that comes but seldom to any society. It is an opportunity we have to take cognizance of.
So how do we transform society through the introduction of good governance? Within the Meghalaya context, the answer obviously lies in two parts. Firstly, the objective of development must be the upliftment of our society in the shortest time possible but with an eye on the future. For this to happen we need to adopt a thrust/core area approach strategy. Communications (roads and railways), energy (power generation), health (providing efficacious health care for all), education (basic and skill based) together with practical Rural and Urban development should form the thrust areas where attention is given above all others. Concentrate on these core sectors through people with a proven calibre to deliver. Develop these core thrust sectors and other aspects of development will automatically fall into place including improved livelihoods, citizen participation and a healthy rise in enterprise and business.
Secondly, the thrust areas mentioned above should not be the prerogative of the Government alone. A participative and inclusive paradigm of healthy engagement between civil society, Government and our Autonomous District Councils must be developed. Can we move from a position of perpetual confrontation and suspicion to one of cooperation in the thrust areas mentioned above? Why can’t civil society work in tandem with Government to bring about governance which is accountable and transparent? Select a few core sectors and lets come together to make them work. To cynics to such a proposal, from both Govt and civil society, what is there to lose? Working against each other has failed. Working together is yet to be tried. Admittedly, we have to learn how to do it. But then why not?
There is however a word of caution. Just as there is need for a change of mindset from civil society there is also an equal if not greater need for a change in perspective from the political leadership. For 40 years we have had a political leadership that has been unable to look beyond its immediate individual self interest. For example how justified is the demand for enhancing the MLA scheme by 100 %? What social transformation has the scheme achieved? Zero! Scarce financial resources will be diverted from education, health, power and communication so as to enable our representatives to buy plastic chairs, plastic water tanks and blankets. Is this justified? Is this what electoral representation is all about? Such selfish actions do not contribute to the concept of good governance for overall development. They simply increase the dependability factor of our poor; simply add fuel to public suspicion; simply promote conflict and confrontation, an issue we have already identified as detrimental to the wellbeing of society. Why then does the political leadership insist on such nonsense?
As we speak of leadership there cannot be two opinions on the need for leaders with a vision for our state. We have never had any so far and hence the urgency of the matter. The need of the hour is for leaders with the courage to look into the future with all its uncertainties and with the self confidence to challenge these odds. This time perhaps with Dr Mukul Sangma at the helm of affairs our luck is about to change. What we have seen of the man seems to indicate that at last we have a leader who knows where the state is heading to. Our only concern is that he should not let himself be led astray by doubting Thomases of whom we seem to have in plenty. An example of how the state has lost out because of such mis informed and unimaginative representatives is given below.
The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building at Khyndai lad was gutted down by a fire in 2001. Ever since, for the last 12 years we have been hunting in vain for a suitable site for the new Assembly building. Few know or realise that the initial decision for the new Assembly Building was at New Shillong Mawdiangdiang. It was the most sensible decision with an eye on the needs of the future. Then came a resolution in the Assembly to rescind this decision to move to Mawdiangdiang. Few are in the know of the main reasons for such a decision and today as we speak of informed, imaginative and visionary leadership, the time has perhaps come to expose the mindset that refuses to see the future.
The basis; the main reason; the logic presented in the Legislative Assembly by a learned member for moving away from Mawdiangdiang is because it was claimed that Mawdiangdiang is a shady and unhealthy place. God only knows what is meant by ‘shady’ but it was elaborated further that the place is unhealthy because it produces sour oranges unlike the sweet oranges from Ri War. Now what has oranges got to do with site selection for an Assembly Building, the Devil and the mover of the motion only know. My point is that on such silly, unfounded, ridiculous, childish arguments have the fate of the citizens of Shillong been decided on. Why must you, I and our children be trapped forever by such leaders who mislead the public and the state through ill informed and misguided opinions? We must learn from such episodes however distasteful they might be. Accountability of elected representatives is an issue of Good Governance. Civil Society must engage with public leaders to ensure it is put into practice in Meghalaya. Our children and the future demand this from us. The author is President of ICARE.