By Patricia Mukhim
“It is strange that as voters we expect miracles to happen after every election even when we vote those very people with no human or intellectual qualities except that they have the wealth to bribe us voters a couple of days before voting day. The large majority of voters don’t care after that. It’s just the few gadflies that the elected government would rather not listen to, that continue to plague it with questions and point out its flaws.”
The caption of my article might sound strange. Ruling party MLAs are having a field day because the Opposition is sleep-walking. There are time they are garrulous and then go completely silent as if they have taken a break to watch the Olympics. Or they prefer to leads lives that are worry free. It is left to the media to unearth issues of corruption and scams.
It is strange that as voters we expect miracles to happen after every election even when we vote those very people with no human or intellectual qualities except that they have the wealth to bribe us voters a couple of days before voting day. The large majority of voters don’t care after that. It’s just the few gadflies that the elected government would rather not listen to, that continue to plague it with questions and point out its flaws. And then of course there is the media! And here I must also point out that the Opposition Congress, barring a few MLAs is also quite happy to see things slide at a rapid pace, whichever indicators we use to measure the achievements of this state. Look at some of the projects that were started since the 1980s like the Crowborough Hotel. Why do successive governments allow such projects to hang fire? Who is benefitting from this status quo? And that’s just one project; there are many others too..
Recently, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah was asked to inaugurate the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) when it is a fact that it is incomplete. The Shillong Times reported this but the next day there was a rejoinder from the Transport Department. This project was started sometime in 2013 at an approximate cost of Rs 40 crore and the contract went to a company in which a minister of the MDA Government has a direct interest. Our reporters went to the ISBT before the inauguration and reported accordingly. Following the inauguration, our reporters again visited the ISBT to ascertain the claims of the Transport Department and see whether the ISBT was operational. Surprisingly they were stopped by plainclothes policemen. Why? What is the Transport Department trying to hide? And since when have policemen been given orders to prevent journalists from visiting a facility funded from taxpayer’s money? Are the police now also being used as a tool by the Government to hide its misdemeanours? Don’t the police swear by the Constitution too? Are they not there to protect public, not private interests? Why should a member of the public be stopped from checking if a public utility is complete?
This brings me to an important point about legislative accountability that is completely lacking in Meghalaya. Why does Meghalaya have its assembly sessions only twice a year – in March and September. There are so many irregularities in the present MDA Government yet the Opposition does not deem it fit to demand that a session be called to raise questions on the several scams that have erupted and to seek clarity on the different schemes that are being implemented. In Meghalaya, it appears as if pressure groups like Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) are more informed about the inadequacies of governance than the elected representatives. It’s only when the media unearths the irregularities that the Opposition MLAs jump to raise questions, but again through the media when they should be demanding that such questions be discussed in the Assembly. Is that not the reason why MLAs are elected? Or do they think their duties are reduced to implementing MLA schemes?
There are organisations today that are deeply concerned about the mushrooming of coke factories in Sutnga Elaka of East Jaintia Hills. They have started a social media page to solicit help from all quarters. The reason is that the pollution in the area is abnormally high. If the State Pollution Control Board were to measure the pollution levels it would reveal that the place is no longer liveable. The question here is (a) who has given clearances and permission for setting up so many coke plants whose raw material is coal. If rat hole coal mining is banned then where do the coke factories source their coal from? Actually, this is a case of blatant and shameless political lying. And who should call this bluff if not the Opposition MLAs? Why are they silent on this? Why are they vocal only on some issues and not on others? Opposition MLAs should remember that they too will be judged on the issues they raise on behalf of the people. They cannot get away by pleading that they are in the Opposition and are therefore powerless. That’s absolute bunkum. All MLAs ruling and Opposition have the same mandate – to serve public interest and to keep that interest uppermost.
The presence of the State Pollution Control Board too does not draw any comfort. What pollution is the Board checking when they appear to be giving clearances to all manner of polluting industries in the State? Is the Board actually facilitating pollution and endangering our collective health? What do the people of Sutnga do when the State Government refuses to listen to them? They will be left with no alternative but to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT). But has the NGT too become a toothless tiger? And who is actually benefitting from these coke factories? Who are the direct beneficiaries who are making their millions at the cost of the health of the residents of Sutnga? The MLA of Sutnga-Shangpung constituency, Shitlang Pale belongs to the Congress. We have not heard him speak a word to the media or in the Assembly on the issue of coke plants that are poisoning the very air that his people are breathing. Not only that but even the water they drink is laced with acid mine drainage. What sort of an MLA is Pale when he does not even care about the health of his own people?
Recently the Assembly Committee on Environment had visited the area. When are they making their reports public? Is there not a time line when the report should be tabled in the Assembly? Hence isn’t an Assembly session due now? If Parliament can meet thrice a year why can’t the state assembly do so?
Recently the MLA of Nongpoh, Mayralborn Syiem had given a call for an Assembly session to discuss the border issue. This is imperative because the recent border skirmish needs to be debated in the Assembly. More so when tussle erupted just 48 hours after the Assam CM met his Meghalaya counterpart in Shillong. We wonder now what the two CMs discussed that emboldened the Assam CM to return and start a war at several fronts – Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya simultaneously. Surely this is not what is called a give and take agreement. This is all ‘take’ and no give. And it is done with deliberate impudence because the man thinks he is virtually the Prime Minister of North East India, by virtue of being President, NEDA.
Our own MLAs and our CM have been visiting the Assam CM in Guwahati to pay obeisance to him. We are not sure what favours they have gone to seek for that will always be a closely guarded secret. So, is it any surprise that he should feel he has the right to squeeze out every inch of land from the states adjoining Assam?
“Why does Meghalaya have its assembly sessions only twice a year – in March and September. There are so many irregularities in the present MDA Government yet the Opposition does not deem it fit to demand that a session be called to raise questions on the several scams that have erupted and to seek clarity on the different schemes that are being implemented.”