Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Beef Tokenism

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By Benjamin Lyngdoh

The visit of Amit Shah is nothing short of a spectacle. He already saw the issues plaguing the state and in the process came and conquered. In the midst of it all, he and his party have positioned themselves wonderfully and strategically while leaving the slumbering state governance and the very beefy regional parties clutching on straws. As such, I place the following pointers –

Firstly, many local issues were placed by the regional parties before his table. However, do we see anything concrete or even meaningful coming out of it? On hindsight, instead of crying like a child desperate for answers, it would be far more effective if they take up the issues to the society through concerted and continuous activism. If anything, it simply highlighted the handicapped and procrastinating governance in the state. Everything in Meghalaya these days is about buying time and dodging decisive decision making on critical issues (be it education infrastructure or the menace of militancy or NGT ban or ILP). We are like a patient surviving on drips every day. In this melee and confusion, the BJP has hit two birds with one stone. They have portrayed the state governance in very poor light as being toothless and visionless (and many will not oppose that) and shown the regional parties as jumping to conclusions without any visible roadmaps on how to tackle problems. They complain of militancy and others, but do they have feasible and workable solutions on offer. After all formulation and selling of solutions is at the heart of coming to power.

Secondly, Amit Shah painted a picture of alternative governance and left it for the people to look and decide over time. As such, if the BJP does subscribe to the ideals of pluralism (not using the word ‘secularism’ on purpose as it is religion centric only) extensively and with all good intents, then are they a viable option to government? In such a case, will the local population be progressive enough and change non-resistant to even think on the option as currently the minorities in general do look at the BJP with disdain and distrust? Be that as it may, the fact of the matter is that Amit Shah did an excellent personal relationship drive. He did the cosmetic approach to issues without delving much into the crux of matters. He came and gave a beef token and walked away victorious. It is amazing how we take pride and sing victorious on this token. Is beef the only issue that matters to us? What about the other larger issues which really need addressing. Moreover, the local life stock industry is not able to meet domestic demands, especially during festive seasons. Hence, so what if it is not banned here, the point is we will not be able to transport them from other states outside the north-east! Overall, Amit Shah did a win-win on us and we will be left wondering in time.

Thirdly, it is time for the HNLC to stop calling protest and bandhs at every national rhyme and reason. They have to realize they always throw the people of the state in poor light all the time. Nothing is ever achieved by such acts. If the HNLC thinks that by such acts we will receive concern and empathy from such dignitaries, then it is so wrong and living in a fool’s paradise. In fact, we portray ourselves as fools. Increasingly, we are being viewed as anti-social and anti-national. It is like they want us to continue living in medieval thoughts. Well, if you are really concerned for our well-being, kindly do let us move on. These bandhs are affecting the thinking process of our society in general (like I have argued many times before) and the students in particular. We are being detached and disengaged from the national ideologies more and more. It will not be long before the majority will forget the meaning of 15th August, thanks to you.

But how can we leave politics over this. It is not too far-fetched to realize that the Congress is clapping discreetly over the bandh and why not? After all it is a visit by the opposition. Overall, it is time for the masses to be proactive and offensive and not let them hold the city to ransom any longer. Keep these pressure groups and self-centered politicians at bay and come out and carry our duties as normal. Educational organizations and others organizations should open to work as usual and send a message that we are far more significant than their numbers and will power. However, will we show such proactiveness? This is a pertinent question as over time we do look forward to such bandhs and a comfortable excuse to call in absent.

(The writer is scholar from NEHU)

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