When the Supreme Court came up with the landmark verdict banning the cutting and sale of timber in 1996, Meghalaya did not have an MP who was a timber merchant. This time when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a ban on coal mining we have an MP who is himself in the coal business moving two Bills in Parliament to reverse the NGT ban. The trump card used by vested interests in this country is to pretend that their self interest is equal to public interest. And the public keeps a blind eye to this political charade. To say that the tribals of this country cannot be bound by a central rule or law or ordinance is to contest the very idea of federalism. The basic tenets of federalism are a strong centre where the states contribute to that strength. A strong centre is needed to temper the propensity of states to become licentious. A State like Meghalaya that is dependent on the Centre for over 90% of its resources should be ashamed to claim overriding liberty to manage its own affairs. Even revenue generating states like Maharashtra have never protested against a Central Act that is meant to address the public good.
The Shillong MP never raised his voice in his last tenure because he could influence the UPA. Now that he has found his voice it is only to speak about what affects him and his ilk – those in the coal business. He has not taken pains to base his arguments on cold logic and to ask for a research to find out the number of families affected by the ban on coal mining. As for affected people selling their children, which is the bane of his argument that is one solitary instance and the ban on coal mining is not necessarily the reason. A point raised in parliament surely needs more research than a single newspaper report. This is a testing time for the tribal communities of Meghalaya? Are all tribals being co-opted to stand and fight on behalf of the coal mafia? Should they lend their names to this farce? A societal debate on this is crucial.