By Toki Blah
Democratic elections, by their very nature, are hugely emotional events. Feelings, likes and dislikes, speculative zeal and enthusiasm usually gets the better of everyone. There are the contesting candidates and their parties, pitting their wits against each other. Huge investments in time, energy and money are made. A glittering trophy awaits the victor – the formation of a Government and all the trappings of power that come with it. Worrisome for most however is that huge mass of people, known as the electorate, that has to be wooed and won over by hook or by crook and there are several ways of crooking it. Muscle power and intimidation work but perhaps not with all the people all the time. Money power and purchase of votes is something else. Our coal barons have repeatedly proven the point. As a result rich men, experts at counting notes and nothing else, have been imposed upon us as leaders and policy makers. Another method is through rousing of emotions; appealing to baser sentiments; brainwashing the minds of the mob. The more unfounded and outlandish the assertions the greater the impact they will have. It remains the best time tested method for mobilising electoral support. It requires no substantial investments. Simple raw demagogy will amply suffice.
The best material in a demagogue’s armoury are the open or hidden fears of his audience. He exploits these fears, feeds into them and creates a bond of empathy between the speaker and the audience. Even if the speaker has very little substance of value, the bond he manages to build makes him appealing and attractive to his listeners. The recent Presidential elections in the USA and the inexplicable victory of Donald Trump are a vivid example of this phenomenon. If it is of any comfort to anyone one can safely say that apparently the American voter is as dumb as the Meghalayan. In Meghalaya the fear of Influx, outsider dominance, border disputes, loss of tradition, loss of culture and loss of identity have time and again been exploited to the hilt; used to blind our eyes; to cloud our judgements. As a result, rouges of all hues, con men, crooks, and opportunists have successfully projected themselves as saviours of the community (jaitbynriew). In the excitement we overlook the fact that the need of the hour, of the Jaitbynriew and of the state is not third rate saviours but for intelligent, farsighted leaders. We just don’t have them!
What are these perceived threats that confront Meghalaya and its people? We have pinpointed influx, border disputes and domination by outsiders as some of the threats faced by Meghalaya’s indigenous communities. A question arises, how did these problems crop up in the first place? No serious research has been conducted to find out the real cause of the problem nor any viable longterm relief measure /strategy been identified. The above threats are however directly related to the fear of being exploited by larger more economically and culturally stronger entities. The response to this fear has so far been kneejerk and emotional. The saviours have failed to articulate that the domination of Meghalaya by outsiders can only be challenged by an educated, literate and technologically developed society; through a society that is populated by healthy energetic citizens; through a community based on a sound economic and social infrastructure. Our elected saviours have failed to understand that we continue to be vulnerable to exploitation as long as we are governed by fear.
Loss of tradition, loss of culture and loss of identity have also been cited as prominent threats we face. Actually if the truth be said, as a state, 70% of our time and energy is spent on these non-existent problems. Non-existent, because, we already have Constitutional provisions laws and acts of both the State and the Autonomous District Councils, to provide more than adequate safeguards. Trouble is not the lack of safeguards but the ignorance; apathy and the total absence of a will to implement and enforce what we already have. The time therefore has come for an expose. There is a reason why people of the state have been continuously fed a menu of fear. Pressure groups do it to screen their own extortion drives. Political parties do it to divert attention from the fact that they are intellectually and ideologically bankrupt. The Govt and the ADCs do it to hide their sins of mal-governance. The collective strategy of the saviours is – “don’t allow people to think. Don’t allow the employment of logic. Keep everyone off balance by appealing to the emotion of fear”. Regrettably it has always succeeded.
The aim of this write-up is not to simply highlight the use of fear as a means to sustain a corrupt system of representative governance. The objective of this essay is to focus primarily on the forthcoming 2018 Assembly Elections and if possible to bring in a new paradigm on how we choose and elect those who represent us. A frightened and scared electorate has no other choice but to look backwards at the comforts and security of the past. Fear forces us to look for saviours. To nullify fear; to enable us to come up with leaders and statesmen instead of saviours, can we for a change start talking about ‘Hope’? Hope always brings in the possibilities of the future. Hope is always built on the pillars of a vision for the best. Fear destroys all endeavour; Hope always stimulates energy and enterprise. In 2018 the people of Meghalaya will have to choose between the two.
If hope is based on a vision, then we have to ask what is the vision we have for ourselves? The first spontaneous reply to the above would be ‘We want to see ourselves, especially our children – educated, knowledgeable, and at par with the rest of the world”. It is our identity for tomorrow. Tragically Meghalaya has throughout been saddled with Education Ministers who were totally oblivious of the potency of their department. In their defence it must be admitted that no politician or political party has ever shown any interest on the real purpose of education. Everyone swears by whatsoever God they believe in, in the future of our youth, yet education continues to be seen simply as an activity to provide employment through teaching. Politicians miss out on what quality education can do for our youth! In 2018, why shouldn’t we ask candidates to spell out their vision on education and what they intend to do about it? If viable education is the vision for the state then elected representatives should naturally articulate the vision.
Health and the happiness it brings is another priority issue for any society. The ability of any Govt to provide good health care for its citizens is increasingly being associated with good governance because Govt is mandated to provide good and affordable health care. Regrettably no one speaks about health and health care in the election campaigns. People and parties keen on forming the next Govt shun speaking about it. Probably because they just don’t care. Yet it happens to be one of the most critical areas of concern for all of us; for the poor, especially the rural poor. It is an issue that impacts on the general wellbeing of all citizens. It should therefore form the core area of concern for every potential leader seeking votes from the electorate. Candidates for the 2018 elections, as leaders, must speak about their vision and plans for improving health care. We must insist they do so in their campaigns.
In conclusion the focus of this write-up is on improving the governance of Meghalaya through the election of leaders who will lead by providing better service to the people. In addition to education and health care, there is need for better service in transport, water supply, urban management, employment generation and a host of other essential public services. We need people who can think beyond utilisation of the MLA fund. There is a vast difference between those who want to serve and those who simply want to plunder the public exchequer. All departments of the Govt offer ample opportunities for public service. We must therefore seriously question any minister’s demand for a “Plum Portfolio” with huge contract budgets. Such a demand is bound to have a hidden agenda. For the last 44 years we have simply been governed by those who want to exercise power without any desire to serve. It has resulted in the accumulation of wealth for a few at the cost of us all. It has resulted in the deterioration of the state; its values; its vision and its hope. Our future and our identity depend on our ability to reverse this trend. This trend has to change. It can only change if we start electing leaders instead of dalals. This is the goal for each one of us as we approach the 2018 Assembly polls. Let’s hope we don’t squander the opportunity given us.