By AH Scott Lyngdoh
Barnes Mawrie’s article of 4th July 2013 about Shillong- a picture of shame must set the intelligentsia on a course of thinking designed to stem the rot, as would abate some of the ugly features that mar this once beautiful city. What are the terms of reference that set the agenda for a full-scale debate on the subject? The first is growth in an unplanned manner, each local self-government unit operating on its own without the concern of sharing a common goal. At the heart of this conglomeration is the Shillong Municipality administered by an elected civic board till 1970/71. The misgovernance and misdeeds of the then city fathers are too numerous to recapture- suffice to say that during the next 43 years, the civic affairs were conducted by a series of administrators drawn from the bureaucracy. The older generation will remember with fondness the intervening seventies when N.K Rustumji of the prestigious Indian Civil Service was at the helm of affairs as the Chief Secretary. His energy was concentrated more on beautifying Shillong than other matters of State. We worked out the scheme to remove the Harijan Colony to sites nearer the workplace for which some housing units were set up. “NO NO NO”, says the local inhabitants. Anywhere else but not near us- a kind of apartheid unbecoming of brotherly love! The colony stands today its overcrowded tenements visible all-round. There is no way at present to convert this prime property into a parking lot with a modern shopping complex as envisaged earlier. Just close your eyes for the time being, and keep away if you can from the Mawlong Hat which is even more depressing, but is good for the teeming rural traders coming into town to earn a living. It will require the collective brain of the government to devise a strategy for a comprehensive plan as would set up a modern shopping complex embracing the overcrowded Bara Bazaar(Iewduh) and Motphran areas.
As regards the Motphran, sentiment prevailed over pragmatism, if only the monument were shifted to the Central State Library where the names of the World War I heroes were to be seen, read and honoured. Adjoining, is the Cantonment Board under a Station Commander assisted by elected members. Contrast the spick and span and orderliness with the neighbouring chaotic hustle and bustle. The surrounding localities have their own durbars led by a Rangbah Shnong with sub-units under a Rangbah Dong. Appointment to these offices is by consensus, the show of hands technique. There is no such thing as a fixed tenure- Mr. Standlington Khongwir (former Deputy Chief Minister) has been the Rangbah Shnong of Mawlai for 46 years and President of the Town Durbar for 25 years. Many other Rangbah Shnong have also served with distinction for 20 years or more, but is this a good sign, or does it not reveal abdication of responsibility by the majority of citizens shunning leadership roles at the local level?
Another big lacuna accepted as tradition, bars non-tribals as members of the local durbars, while the limited number of participating women excludes almost half the population. The disparity between the Municipal rate payer who is charged a property tax in addition to water, lighting and sanitation fees is in sharp contrast with the suburb inhabitant who enjoys the basic civic amenities almost free. Such differentiation as discussed is not conducive for the orderly development of a growing city. The municipal authorities from time to time have bowed down to the wishes of friends, family members and political supporters allowing shops to come up anywhere and everywhere causing gross overcrowding and narrowing of the roads. Areas outside Municipal limits are also a cause for concern, even the lower roadside slope cutting through the army civil engineer complex is not spared as a favourite dumping ground.
One cannot but agree with Mawrie’s keen observation that the Khasi localities are generally cleaner. What catches the eye is the unattended garbage and littered streets within the commercial areas which require round the clock surveillance by the municipal authorities deploying day and night shifts with the best of equipment. CCTVs may be considered later under a system of imposing fines. Pockets within the Khasi areas are also dirty- the Dorbar Shnong must share the responsibility. The central figure in this whole episode is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shillong Municipality. That he is saddled with other duties does not do justice to the array of problems which are getting bigger by the day. He must be assisted by an Executive Officer as provided under the Municipal act for the freedom to move about the city on regular field inspections and frequent interactions with Ki Dorbar Shnong, other leading groups and citizens.
The incongruous arrangement of an Executive Engineer in-charge of public works taking on the conservancy services should be set aside. He should take care of the crumbling drainage for which Rs. 24 crores has been sanctioned against an overall requirement of Rs. 60 crores. There has to be some solution to get the various local self-government units under one umbrella. The Canadian model may be of some help, by setting up a greater Shillong Development Authority as a second tier consisting of delegates chosen on a population basis from each of the units, to look after common subjects such as water supply, drainage, transport and roads. The problem with the Shillong water supply is that the PHE brings in the water for the Shillong Municipality to distribute it. But coordination between the two leaves much to be desired.
Mawrie also wrote about the deteriorating Golf Links. He must have read my article on the subject. Being an open course, anything of even the smallest value is stolen. Committees have recently been formed of golfers with the Army, Air Force, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF coming into the picture to formulate short and long term plans for improving the course. The cooperation of the adjacent localities is also on the cards.
Post Script: At one point of time, the old teer ground where the existing Polo Market is located was bulldozed, and the process was on to demolish the remaining encroachments. Some politicians got the upper hand. I was given 24 hours to hand over charge, only to bounce back 3 months later with the change of government. It was too late, as the encroachers got their stay orders, conditions worsened, the Wah Umkhrah was affected and now there is a big problem to tackle. It was time to depart and rush to Mizoram as the Chief Secretary to douse the flames of a raging insurgency, a story yet to be told.
(The writer is former Home Minister, Meghalaya and retired as Chief Secretary, Mizoram)