By Aristotle Lyngdoh
With the increasing demand from various quarters for creation of new civil administrative units, the constitutional validity of such action should be reexamined. In Part IV of the Constitution, the state is obliged to bring governance closer to every citizen in order to secure justice for everyone. Even though the actions of the government in this regard are not enforceable by any Court, but the state through its government shall strive toward betterment of governance and justice within its jurisdiction. To achieve the much touted aim of good governance and social justice there should be no hurdles for the state in reorganizing its administrative divisional units.
The criteria for creation of civil administrative units are primarily to ensure administrative convenience, strategic urbanization and to lessen the distance between remote villages and the Administrative Headquarter. Other factors include population density and whether the habitation is large enough to warrant separate administrative units. The benefit of creating new administrative units is to also make judicial services affordable and closer to the people thereby making the disposal of pending cases easier and faster. This is one way of securing justice for affected citizens. Further, such administrative units should also be reviewed from time to time to assess if there is a need to upgrade to higher levels. In this manner the state can ensure that the spirit of democratic and inclusive governance is being practiced in letter and spirit.
As far as Sohra is concerned, it is one of the oldest towns in the country. Pronounced ‘Churra’ by the British initially, the word ‘Cherrapunji’ was later derived and remained in currency for a long time. Being the primary British capital for Assam Province (1832-1866), it is additionally a cradle of Khasi literature and education. A large portion of the prominent educationists and pioneers of education and literary works in the state come from this area. Historically and topographically the area has also contributed towards the welfare and development of the state. The famous orange or Khasi mandarin, bay leaf (tezpatta), pure honey and others are major items produced from the region, apart from coal and limestone. It was also once upon a time a self-reliant and self-sustained region where the inhabitants did not need to migrate elsewhere for livelihoods. But since the creation of Meghalaya State, Sohra Civil Sub-Division has remained a backyard left out of the prospects of urbanization. The region should have progressed in every aspect had there been serious efforts from the government to further elevate and empower its administrative mechanism.
Coming to the economic and livelihood aspects, the traditional and age-old livelihoods from major crops and forest goods have decreased considerably during these years. Even though a few privileged families are benefitting from tourism yet the predominant population of the region is excluded from this business. Had there been unfettered production of indigenous crops and food items, I am sure that cultivators of the region will richly benefit from the increasing tourists inflow to the area. But, as it appears, this concept of ecological-economical balance is not in the minds of our development planners. Another drawback is perhaps that the jurisdiction of the current District Administrative unit (East Khasi Hills District) is too large and cannot meet the needs of the region substantially. There is an urgent need to revive and rejuvenate the production of these essential crops in the region to sustain the livelihoods of many and to further improve the economy of the state.
Unfortunately, the creation of new districts or civil sub-divisions in the state has been done with an eye on political mileage. It is imperative that such matters are not treated as political largesse or favours. The need to upgrade Sohra into a Civil Sub-Division should be solely because of the express need for better and improved administration. This is also necessitated by the fact that Sohra and the entire Southern part of Meghalaya is attracting more attention from people across the globe and has become an important tourist destination in the country and hence it would need better and more sustainable infrastructure. From this particular aspect, the region ought to have access to basic urban amenities equivalent to any city in the country. Hence, from national and international perspectives, it is important to bring administrative governance closer to the people to fast track responses to any issue. This will help converge tourism opportunities with an organized world class industry. Simply investing on tourism infrastructure and other allied business will only dilute actual development efforts for as long as there is a subordinate administration in the area.
All in all, delimitation of state and region improves the situation but is mostly done at the discretion of the party in power even though that decision may come at great cost to the state and country. The objective behind such actions by the party in power is purely to fortify and expand its area of influence and presence. Those at the helm of affairs are not bothered for as long their immediate objective is achieved. This has been the practice in our state and country when the leader of the party decides on certain issues. In reality, the government should demonstrate to the people by its actions how it holds fast to the principles of popular democracy and is committed to providing equal opportunity for growth and development.
The Southern part of East Khasi Hills District is gifted with abundant resources which can substantially accrue to the revenue of the district. Besides, the picturesque landscape, the conventional and ordinary eccentricity of the locale has also enhanced the prospects for world class tourism. Therefore, an initiative to upgrade the region to a full-fledged district will definitely rejuvenate the condition of age-old economic and livelihood practices in the area. Despite being a noticeable place in the globe, the development index of the entire southern region is not at par with other prominent towns in the state. And this is simply because governments and public representatives elected from the region have not understood and comprehended the advantages and benefits of preserving the state’s asset such as Sohra. Further, the oldest heritage site ‘Rangjyrteh’ with valuable legacy for the state and community is also located here. It is therefore the duty and responsibility of the state to protect places and monuments of historical importance as per Article 49 of the Constitution. Yet nothing meaningful has been done in this regard so far.
Presently, as it appears, there is a rise in tourism business and opportunities for livelihoods in the region. Alongside such demand there is a need to engage and empower local citizens and the administrative machinery substantially with robust infrastructure to ensure sustainability. Hence it is important that decision- making, maintenance of law, health, disaster and rescue operations ought to be within the jurisdiction of the region itself rather than having to rush to the state capital of Shillong with its overcrowded roads. This can happen if the administrative set-up has more discretionary powers to deal with any challenge. It is ironic that the state administration has never contemplated such action.
Article 40 of the Constitution directs the state to make efforts in organizing village panchayats and endowing them with powers to function as units of self-government. But in our state since such a system is absent, the only option for citizens to participate in governance is through creation of administrative units and elevation of those with sizable jurisdiction such as Sohra Civil-Subdivision where not less than fifty thousand people will be covered.