In the stand-off between the pressure groups and the Government it is the ordinary citizen that has become vulnerable to life threats. There is restriction on free movement of people, goods and vehicles and a fear psychosis is now enveloping the state. Gone is the climate conducive to creative and entrepreneurial pursuits which are imperative if the large number of youths is to be gainfully employed. None of the contesting sides in this agitation should maintain a posture of obduracy. The pressure groups know they have reached a point where carrying on the agitation is no longer sustainable. On the contrary, disrupting the even tenor of life at this critical juncture (school/college examinations) in the life of a society could lose them whatever little goodwill they enjoyed.
It’s no coincidence that two of the leading pressure groups demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit have started making their intentions to talk, public. Now it is for the Government to respond with grace at these overtures. At this point the word Government has only one connotation and revolves around one personality – the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma. He has been leading the talks for his Government in the last round. He will therefore have to set the ball rolling this time too. Perhaps it’s a good idea for both sides to start on a clean slate instead of reverting to their earlier stands and maintaining defensive stances. There is also need for scientific research to establish the veracity of the claims by pressure groups that influx is overwhelmingly huge. Last time the Government countered the arguments of pressure groups with statistics. They were not convinced about the numbers. Perhaps a study is called for to find out if the large floating population in and around Shillong, in the coal mines, etc are captured in the statistics. Census statistics now has to be tested on the ground. This means some really credible, independent research work has to be carried out by a university. This is critical information since we could be basing our fears on assumptions. In any case the truth or anything close to it does not hurt to know.
