By Albert Thyrniang
The MUA-II government must be complimented for setting up a Special Court to try cases committed by pro-ILP groups during their stirs demanding for the implementation of the more than two century colonial law. The simple logic is: if you break the law you must face the consequences. Law has caught up even with Laloo Prasad Yadav, the former Chief Minister of Bihar and the Railway Minister of this country. To make their presence felt, the pro-ILP pressure groups have committed arson, gutted shops, attacked security forces and burned down government and police vehicles. They created mayhem, anarchy, and havoc in Shillong and elsewhere in the state. Certainly these are criminal acts. They are violation of the law. They should face punishment.
The Chief Minister has stated that, after an assessment of all the losses across the state, the sponsors of bandhs and night blockade will have to pay, from their pockets, for the damage done and the losses incurred by the government. This is a right move and will send a strong message to the concerned that they if they break the law they cannot go scot free. One only hopes that the Chief Minister is firm and will not buckle under pressure. Only a zero tolerance to crimes that bring disrepute and losses to the state will deter those who pay scant respect to the rule of law. The Supreme Court ruling banning bandhs and making sponsors of such shutdowns pay compensation for the public losses must be adhered to in letter and spirit. If not, it’s contempt of the highest court of this country by the state government itself.
What about losses to the private citizens? What about losses to the business community and daily wage earners? Who will compensate them? The government should asses these losses and force callers of bandhs and night blockades to pay for them as well. What about the loss of time by students and educational institutions? Time is precious, in fact more precious than wealth! Assess this loss too! Let the pro-ILP pressure groups pay for this loss. A PIL can be filed in the newly established Shillong High Court to compel those responsible to compensate the loss of priceless time to students and educational institutions. An overall assessment, not merely government’s loss, must be made.
Bandhs are unconstitutional. The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, right to work and earn one’s livelihood to all citizens. These are fundamental rights. No one can take them away, not even the government. In an emergency the government can only restrict these rights. During bandhs everything comes to a complete standstill. Offices and educational institutions are closed, business is shut and movements nil. A few hold the rest to ransom. How do we allow our fundamental rights and freedom to be snatched away so easily by unauthorized agitators? How can we surrender ourselves meekly to pressure groups who do not represent us? It’s time we defy their diktat and if necessary take on and challenge them for illegally taking away what is rightfully ours.
Bandhs are a mental strain and a psychological torture. Bandhs create fear psychosis. That is the reason bandhs are always a success. News of bandhs spread like wild fire. An SMS, an e-mail, a poster or two, a news item and sometimes even word of mouth is sufficient. Be sure everyone will observe a bandh call. But make no mistake! It is fear that makes a bandh successful and not because the general public supports it. Fear factor is the defining and single factor of the success of a bandh. Bandh callers know it too well. They exploit it to the full. If you want to measure the success of a bandh, callers must publish the bandh call in newspapers a week ahead clearly stating that the general public is free to observe or defy the proposed bandh. The bandh callers should also assure that no one will be harassed in any manner during bandh period. Are you ready for the challenge?
Bear with me for slotting in a personal note. I always feel mentally harassed by bandhs. I want to work but could be obstructed. I want to travel on my vehicle but it may be stopped, pelted with stones, damaged or even burned down. Bandh volunteers may not even spare the occupant/s. Every time a bandh is called I face this mental trauma. I want to defy bandhs but fear gets the better of me. I want to dare the bandh callers but I am defeated each time. I want to even risk physical harm but often back out the last moment. It’s really cruel. It’s crueller than physical torment. This psychological stress on citizens must be stopped forthwith if bandh callers have a heart and a head.
The concern is also on the negative impact bandhs have on the younger generation. They have to live in a bandh and violent culture. They think it is normal to have bandhs, strikes, night blockades and office picketing. They falsely inherit the concept that it’s alright to obstruct office goers, pelt stones on moving vehicles, damage public and private properties. We elders coach them to learn these tricks. When they grow up they will repeat these acts. The destructive culture will be perpetuated thanks to us parents and elders. History has repeated itself several times and will continue to repeat itself because the young watch our actions live. It’s a sort of reality show. We don’t even mind if our children’s education and future suffer.
Punit Kumar Lakra wrote an excellent letter to the editor (ST 30th September), “Bandh culture destroying students’ future”. The writer revealed that he works in one of the biggest schools in Tura and is deeply concerned about the adverse effects of bandh on students. It is presumed that the school is church run. It’s a pity that, while an individual feels so strongly against bandh culture, the Church (inclusive of all denominations) has no articulated views on it. The Church is unarguably the most powerful organization in the state. If the Church takes an official position that no matter what, its educational institutions will remain open on bandh days, believe me, bandh enforcers will be helpless. It could signal a revolution of the end of bandh culture. To be relevant, the Church’s influence needs to go beyond the four physical walls of the church!
A former MP has criticized the Chief Minister for refusing to talk to agitating ‘NGOs’ and instead is setting up a Special Court to try them. Talk has no meaning when the leaders go with a closed mind; when they have the ‘my way or the high way’ and ‘ILP or agitation’ attitude. According to the ex-Rajya Sabha member, who has announced his own candidature for 2014 Lok Sabha election, the CM has become unpopular. Even if true, at times it is better to be unpopular and do something good rather than look for popularity and do nothing good for the state. Most often unpopular actions yield good results. Achievements come from unpopular decisions. Statesmen do not always look for popularity. The opposition parties will also try to take political mileage from the impasse but the CM should be steadfast. Let the law try criminal elements.
The former MP who aspires to be the Chief Minister of the state after the Lok Sabha elections, also advised the present CM to be a father to the law breaking ‘NGOs’. Sorry, at times a good father/mother needs to be firm with the children! If children come into conflict with the law, parents have to even allow the law to take its own course. It is not uncommon for parents to declare so even on record publicly.
The pressure groups in Meghalaya have no respect for law. They have been violating the law time and again with impunity without any punishment. In the past, we have seen cases against leaders of different groups withdrawn and the arrested released unconditionally from jail. Can we expect a paradigm shift this time around? Denial of our constitutional rights is totally unacceptable. The amended ‘Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (MMPO) Assam Act 1947, has come at the right time for the law enforcing agencies to deal with bandhs and agitations in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgment. In a society and in an age governed by law, those who break it will have to face the music. Absolutely no second opinion!