Carry On Politics!

By Michael Makri

While attending a seminar on ‘Education’ last July in Guwahati, a heated debate arose on the decline of reading habits among the youth particularly of North East India. In the debate, there were many who claimed that it was not just the youth that are not reading books, but also that books for young-adults nowadays are shallow and valueless. I dare to differ and I must say this understanding about youth is dead wrong and such concepts must be put to rest once and for all because there are many young-adult books that carry valuable life lessons. There are young people who read books and  I can testify to this as my book, ‘Ka Social Media’ was sold out in three months.

It’s been for a while now that I have been reading ‘Carry On’, a book by Rainbow Rowell (you can read it online as well at http://www.rainbowrowell.com/carry-on). This definitely is a young-adult book and I think this book is great. To tell you honestly, initially I disliked the story in the book. It goes against my core values as a Christian and a religious – because it involves a gay vampire/magician (Baz) and his half-dragon boyfriend (Simon, the protagonist). But, truth be told, the social and political lessons that the book offers is very rich.  The book is all about magicians who can’t get their sh-t (sorry for the language) together to resolve their political differences. I think it is very timely for the political situation in our state, right?

Those of you who have read the book, you will surely agree with me that it is so easy to compare the politics of ‘Carry On’ with the kind of politics in our state. Most of us in Meghalaya thirst for change, but that thirst is the very reason the word ‘change’ seems to lose its meaning. Probably we in Meghalaya really want change, but most of our citizenry don’t really have any idea about the kind of change that we want to achieve—because, frankly speaking, we are afraid of CHANGE. For example, we hate corruption but from the boy selling kwai in the roadside to someone up there, who occupies the most sacred seat indulges in corruption. Yes, many of us hate the present system, but we reject blatantly all efforts to alter it. We lust after transparency, but we go behind our political leaders for bai-sha. Many of us say we want change, and we want it fast. We want magic and we want magicians in government who can set up roads in a day and reduce our GST or NGT in a week. (But can they blame us for wanting it fast? Definitely NO! Because they have made us suffer enough! But can we blame ourselves for our sufferings? Hmmm! This is one of the problems in our state – that we never blame ourselves. We only point fingers at others. Many of us voted because we are paid to vote. Then why don’t we blame ourselves? Anyway, we are so desperate for change that we treat unconventional leaders as political prophets – magicians who we expect to save us rather than teach us and tell us how to save ourselves. May be here both are at fault.

Dear friends, real change requires real sacrifices. And in a state like ours, these sacrifices involve letting go of some of our outdated and unfortunately unnecessary traditions. Traditions like voting so-and-so because of religion, place or clan. Traditions of voting for a leader who give us footballs just before elections! Tradition of voting for someone who gives you bai-sha! Tradition of voting for someone who promises you heaven when you are actually living in heaven if not for politics. Tradition of electing a leader because he laid six or seven foundation stones in a day to realize that after five years the same foundation stone is found covered with moss. Tradition of following a leader who knows your name before the election but once he/she is on the chair forget you though you are from the same constituency. These and many more traditions should be done away with if we want to achieve real change.

In this fictional book ‘Carry On’, Rainbow Rowell wrote about a character named Mitali who asked a man named Davy (who actually is the main character) about how a revolution can protect the pixies from the Coven, the members of which come only from powerful families with very familiar names (think of the political scenario in Meghalaya: Father+Son+Daughter+Mother+grandchildren etc… etc.. isn’t a reality here?). Mitali gasps and then raises the following questions: “How is a revolution going to help the pixies? How is throwing aside centuries of tradition and institutional knowledge going to help any of us?” Then an amazing response came from Davy “We’ll build better traditions!” he shouts. I just love this response, because if we want to see real change, we have to build better traditions. What sorts of traditions you might ask me. This is the New Election Traditions or NET as you may call it. Traditions that candidates wanting to contest election should first qualify NET which requires a PhD in Honesty, a PhD in Accountability, a PhD in Service, a PhD in Simplicity, a PhD in Performing One’s Duty, a PhD in State Oriented Development. These and many more qualifications should be seen in a candidate if a revolution is to take place in our State.

I personally believe that with the above traditions, we will definitely see a more progressive and useful society and state. With the above new traditions I am sure there will be equality and fair distribution of powers. Those are what our state needs now. But those traditions are what we are lacking. Therefore, it is high time we rethink our futile pride in the cultural distinctions (which I mentioned earlier) that have been stopping us for decades now from moving forward. We should start looking at the actual use and worth of events rather than their sentimental value. Unless these happen, I don’t really believe that change is coming. Although, change has always been there, waiting to be realized only if we are willing to improve our lives. But, we’re just too proud to admit that, in truth, we’re not ready for it. Can we admit it for once then in  2018?