Home Minister James Sangma’s (mis)behaviour with media persons on Monday was shameful to say the least. After making them wait out, outside his room, the Home Minister then leaves his room and was unwilling to speak to media persons, A lot is happening in Meghalaya today on the law and order front that are a cause for concern. Targeted attacks on non-tribal residents beginning on New Year’s eve and the inability of the police to book the criminals and charge-sheet them has given them a sense of invincibility. The victims and their relatives are left to lick their wounds and are resigned to the fact that they will never get justice. But for how long can such indifference on the part of the law enforcers be tolerated?
Since the anti-CAA protests started in mid December, the Home Minister has not spoken a word. There is a perception in the public mind that he does not have a handle on things, more so after the Tura MP, Agatha Sangma voted for the CAA and surprised all with her action. To cover up the mess and do a damage control, the ILP Resolution was hurriedly passed in the Assembly without as much as a public consultation about the far reaching consequences of such action. Apart from the anti-CAA protests there has been a regular violation of the Supreme Court order banning the mining and transportation of coal from Meghalaya. The mined coal was supposed to be auctioned by Coal India Limited (CIL). This has not happened. Coal is being mined and transported in complete violation of Supreme Court orders. In this a section of the bureaucracy and police are complicit and it would be the height of irony if the Home Minister is not in the know of this. The media had recently reported how the transportation of coal from North Garo Hills is carrying on after drivers pay up Rs 26,000 to the collectors at the check gates. Where is this money going? Who is supervising this collection? Several organisations of Garo Hills have also alleged that the process of coal auctioning is highly irregular and is intended to facilitate illegal transportation of coal. The media has a primary duty to ferret out information which concerns loss to the public exchequer. The Home Minister must have an answer as to why these irregularities have been allowed under his watch. Is this why he is evading the media? The MDA Govt has a lot to answer for to the public and it is becoming evident that this Government is a shade, nay several shades worse than its predecessor.