News that the United Democratic Alliance (ADA) which is presently running the executive committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous Council has been toppled by none other than its Chairman, PN Syiem is no surprise. PN Syiem who started his career as a member of the Congress Party, abandoned it and started the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) in 2017 after a tussle with the then Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma on the dual post issue. He left the PDF after a year, in December 2018 just before the District Council elections and joined the National Peoples’ Party (NPP). After losing the elections to the State Assembly in 2018 he contested the District Council elections in early 2019 from Pynthorumkhrah-Jaiaw constituency. Syiem also contested the Ranikor by-elections but lost. So the political graph of PN Syiem depicts his unstable nature and lack of commitment to any political ideology. Like others of his ilk he is in politics to serve his own vested interests.
All the three autonomous District Councils of Meghalaya are notorious for their toppling games and for defections at opportune moments. Several MDCs in Jaintia Hills had defected to the NPP. So much so that the Congress Party had to send senior members of the AICC to stem the tide of defection! At no point have these MDCs considered it fit to consult the people before joining a new party considering they were elected because of the ideology of the party they contested from. But such things don’t bother the MDCs. They continue to take the voters for granted. Indeed, none of the Councils have been known for any path breaking legislation until this time when the EM (Trade), KHADC, Paul Lyngdoh came up with some far reaching directives such as the ban on single use plastics and registration of all hawkers so that the system is better regulated. It appears that there are actors in the KHADC led by PN Syiem who wish to undo the good that the present Executive Committee is seeking to accomplish. And this is not surprising. For many MLAs and MDCs, being elected is an end in itself. They are there to serve their personal and business interests. Hence when new coalitions are formed and an existing coalition is abandoned the elected councilors don’t even feel the need to go back to the people. No wonder there is a growing feeling that the ADCs have lost their moorings and no longer serve the purpose for which they were created which is to conserve the tribal values and practices and to be custodians of rivers, forests and land of the indigenous tribes. Seen from this perspective, the District Councils have failed miserably. They should actually be held to account.