By Toki Blah
The MDC elections for Khasi and Jaintia hills are hardly a month old. In tune with old habits, rumblings of political discontentment and discord from the KHADC are already making the media rounds. Its Meghalaya’s habitual political saga; it’s in our political DNA, but none the less it never fails to disgust. We have always united for the privilege to fight among ourselves. The poor public has just begun to unwind from the tensions of the last 6 months when once again elections are upon us. This time it’s the Lok Sabha elections. Many of the candidates are friends and acquaintances and this opportunity is being taken to wish them all the best. This however should not deter one from calling a spade a spade and if the truth be told, the ordinary man in the street is thoroughly fed up with politics and politicians! The grumble is “Why can’t they leave us in peace?” Why not indeed.
Let’s take the regional parties. Three months ago the call for unity against the Congress reverberated from the house tops. It’s not a new call. It’s always been there whenever the regional parties have found themselves out of power. Nothing new about it. It’s the electorate that never learns. Tug at the heart strings; pull some tear jerkers; tickle the emotions and we all lie flat on our backs. “Please walk all over us. We’ll be so grateful!” The conglomerate of regional parties now finds themselves holding the reins of power in the KHADC. So what do they do with this positive response from the people? They retort with a kick in the teeth and return to their favourite participative game of ‘the kettle calling the pot black’. It never fails to entertain, which then of course, is passed off as governance! A wit remarked that Regional attempts to win this MP election can be compared to Japan’s attempt to defeat the Allies through kamikaze tactics. Regional parties are doing not too bad by shooting themselves in the foot.
One lives and learns and if there is one positive feature of the ongoing MP elections, it’s the element of transparency and openness. This time there has been no disgusting attempt to hood wink the public with hypocrisy. No attempt to beguile the innocent electorate with that elusive rainbow called Regional Unity. The regional spat is out in the public domain, regional candidates honestly and candidly at each other’s throats. In the process however, the principles and origins of regionalism have not been ignored nor forgotten. The Congress party continues to remain the big bad wolf. It’s something like Little Red Riding Hood chirping “You have big wicked looking teeth, Grandmother”. “The better to eat you up with, My Dear” replied the wolf. But these ominous sounding remarks should not foreclose future possibilities of sleeping together. What is given for public consumption should never be allowed to interfere with practical political needs. In politics there are no permanent friends or foes. Shall we all say Amen to that?
Now look here, this is no endeavour or attempt to white wash the Congress. Perish the thought. Fact is even without any intention of this essay to malign the party, the Meghalaya Congress is already neck deep in its own muck. It’s a house divided. It’s common knowledge and if deeds and not words are to be believed, no one in the party is denying it either. Even to a simple, ignorant and gullible voter of the state, it is clearly obvious that a blow hot, blow cold approach on ticket allotment is no way to begin an election. The official line is “that’s how the party exercises and demonstrates its democratic ethos”. Well, if the party faithful swallow that line, they’ll swallow anything. It’s their democratic right. What one hears from deep inside is something else. People are out there sharpening their knives; waiting for that opportunity; anticipating like Shylock “to feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him”. What a wonderful way to contest an election and to expect to win!
The Garos on the other hand, have managed to keep it simple and uncomplicated. They learn very fast those people. The soft, vulnerable and pathetic underbelly of regional Parties has long ago been exposed and punctured in the Garo Hills. As such the Achiks have dealt regionalism a death blow and this time there is no wishy washy regional candidate. It’s a straight one-to-one fight between national parties. “David vs. Goliath” as a caustic tongued writer put it, but within a NE Tribal context, the Achik Goliath variety comes in a definitely diminutive form. Be that as it may, in this 21st century standoff in the Garo Hills, Goliath just can’t afford to lose. From the looks of it, he has come well prepared with that old trusted armour he has worn in numerable battles in the past- his wit and that wicked twinkle in his eyes. If David wants to, he’ll have to find, and quickly, the vulnerable chink in Goliath’s armour, wherever and whatever that maybe! It’s going to be an interesting contest, with the outcome promising to impact heavily on Garo Hills as well as Meghalaya politics in the days to come.
The outcome of the forthcoming Meghalaya MP polls will definitely warrant close scrutiny. It might have lessons for everyone. If one is to believe an exasperated pre-poll electorate, every single voter is anxiously awaiting the chance to push the NOTA button. Not good news for the contestants for it will adversely reflect on creditability. But no matter. Politicians compete with rhinos for thickness of skin so no one is expected to take such rebuffs to heart! In a religious minded state, there are however those who strictly believe that vengeance is sinful and wicked. From a spiritual perspective they are absolutely correct but EVM vengeance, from a long suffering voter point-of-view, is so sweet; so satisfying; so irresistible; so hard to contain! If the NOTA intention is to register voter fatigue; voter disgust; and public vengeance for 40 years of political non performance, then it deserves unstinting support from all. We can’t be accused of wasting our votes. We are only exercising our right to say ” Get off Buddy, you can’t fool, all of us, all the time”.
The author is President ICARE