Much of last year was wasted on trying to address the predicament unleashed by the Meghalaya High Court ruling of December 2014, prohibiting the Rangbah Shnong from usurping the executive duties of the state administration of issuing certificates to establish the bonafides of residents within their localities. The Rangbah Shnong had got used to giving certificates of good conduct or withholding such certificates from certain residents thereby creating a sense of unrest and unease. With one stroke of the pen the High Court debarred the Rangbah Shnong from using their arbitrary powers, by virtue of which, many of them became quite powerful and a law unto themselves. Many futile hours thereafter were spent on trying to reinstate the powers of the Dorbar Shnong and its office bearers and in restoring it to its previous stature. But so far everything has been a vain attempt. Using the plea of tradition the Village Administration Bill was prepared by the Khasi Hills District Council which even on cursory reading smacks of a regressive and communal overtone and intends to take Khasi society back to a constructed past so that it can march to a bright (?)future. This is an oxymoron! We live in a modern democracy where we should be trying to bring in elements of civic governance that is all encompassing and which should include all members of the locality in a participatory decision-making process. But the KHDC appears to be caught in a web of its own making.
The Councils are created to safeguard the customary practices and traditions of the tribal members of the society. That’s the cultural aspect and its fine! But tradition cannot be forcefully woven in with civic governance. Tradition has nothing to do with road construction, water supply, sanitation et al since every human being needs to use the same kind of roads and water is supplied in localities via pipes connected to a storage tank. That water is supplied to all residents and not only to the tribals. Sanitation is common to all and everyone – tribal and non-tribal. They generate the same kind of garbage hence civic management is common and must include all residents. The Dorbar Shnong is not just an arbiter between tribals. If there are non-tribals in the locality they too should be administered justice by the same Dorbar. There cannot be two different standards in the administration of a locality. A democratic country cannot support such dualisms and the argument that Meghalaya is a Sixth Schedule State is an overstretched argument. The tribes already have reservation in education and jobs and wield political power. How much more power and protection do they need and up to what point? These questions need courageous answers but will any of the political leaders have the courage to answer these questions with the frankness that is warranted?
On that note we at The Shillong Times wish all our readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
