By Toki Blah
A full blown political crisis is brewing in Meghalaya. The New Year dawned with exposures of a sex scam perpetrated by elected legislators. A sitting MLA has been accused of raping a minor. The legislator instead of denying it, took to his heels. A quick footed police however in no time had him cooling those same heels in the Sadar lockup. A question – did we elect them to run from the law and then be arrested like common criminals? Now a fresh scandalous rumour has started making its rounds on the social network. The grapevine has it that the wretched MLA while on the run, was being sheltered by a powerful political patron. Luckily the police refused to be intimidated. A second question – did we elect them to shelter rapists and hide criminals? It is now evident that the minor was forced into prostitution and that sexual trysts of a paid kind were entertained by a certain guest house in Bishnupur. This guest house cum cathouse is owned by our Home Minister’s immediate family. To give the police a free hand to conduct their investigations, he needs to step down. Instead he has flatly refused to do so, on grounds that he is not personally involved. Personal involvement of the HM is not the issue here. It is instead an issue of political ethics; political principle and character credibility. A third question arises – has all sense of shame, dignity and self respect vanished from Meghalaya’s political ideology?
There is no dispute that the above developments come as a rude shock to the common man’s image of his elected representative. The father figure of an elected MLA has been reduced to that of a petty crook out for some cheap sleazy sex. People ask one another – are these the guys we elected to discuss, deliberate and legislate on our behalf? Are these the people expected to uphold the honour and prestige of the state? The electorate still remember the candidate who came with folded hands and pleaded for a chance to serve the people. Overnight the same elected service provider transformed himself into a predator of the weak and the defenceless. Can the electorate be blamed if now it has second thoughts about participating in that questionable exercise called an election? We were exhorted not to waste our votes. We complied and this is what we got in return. It is pathetic that the political parties, the party workers and the politicians who promised us paradise if elected to power, today remain mute and silent when the sheep skin is removed from the wolves they asked us to vote for. Most worrying is that come 2018 the political parties will once again place party priorities over priorities of the public. There is no assurance that the candidates they field will uphold the law. Strangely they will be known as lawmakers! A absurdity in logic! The political system does not care for the interest of the common man. It is concerned only with Govt formation. Now tell me, under the circumstances, why should any sane individual come out and vote in 2018? Does anyone have an answer to that question?
If elections to the Legislature are to have meaning again; if it is to be the key to good governance; if it is to be the entry point towards growth and development of the state, then a question must be answered – what should I expect from my elected representative? As we ask the question, a bitter truth emerges. The political system is antagonistic to such questions. Politicians and their parties have never encouraged the electorate to think in terms of sustainable services expected from their elected representatives. Focus has been on temporary meaningless gestures related to the disbursement of cash. Money assistance at times of bereavement or ceremonies; cash distribution during polls or at best sub-standard footpaths and drains to a gullible dorbar. The system has always encouraged society to regard politicians as sources for unlimited unaccounted funds and elected representatives have not disappointed. A belief persists that only people with money can win elections. Unfortunately it has led to the pursuit and practice of (MBD) Money Based Democracy! We are paying for it.
The system has actively promoted the image of the MLA as a patron saint with bags full of money. This image is constantly drummed into our psyche. Distribution of money, under the MLA schemes, has been projected as the sole function of the MLA. Distribute the MLA fund and then do what you like is the motto of the prevailing political system. It is a system where the poor are the main targets for moneyed ‘winnable’ charlatans and rogues. Votes have been purchased and the buyer believes he can do what he likes with your body and your soul. Discussing the current political shenanigans, a local diary farmer from Mawlai observed that it all reminded him of the time he had taken his cow to the veterinary stock man centre to be cross bred. He said “As I watched the bull service my cow it suddenly struck me it’s exactly the same service politicians are providing the public!” Now jokes aside, that simple farmer was simply stating his opinion as a disgusted citizen of the state.
People are now starting to realise that the political system we have adopted for ourselves and the manner we go about electing our representatives is actually a fraudulent process; its a paradigm that simply promotes selfish political needs totally unrelated to the needs of the electorate. Time to junk it! If we are serious about improving the quality of political representation, we must force the political system to present the electorate with candidates capable of delivering the socio- economic services required by the state and the community. Distribution of money is not the type of service wanted. Presenting banknote distributing candidates is not the answer to our wellbeing. Political Santa Clauses are not the answer. Meghalaya needs people with ideas on how to take the state forward. Question is – what prevents politics from presenting such people to the electorate?
So what are we talking about? Actually the whole discussion is about a very simple, ordinary and universal requirement. The need for able and competent leadership! It is what the people of Meghalaya expect from their elected representatives. The Terms of Reference for this leadership is very simple and expectations from it very mundane and down to earth. Please provide basic health and health care facilities to all. Surely it’s not that difficult? Please provide skill based education to our children. Surely no one refutes this need? Ensure that people have easy access to safe drinking water; affordable nutritious food and cheap comfortable housing. Surely we have the money for it. We need a leadership that strives to provide people with better roads and commuting facilities. A leadership that comes with a vision on how to improve livelihood and employment opportunities! Now, how come such crucial issues of development continue to remain alien and unfamiliar with most of our MLAs? How come none of the above issues ever form the agenda for marathon discussions and debates in our Assembly sessions? A serious look at the above will make the reader realise how important it is to make the electorate ask itself – when I vote what should I demand from my elected representative?
The winds of 2018 elections have already started to blow. It is encouraging to know that individuals and groups concerned over governance; those alarmed at the quality of leadership, are contemplating strategies on how to create election awareness among the electorate. There is need to capacitate the electorate so that its understanding of elections is no longer confined to the distribution of 500 or 2000 rupee notes. Politicians, no matter how senior or respected (if such a term still exists) who propagate winnability based on note distribution should be exposed and publicly disgraced. But why should the need to capacitate our electorate be the endeavour of individuals alone? Why can’t this be the objective of established institutions like the church which is mandated by Christ to provide value based social leadership? Faith based organisations can no longer remain mute and indifferent to the sufferings of society. The church has a mandate to speak out against evil. The need to condemn evil practices; to denounce corruption when and where it occurs; to critique a system that leads people astray; to even censure its own members, however self righteous they might be, when they try to misguide a vulnerable community; but to also guide and counsel those in need of such assistance, is well within the calling of the church. Society calls for ways and means to identify effective leaders. The need of the hour is for all stakeholders to come together to evolve a creditable leadership for all of us. We need to come together to achieve this noble goal. Nothing should prevent us from doing it.