By Toki Blah
The article by Mr AH Scott Lyngdoh, ‘Initiative to regenerate Shillong: A new path to Power’ (ST June 28th 2014) makes melancholic reading. One is however struck by one of the quotes in that article, ‘No taxation without representation’, started a revolution. The writer, no doubt, was referring to the American War of Independence of 1775 but it applies as well to the Shillong of 2014. How will and can the Shillong Municipality impose taxes, make decisions, take up urban developmental schemes on behalf of the people of this city, when people have no representation in that organisation? Actually this is the genesis of our current civic despair. Bah Scott pointed out to a host of increasing woes within the Shillong Municipal Board including blatant encroachments on Govt land; hawker encroachment on our footpaths; the woeful condition of sanitation and water supply; traffic congestions, pathetic waste management systems and a myriad other urban offences that hit each of us every day. Shillong citizens are miserable, worried and want to know where we went wrong in civic governance. The Urban Affairs Deptt blame the people. The people blame the Govt. The blame game goes on. Fact is, no one knows what to do next!
When was the last time anyone referred to Shillong as ‘The Scotland of the East’? If the truth be told this tag applied only till the early 1970’s when Shillong was still under the Municipal Board. ‘Patriotic’ politicians with vested self interest then stepped in and the last elected Municipal Board was superseded in 1971. The representative profile of the SMB was severed. A Govt appointed CEO replaced a popularly elected management. A stop gap arrangement was converted into a long term pact for no plausible reason. Ever since, Shillong’s downward slide has continued uninterrupted. This is not to castigate any individual CEO, for if the truth be told these officers have for the last 43 years been fighting lonely battles against overwhelming odds. Our glorious politicians, in between, have been staffing the SMB with the dregs of Shillong society. For 43 long years, the one institution that was supposed to administer to Shillong’s civic needs was systematically prevented from doing so. My good friend Prabhat Sawian disgustedly describes Shillong as ‘an Urban Heap of Medieval villages’. Spot on and a generation of Shillongites know no better about their city. It took only 43 years for this absurd transformation from the beautiful to the ugly; from the sublime to the absurd to come about. But we did it all the same- Thank you so much!
Whenever there has been a call for elections to the Shillong Municipality, opposition and expressions of concern have been expressed. It has reached such a stage, that as of today, the word ‘Municipal’ has become synonymous with a four letter word as far as many of Shillong’s younger citizens are concerned. Shillong however is not the only urban centre with a municipality. Great cities of the world like New York, London, Paris and Tokyo boast of thriving and well managed municipalities that render yeoman service to their people. Wikipedia describes a municipality simply as an urban administrative division. Its job is to simply manage the civic requirements of an urban population- nothing more nothing less. So therefore an interesting question arises- why this abnormal social phobia against the Municipality and ward commissioner elections? There must be something tangible behind this fear. There must be sound reason for such strong opposition. It would be interesting to find out what it is.
One reason might be the fear of non tribals gaining a majority over the indigenous tribals in any municipal board constituted of elected members. Yet Shillong Municipality has 27 wards of which 22 are reserved wards where only tribals can contest. Obviously an unfounded fear is prevailing here! Another and perhaps more valid reason might be the fear of the local durbars of the Ward Commissioner overshadowing and superseding the powers and functions of the Rangbah Shnong. The fear of the Ward Commissioner by-passing the Rangbah Shnong especially in administrative and regulatory functions within the community. Fear that the regulatory functions of a shnong, born out of community participation and consent, would be taken over by the self interest of a single elected individual. Not an unfounded apprehension. The Ward Commissioner like all other elected individuals ( MLAs and MDCs) would, at best pay lip service and at his worst, trample upon our traditional bodies. The proposed ‘Community participation Bill’ of the Govt simply heightened these community apprehensions. All in all there appears to be justifiable reason for the traditional bodies to fear municipal elections.
These concerns have resulted in the demand for a Municipal Act of our own. The plea is that a mere copy-paste of the Assam Municipal Act will no longer suffice. Perhaps there is truth in the demand but the sad fact remains that no one has a clue as to what ‘our own municipal act’ actually means. There is the sentimental demand for Municipal Board restructuring, but no one knows how or from where to start? It is on such emotional sentiments that the people of Shillong have allowed their beloved city to go to the dogs. The time has perhaps come when the need to save the city from further deterioration can no longer be postponed, no longer confined to mere talking. We need to come up with an urban restructuring paradigm where the fate of the city can no longer be left to the indifferent hands of MUDA alone. People, durbars, Govt and Urban Affairs need to come and work together. This perhaps is the illusive Municipal Act of our own which needs to be defined and pinned down at the earliest.
The idea behind this essay is for Shillong city to come up with a peoples institution capable of and empowered enough to tackle the menace of unmanageable garbage; unscientific waste management and to bring back that, lost sense of cleanliness this city was famous for. It has been shown that individual durbars however hard they might try are incapable of achieving this on their own. They need to come together under one roof; under an institution capable of coordinating their collective efforts; come together with a common purpose and work together towards a common goal. The Municipality is the common roof. No need to look further. Trick is for a civic body that should in no way interfere with the autonomy of the urban durbars. Trick is to enable the durbars to direct, manage and guide the Municipality. Restructure the Municipality into a people’s apex urban dorbar. A municipality we control and call our own.
First let’s have an amendment of the Municipal Act. The first amendment would be to bring about contiguity between Dorbar boundaries and Ward boundaries. Municipal ward boundaries should not fragment existing dorbars. Once this is done let’s have a ward committee formed by elected members from each dorbar that make up any particular ward ( Ex, five members per dorbar, 3 men and 2 women should suffice). The members of the ward committee then elect a chairman from among themselves. The next amendment is to change the title Ward Commissioner to that of Ward Secretary. The initial job of the ward committee is to then screen the persons from within the ward who are deemed fit to contest as Ward Secretaries. Elections to the post of Ward Secretaries is then held. The second job of the Ward Committee is to ensure that the elections are held (a) on a non political basis (b) curb the use of allurements and enticements (money and liquor) (c) ensure law and order during the elections. The successful ward secretary once elected reports to the ward committee who in turn will have the power to recall their respective ward secretary if he fails to perform.
In the proposed amended Municipal Act the powers and functions of the Ward Secretary will be mentioned in detail. He shall have no role nor shall he be able to interfere in the normal administrative functions of the Rangbah Shnong. The role of the Ward Secretary shall be strictly limited to issues related to improvement of civic amenities and enhancement of civic duties. The provision of recall shall be provided. Restructuring the Municipality would be with three objectives in mind. To enable the people to claim ownership over the institution; to enable community participation in cleaning up this city ; to change the profile of the ‘ Ward Commissioner’ from a political boss to that of a ‘Ward Secretary’- a servant of the people answerable to them.
(Writer is President of ICARE an organisation that focuses on issues of good governance)