It’s been a while since the dustbin has evolved into the trash can and is now the garbage bin. Normally garbage bins are kept outside the house because they tend to collect flies and stink. Words and phrases and indeed language itself reflects a person’s feelings at a particular point in time. At the moment, former President of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), DD Lapang who resigned from the Party some weeks ago and kept people guessing if he would join the National Peoples’ Party (NPP), is expressing his deepest hurt. He feels the Congress had dumped him into the dustbin of history thinking he would not rise again and that his time was up. But the octogenarian is not to be put down so easily. As the former Chief Minister of Meghalaya and the creator of Ri Bhoi district he still commands clout in his constituency and beyond. It was expected that Lapang would join the NPP as a quid pro quo for being appointed Chief Advisor to the Government of Meghalaya. In Government parlance the word “Advisor” is pregnant with meaning and metaphor. It simply is a title given to the person so that he legitimately draws his pay and perks from the public exchequer. And since the public is silent it is presumed that silence is consent and the public is complicit in that decision.
The political class is not known to be judicious in the use of public funds. Meghalaya is facing serious funds crunch. There is not enough money for road construction and repairs. So much so, the Government has to be pushed by the High Court to complete even the road to NEIGHRIMS. Superfluous political appointments are a case of throwing good money after bad. This is not an option at all except that when it comes to spending on the creature comforts of the political class there is no dearth of funds. Many wonder how an octogenarian can advise a Government with 35-40 year olds at the helm. Lapang held the same post during the MUA-2 but he never gave a single piece of advice to the then Government. The MDA Government will face a major embarrassment if it keeps pacifying all political wannabes with superfluous appointments merely because they promise to bring members to the NPP. Is the NPP buying camp followers with public money? This is something that the new Lokayukta needs to examine.