Much has been spoken about sustainable tourism on World Tourism Day and many events organised across the state. But the focus has been on tourism and not on the word “sustainable.” It was the Brundtland Commission Report of the United Nations in 1987 which first gave the word “sustainability” a meaning beyond the literal. Brundtland defines “sustainability” as a development process that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.” To give effect to such a process requires that nations develop a policy or policies that are holistic and are not bogged down by ambiguity. Take the case of Meghalaya where there is constant conflict between the customary practices and the modern constitutional laws. While environmental laws speak of protection of nature from ‘exploitation,’ here the modern state is unable to prevail against individuals and groups that bring down forests because they ostensibly own the forest land. There are others who plough through mountains and operate their quarries without any environmental regulations. This happens along the entire stretch of East and West Khasi Hills and of course the limestone mines of East Jaintia Hills. No one can question such operators even if they are operating outside the formal legal system. When there is a conflict between traditional practices and modern jurisprudence which one should prevail? This is something that the State of Meghalaya has not figured out till date. Politicians will not take hard decisions because every such decision impinges on their vote banks. It is for this reason that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had to exercise its jurisdiction on Meghalaya following the complaint from groups downstream that suffered from water pollution from coal mines.
Meghalaya’s unique selling point is its natural and verdant forests, undulating hills and clear, clean rivers which are today diminishing. If this landscape gives way to messy quarries that destroy the natural beauty of the place, we can take it for granted that tourists will give Meghalaya a wide berth. What’s the point of a tourist destination without its natural surroundings? Sustainability does not happen just by pronouncing the word. It is a lot of grunt work that requires the community to assert its right to conservation against the greed of a few who wish to turn this land into a hell hole, exploited to the hilt. For some in Meghalaya the future is not a word they know to spell.