By Albert Thyrniang
Communication is effective and complete only if there is feedback. It is heartening that a few articles of this writer have evoked responses from readers. It doesn’t matter whether the rejoinders are in sync with what’s written or vehemently disagree with the writer; or whether they are intended to do a deep dive into the writer’s intent via insightful queries. Besides the letters and articles, feedback also comes in the form of emails, inboxes, SMSes and Whatsapp messages. It is comforting that the articles are reaching the audience. For a person who lives in an obscure village of Karbi Anglong, close to the disputed border between Meghalaya and Assam, where electricity is an extravagance and mobile connection is a luxury, to be able to comment on powerful men like Donald Trump, or the no-nonsense Indian Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, the Government of Meghalaya, on institutions like the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India and our ‘beloved’ ADCs is quite amazing. The person who coined that phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” deserves applause.
A couple of friends have wondered why this writer has not responded to some reactions in this paper. The temptation to retort to every reaction the next day is tempered by the thoughts of the famed columnist, HH Mohrmen who says, ‘Everyone has a right to his/her opinion.’
Since we have come so far let me just state my case vis-à-vis those who felt provoked by my statements. Someone urged me to impress upon the KHADC to be fair in granting trading license to non-tribals. Well, I am no one to influence KHADC. Another reader wanted to know who benefits from the conversion of tribals to Christianity. To him/her all that can be said is that this soul has no ready-made answers. To the one who contends that there is no one in Hinduism who works to assimilate tribals into its fold, it can be pointed out that tribals in Jharkhand and elsewhere are resisting the RSS’s all-out efforts to convince ‘non-Hindu tribals’ to declare themselves as Hindus in the next census. In Assam many tribals with religious practices distinct and different from Hinduism have identified themselves as Hindus. There is no need for any example. If one opens one’s eyes it is self-evident.
The above ‘self-glorification’ is not to build a fan base. In fact, the conscious decision to ‘bark’ has cost this writer his friendships. After a couple of critiques on religion one is seen as having malafide intent by some circles. The article that questioned a school that introduced a traditional dress as uniform earned unforgiving enemies. Expressing yourself works both ways. No complaints. It is only fair!
The purpose of this article is not on winning or losing friends. It is on feedbacks. For three months the media was captivated by corruption allegations. Ever since the State BJP ‘unearthed’ huge scams in three district councils(ADCs) as appeared in the media on September 9, not a single day went by without a report on the alleged multi-crore financial scandals. The BJP attacks came fast and furiously against the NPP-led ADC administration. From RTI findings, to FIRs with the CBI, to demand for CBI inquiry, to threats of pulling out of the MDA government, to the war of words with the NPP, what we have now is the indecision of the party that claims to have a ‘zero’ tolerance for corruption. As an eye-wash it strategically decided to approach the Lokayukta knowing full well that it has no jurisdiction over GHADC and JHADC’s alleged embezzlement of central funds. The visit of the BJP in-charge Meghalaya, M Chuba Ao has culminated in making sure the corruption allegation saga has come to a tame end. All it can say is that the ‘party with a difference’ will study all angles before the next move.
The Meghalaya Chief Minster and the NPP leadership have staunchly denied any wrongdoing in the ADCs and stoically disagreed with the accepted adage, “There is no ‘smoke without a fire.” Their firm defence is that all allegations are unsubstantiated. Never minds RTI documents. Never mind if the NITI Aayog rules are bent backwards by JHADC, never mind if Rs 4.15 crore is made to ‘disappear’ in Sunny Hills by KHADC, never mind if GHADC spent Rs 58.25 crore for untendered documentaries; never mind if there are ghost roads, bridges, footpaths, duplications of projects and high quotations for repair of buildings. Never mind if close relatives of the two most powerful men in the government have befitted from the scams!
Now, what is the feedback that the people of the state get from the Government? What message is the Government giving to its citizens? That corruption is impossible to get rid of! The BJP has to succumb to this reality. The visiting BJP national vice-president and in-charge Meghalaya had to brush aside corruption charges as a minor issue. The UDP’s assessment is that the corruption controversy has side-tracked all other important issues in the state, thereby agreeing with the BJP’s ‘minor issue’ evaluation. Other regional parties have not uttered a single word on the chronology of events. The message conveyed to the common folks is: corruption is here to stay. We have to live with it. Don’t even try to minimise it, let alone eliminate it. It is a futile exercise. Things will go on as usual. Corruption is normalised. Even the self-anointed anti-corruption warriors will fail to combat corruption. Fatigue will set in and the fight will be given up for want of will. Also, political parties like the BJP may be flashing the show to portray themselves as anti-corruption fighters.
The Congress leader and former chief minister is persistent with his allegations of manipulation in implementing power projects that might have cost the state an additional Rs 100 crore but the Government is no mood for any investigation dismissing the allegations as baseless. The new Rajya Sabha member and NPP president, W.R. Kharlukhi who has been robust in defending all graft allegations, rubbished the Congress’ claims as an election stunt. The Leader of the Opposition (LO) also drew the attention of the public regarding the 2017 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scam involving the Chief Minister and his brother, James of tampering with evidence and derailing the investigation by transferring the officer probing the alleged scam in SS Netcom, a company owned by the family members of the Chief Minister. Besides the ‘personal attacks’ salvo the predecessor was taught a history lesson because the previous government transferred the investigating officer of the 2016 prostitution racket at Marvelene Inn (a guest house of then Home Minister in the Congress government), within a month. In this case the public is told, “Don’t expect us to be any different. We are same as the Congress.”Was that message given to the electorate before the last election?
In the illegal coal mining and transportation too the same tactic is employed. In spite of the heaps of fresh coal in the coal belts and the suspicious movement of trucks, in spite of confession of Meghalaya truckers in Assam, in spite of the 2000 registered cases of illegal coal mining and transportation in the past five years in the state, in spite of the ‘on-the spot’ verification, in spite of the Home Minister being accused of shielding coal racketeers, the Government is unmoved. In spite of the Home Minister seeking reports from the DGP on illegal coal trade nothing has come out. Nothing will come out. We don’t even know whether the report has been submitted.
The message filters down from the top to the bottom. The fight against corruption has hit a thick and impregnable wall. Because of the example at the very top, the common man will continue to encounter corruption. The other day I was told that for four signatures an officer demanded Rs. 2000. A head of a school narrated that for some small work he was told to revisit the office after 10 days but when he offered money the task was completed in one hour. The incidents did not happen in Meghalaya but even in this ‘Christian’ state the situation is almost similar. The widows, the elderly, the innocent individuals will be told by unscrupulous officers to ‘come next week’, the ‘bara babus’ will continue to extract money from the poor, the police will continue to snatch the licenses of truck drivers under unreasonable pretexts. Bribes will continue to thrive. Top officials, politicians and ministers will continue to divide the shares of projects and schemes leaving the contractors no other option but to do sub-standard work.
Corruption is not abnormal in the state. NGOs and pressure groups are least bothered about corruption. They don’t mind vandalism and goondaism to disrupt a legal public hearing. They are ready to agitate for the implementation of a law that will potentially isolate the state. Against corruption not a finger is lifted. No one challenges the Government when it is bluntly teaching the people to perpetuate corruption.
Email:[email protected]