By Fabian Lyngdoh
The M.P. elections are at our doorstep and campaigns galore are happening everywhere. Several thinkers have given through this column, their views and opinions; I hope there’s more space in people’s minds for some analysis and predictions. I will restrict this attempt only with regard to the elections in Meghalaya. In general, people in Meghalaya would not vote on party lines in the proper sense of the term, because the political parties in the fray have no unique and definite objectives other than capturing the greatest number of seats to be able to hold the reins of power. Nor would they vote on the basis of any ideology or academic qualifications or leadership capability of candidates because the people in general feel that they do not need those, and the candidates themselves have generally been selected on other criteria of win-ability other than those mentioned.
In this coming M.P. election, majority of the people in the constituencies in Meghalaya would follow the diktat of their MLAs and MDCs because they think they cannot gamble the benefits they expect from them in the coming four years for the sake of an M.P. whose functions they can hardly comprehend. Religious consideration will have some role to play inducing the people to cut across and secretly break allegiance with their MLAs or MDCs especially if religious leaders through whatever means have given such instruction accordingly. Money plays its role in higher levels of expenses but at the grass roots level it would not play as much as it does in the MLA elections.
The Khasi-Jaintia people had never been united and would never be united either in national parties or regional parties. Unity can be achieved only when there is a genuine need or purpose, a purpose that weighs heavily on every individual either physically, mentally or spiritually. The purpose for winning elections and holding the reins of power is not a genuine purpose. The Khasi-Jaintia people lack genuine purpose. Khasi-Jaintia leaders in the past were selected and elected on the basis of education and learning, intelligence and ability as leaders for a genuine and definite purpose of fighting for a Hill State. They were united for that purpose. But when the target was achieved, since they were each one a competent leader and were almost equal in all respects, and hence there was hardly any consensus among them on who should be the first-among-equals to be their captain, so the command had to be with Captain Williamson Sangma. It is true as Bah Toki Blah said that “it is Meghalaya’s habitual political saga; it’s in our political DNA”. But that political DNA is more so with the Khasis. Most of those excellent Khasi leaders have passed away and the few remaining too are past their prime but failed to recruit and groom fresh leaders of their own likeness. Most of the present political leaders on the contrary have been selected and elected on the criterion of win-ability not on the basis of competent and ability, so they too are equal in other respects; and so, they too lack the consensus on who would be the captain.
The Garos on the other hand, still have a definite and genuine purpose, and that is the State of Garoland. It is not unreasonable for the Garos or any other tribe to wish for their own State. It is only a question of convenience and feasibility. In a situation when the people feel that they have a genuine purpose to achieve or when they feel that they are under some sort of oppression or discrimination they are always united, and there is more or less, consensus on leadership. As Albert Thyrniang said “for the youths nothing matters accept opportunities from employment. The pressing issue is unemployment and scarcity of jobs”. But in spite of 40 per cent of government jobs being reserved for the Garos, they would still feel that full opportunities would be availed only when they achieve their own State. And, in spite of the fact that the first Chief Minister of Meghalaya was a Garo and the present Chief Minister is also a Garo, the Garos still feel that Garo Hills is being discriminated against and it has not received the various aspects of development it deserves. According to various reports it seems that it is true. But the Khasis too feel that all benefits have gone to the Garos because Chief Ministership is with a Garo.
These feelings are natural when two communities with different racial and cultural identities are grouped together and each distinctly preserved by separate Autonomous District Councils. So for the Garos, this M.P. election has a purpose. They need leadership, be it with Mukul Sangma or with Purno Sangma. Daryl Momin seems to be just a pawn in the game. It all depends on whom the Garos, in general, repose their trust as the political leader of the tribe.
The M.P. election in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills on the other hand is just a routine matter; it is not a question of leadership, but just to fill up the vacant posts. The Khasi-Jaintia people do not have in mind any of the M.P. candidates as their tribe leader. But the people will involve with enthusiasm because as H.H. Mohrmen said it is a welcome prelude to the spring festivals. It is also true as Toki Blah said that “the ordinary man in the street is thoroughly fed up with politics and politicians!”, but he is not fed up with elections. The poor may continue to suffer, nevertheless they will join in the revelry, as Mohrmen said “our political life begins and ends with the election”. Our society is still immature as a real democracy; the mass of people do not understand what democracy is all about, they only know that they have almost absolute individual freedom without corresponding obligations. The general population are little aware of what is going on in the political system and have little awareness of their rights and responsibilities as democratic citizens.
With regard to the Shillong Parliamentary seat, people had seen the political behaviour of Paul Lyngdoh, and they had observed the performance of Vincent H. Pala. They now think that Pastor Basaiawmoit might be a better choice; since he is a Church leader he might be able to do some justice. But still others feel that once a person enters into this kind of politics, be he a Human or an Angel, he would end up wearing a new cloak befitting the course. Being conspired to murder Julius Ceasar, Brutus was musing in soliloquy in his orchard thus: “I have not known when his affections sway’d more than his reason. But ’tis a common proof that lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, whereto the climber-upward turns his face; but when he once attains the upmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back, looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees by which he did ascend. So Caesar may. And therefore think of him as a serpent’s egg, which when hatch’d would as his kind grow mischievous, and kill him in the shell” (Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: Act two, Scene 1, verses 20 to 30). So let the people decide what is best for them.