By HH Mohrmen
The truth is for all to see; the Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance Government does not have a strategy in place to solve the “influx” issue raised by the conglomerate of NGOs. Neither does the Government have any plan to preempt the crisis that is looming large in the horizon if it fails to the address this crisis. The NGOs are one step ahead of the government in this mêlée and has a strategy of their own by visiting all major towns and cities of the state to make people aware of their demand before they launch their agitation program. But it seems that the crisis management agency of the Government is still sleeping.
It is also obvious that if the Government has any strategy to deal with the situation it is the usual delaying tactics which is, that before the NGOs declare their agitation program, the government will invite the pressure groups for talks; the talks will be followed by formation of a committee and the committee will take ages to complete its assignment or what it is mandated to do. The vicious cycle will continue and the issue will remain unaddressed for many more years. The other strategy that Government seems to use is the lesson from the proverbial saying ‘we’ll cross the bridge, when we come to it.” That the Government claims to have a strategy on how to deal with the situation is hardly visible but for it to take things as they come, which is basically fire-fighting is a very risky proposition. The other strategy that the Government is expected to make use of is that when the problem goes out of hand then it will declare it as a law and order problem and let the district administration deal with it.
The Intelligence wings of the government too appear to be ignorant of the gravity of the matter. Its either that or the Agency may be oblivious of the strength of the conglomerate of NGOs which spearhead the movement demanding for introducing ILP in the state. The Intelligence Agency has also failed to impress upon the Government the seriousness of the threat made by these NGOs. What the Government should realize is that for the first time in the recent history of the state, there is a pan-Meghalaya cooperation of NGOs demanding the implementation of ILP in the state. NGOs from all the erstwhile three major regions of the state, the Garo hills, the Jaintia hills and the Khasi hills have come together under one umbrella to demand for the implementation of ILP in the state.
Now all eyes are on the meeting between the Government and the NGOs. What will the Government offer the NGOs on the day that the two sides meet on August 29? It will be difficult if not impossible for the Government to convince the NGOs to deviate from the path of agitation that they have already planned, if it fails to come up with a solution agreeable to both parties. If the Government is not in favour of implementing ILP, does it have anything to bring to the negotiating table other than to propose the constitution of a committee to try solving the problem? The rule of thumb for governments past and present is to delay the implementation of anything suggested by pressure/interest groups. There is a perceptible complacency exhibited by the all governments which make people believe that it does not mean business. The MUA Government must realize that the meeting is very crucial and come fully prepared with a blueprint for action. Both sides should come prepared and put all their cards on the table. For the Government it is important to convince the groups from taking a drastic step that will lead the State into the path of agitation programs and plunge it into darkness once again.
That this MUA government is very adamant is obvious from the way the Speaker of the Assembly treated the Opposition in the present house. It took the Speaker many months before he could recognize the legitimate Opposition group. The question is what kind of Government wants to govern without a viable opposition? The ILP imbroglio has again brought to light the attitude of this Government when the Opposition was not even consulted on how to douse the flame before it spreads like wilds fire. The spokesman of the UDP has rightly said that it seems the MUA has shifted the policy- making from the august house to the streets of Shillong. If that is what the MUA government wants, that is what it will get if the Opposition and stakeholders are not taken into consideration.
Meghalaya’s prominent opinion maker, Toki Blah has rightly said in his letter to the editor (ST Aug 17 2013) that people are fed up with this issue and they want to see the end to all this so called influx problem which for some NGOs is like fodder which keeps them in public memory. Yes, for some NGOs the influx issue is the only mainstay that keeps the organization afloat. The Influx issue is very complex. Two previous governments had come up with two solutions to the issue. The Thranghok Rngad led committee reported that ILP is not conducive for implementation in the state of Meghalaya and we are informed by A.H. Scott Lyngdoh’s article and letter to the Editor of the Shillong Times that leaders of NGOs like the then President of the KSU, Paul Lyngdoh, the former President of the FKJGP Ardent M. Basaiawmoit and the then president of the JSU C.S. Laloo were part of the Committee. The last MUA Government constituted a committee headed by B.M. Lanong the then Deputy Chief Minister of the State and the Committee had suggested the immediate implementation of ILP in the state. The leader of the NGOs can of course change their minds the way they evolve from student leader to politician and nobody can stop them from doing so, but the State needs a lasting solution to the problem. We need people who can think of a permanent solution to the issue and not those who change their mind the way trees shed their leaves.
Meghalaya needs a lasting solution to the imbroglio and want to see an end to this influx issue once and for all. Neither the Government nor the NGOs can take the people of the State for granted so what is expected of the two sides is to sit across the table and come up with a solution to solve the problem once and for all. Meghalaya and its people cannot afford to waste any more time on agitation programs which later on turn to be a complete no-win situation. People have in the past wasted many valuable days in the agitations which did not bear any fruit so we must be cautious of taking the State down that path again.