By Toki Blah
Good Governance in the ultimate analysis is the ability of the political system (Constitutionally modern or Traditional) to usher in development, a feeling of general wellbeing and sense of overall security in society. Does this apply to grassroots governance systems also? Of course it does! In days gone by, our village communities were isolated pockets of human habitation located on hill tops far from each other. The Dorbar (in fact the traditional democratic genesis of the modern Panchayati raj), composed of elected male elders of the kur, emerged as the most viable platform for good village governance in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. In an oral based knowledge system, experience served as qualification and age the best criteria for leadership. Hence the adage that only men with whiskers were qualified as dorbar members. Issues of governance before Traditional durbars were limited to a few subjects only such as maintenance of social order, sustenance of agricultural practices and security of the village. Today in the 21st century, requirements in village governance have changed drastically ranging from creation and maintenance of infrastructure, management of the environment and overseeing overall development of the community. Dorbars are no longer isolated, self sustaining, hilltop entities. Today they are linked by modern communication to the rest of the world, collaborate with equal or more powerful partners; they demand and receive funding to sustain their activities and knowledgeable persons run their day to day affairs. Of concern is the fact that there are individuals and institutions who have deliberately prevented our Dorbars from taking up the modern responsibilities they are expected to shoulder.
Grassroots governance concepts of the 21st century demand empowered village institutions yet run and managed by ordinary people. The belief that people themselves know what is best for them is now universally accepted. The need is for communities themselves to own and take charge of their own destinies. The whole world is moving towards a bottom up, demand driven concept of village administration. The 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution is India’s step towards this direction. The approach strategy of the 73rd amendment is to provide people with development institutions of their own and to capacitate them on the management of such institutions. In recognition of the people and community centric nature of the Traditional Village dorbar of these Hills, Meghalaya was spared the imposition of the Panchayati Raj regime. Our durbars were left intact as they were considered superior to the panchayats; immune from political influence and manipulations and expected to deliver towards the objective of empowering our communities. In Meghalaya the onus of developing and empowering village administration was thus entrusted, to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). Sadly this proved to be a horrible, horrible mistake. It was akin to expecting support from a rotting log of wood. For sixty long years ADCs have intentionally ignored and neglected this constitutional trust and responsibility. Not a single step was ever initiated to empower and capacitate our Dorbars. Instead the strategy was to continue with suppression and maintain ADC control over them.
In more enlightened environments the strategy has been the very opposite. Development sustainability has been identified as the ability of the Government to do away with ‘target driven’ policies and to usher in ‘demand driven’ policies, the demand being the demand from the ground; from and by the communities themselves. The Top Down approach was expected to give way to a more pro people Bottom Up paradigm. The modern need is to do away with centralised governance and to encourage decentralised administration. In Meghalaya, especially in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, we have to accept that there is a reluctance and an inability to differentiate between governance (ka synshar ka khadar) and tradition (ka riti ka dustur). Many believe they are one and the same. In fact they are poles apart and to club them as one is the actual cause for all the confusion prevailing. Parochial politics and narrow minded politicians are mainly to blame. Within the context of this writeup, governance (ka shynshar ka khadar) needs to keep up with the times so as to bring in equitable development for our people.
We need to bring in a development paradigm where the people themselves take charge of their own wellbeing. This can only happen if our dorbar system is properly empowered to facilitate people, ie the electorate, to start thinking and planning for itself. Its what politicians fear the most as it is a direct threat to the politics of patronage where money plays such a pivotal role for being reelected. Not surprising to note the rising hysteria and clamour of desperation from decrepit selfcentered politicians whenever they hear talk of participative governance. They will oppose it tooth and nail because it empowers the electorate. It’s the death knell of worthless politicians!
In an attempt to empower our villages and bring in a demand driven development paradigm, the Central Govt has launched the “My Village, My Development Plan” (MVMDP)scheme. It’s a scheme where in Meghalaya’s case, the Govt is expected to facilitate the empowerment of the village durbars so that the people themselves can come up with a ‘Bottoms Up” development plan of their own. One is therefore shocked to read that the CEM of the KHADC has shown ‘ALARM’ over this central scheme to empower and allow ordinary village people to plan for their own development. He claims that his objection is based on his understanding that it is a surreptitious and devilish plan of the Central Govt to turn our Dorbars into Panchayats. Attempts to find out if this was true and whether the exemptions to the 73rd Amendment had been done away with by the NDA Govt proved futile. The search revealed that it was a false ‘ALARM’ and that, in reality, the status quo remains. No Panchayati Raj for Meghalaya! So where’s the panic? In fact in a Batesi News channel report the CEM even made the claim that the popular MGNREGA scheme meant for uplifting rural livelihoods and incomes was also another sneaky attempt of the Central Govt to introduce Panchayati Raj into our state. One can understand Panchayati phobia but there’s a limit to scaring people, especially gullible innocent people.
To simply block overall development for the self interest of the KHADC is something that the people of this state have to challenge and challenge very strongly. The usual stupid tactic of equating governance with tradition has to be challenged. We can ill afford to keep on projecting Tradition and Culture as something sacred and inviolable; something rigid and inflexible; something that should never be improved upon. This excuse forestalled any action at Traditional Institution empowerment and durbars were for 60 long years left to their own devices. They were simply left to rot as history found them! Lots of people might not like this statement but sadly it happens to be the miserable bitter truth! The sad truth is that it is happening again under this present ‘One Idea a Week’ Executive Council of the KHADC.
In conclusion one can now safely predict that the VAB is unlikely to see the light of day in any foreseeable near future. With it the grandiose plans of the KHADC to control, use and to route direct funding to the Dorbars has now gone for a six. (One has a vivid and scary memory of the recent disappearance of the 131 crores development fund allocated to the KHADC by the Centre. It just disappeared into a bottomless pit and one dreads to think of the thousands of crores that can similarly disappear if Direct Funding to the Dorbars is controlled by our ADCs) ) The only way left is to oppose the MVMDP scheme, frighten the people with evil Central designs over their tradition and scare the State Govt witless with the possibility of a mass movement if the KHADC is not given control over the MVMDP. If the My Village My Plan is implemented by the State Govt then the KHADC is the only party that stands to lose control over these funds. Who cares for the wellbeing and welfare of the general public?
The time has come I firmly believe for the State Government to take a firm stand vis a vis the challenge daily posed to it by the KHADC. Let’s once and for all decide who rules Meghalaya. If the Constitution of India is subservient to the 6th Schedule then let’s dissolve the State of Meghalaya and go back as Autonomous District Councils under Assam. All the present confusion of jurisdiction will disappear and we all can then get on with our daily lives. If however the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution of India and the creation of the State of Meghalaya is to stand then the Government of Meghalaya will have to take a call and assert its power and authority. Governance and the general welfare of the people cannot be sacrificed at the altar of uncertainty. It doesn’t work that way whatever might be the political calculations of desperate petty ego centric politicians.
(The author is President of ICARE)