By Patricia Mukhim
Since Covid started receding and travels within the country having resumed we have had foreign diplomats from Germany, France, Japan et al come knocking at our doors essentially to explore possibilities of economic collaboration with Meghalaya. Each diplomat placed at the Consulate in Kolkata or the Embassy in Delhi has a particular beat and has to be in touch with state governments of the eight states apart from Bengal, Odisha etc. Last month when German Ambassador, Walter Lindner visited Meghalaya he had a mission to check out areas of cooperation, particularly those related to the environment because Germany is deeply concerned about climate change and is passionately looking at climate change mitigation. Lindner is concerned about Meghalaya’s deteriorating ecosystem caused by unregulated stone quarrying and sand banking which he witnessed on his way to Mawlynnong. He had also read about the ghastly coal mining tragedies and the illegal coal mining that carries on unabated. In my short interface with Lindner, I could see that he was indeed very anxious. However, he was also enthused by the fact that young people in the villages are trying to conserve the living root bridges with assistance from national and international funding agencies.
Last week we had the French Consul-General, Didier Talpain visiting Shillong. He met up with academics and administrators in the Government. He also took time off to visit the Mawphlang Sacred Groves to familiarize himself with the cultural practices and belief systems of the Khasi people. The diplomat must also have been adequately briefed on the traditional institutions and their role since his host for that morning was Mr John Kharshiing, spokesperson for the Khasi chieftains (syiems). Mr Talpain was very keen on collaboration in sports and academic exchanges apart from other areas of mutual interest.
In November 2021, Japanese ambassador to India, Satoshi Suzuki and his wife were here. They met a cross section of people from government, NEHU, media and civil society at Asian Confluence. Presentations were made by Government representatives, led by Chairman, Farmer’s Empowerment Commission, KN Kumar, on the agricultural products of Meghalaya and how the state is now ready to export some of those niche products like turmeric, mushrooms, buckwheat etc. The Japanese Ambassador was very excited at the prospect of such collaboration. Mr Suzuki also visited the Nongpoh Civil Hospital to see how the oxygen generation plant that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Government of Japan had set up, was functioning. Two other plants are in Civil hospital Tura and the Jowai maternal and child hospital.
What’s visible is that international collaboration is helpful but only if the Government of Meghalaya is able to focus on this matter and to constantly follow up what has been discussed. Otherwise, we have these foreign diplomats coming, seeing, meeting with a few government officials and if they are fortunate, the state chief minister and then returning to their respective destinations without any follow-up action. It would be in the interest of Meghalaya therefore to have a designated cell in the Department of Commerce or MBDA to liaise with these foreign visitors who are looking at prospects of a positive cultural, social, educational and economic exchange. And we are not looking at assistance only. Its time we speak to these representatives on equal terms. We need to be able to show them possibilities for investment or assistance for processing techniques.
In a conversation with this writer, Talpain said that at one time in the distant past, the French too engaged in rat-hole coal mining but gave that up in favour of a more sustainable form of mining. It would be educative for the Government of Meghalaya to study how the French made this transition. I recall once long ago during the MDA Government’s first tenure some ministers, including the present environment minister, James Sangma had visited some mines in the US to be educated on better mining methods. But apart from one of the ministers then making a calendar with all the photographs of the visit, including a visit to the casino, Meghalaya learnt nothing from that adventurous journey.
While academic Institutions like NEHU or IIM (Shillong) have the bandwidth for directly linking with international institutions for a robust student exchange programme, smaller enterprises wanting to link with entrepreneurs in other countries, could benefit from an agency that would help them through the labyrinth of file work and other formalities that they might not know how plough through.
Recently the NorthEast Fortnight was launched at Dubai where all the North Eastern states, including Meghalaya were present at the India Pavilion, Expo 2022. It would be prudent to believe that this expo would have had entrepreneurs attending and learning from others in the same trade, instead of it being loaded with officials which is what usually happens. At least one entrepreneur came back understanding that there are great possibilities for exporting vegetables from this region to the Middle Eastern countries. The question is ‘how.’ It is always the ‘how’ that is the stumbling block. Government of Meghalaya needs to seriously consider these ‘real’ possibilities and come up with a roadmap for entrepreneurs. This is the reason why we need a dedicated Department or Cell to push through these export potentials. If there is no dedicated manpower with ample experience in processing, marketing and export then it is pointless attending these international business meets.
Meghalaya is blessed with immense possibilities in agriculture. I had pointed this out in the past that our farmers produce ginger to the point of there being a glut in the market and the prices just sliding down, leaving the farmers in distress. States like Kerala that produce ginger have been processing it to produce oleoresin extract since 1991 where 5 ml of the ginger extract sells for Rs 120. This can either be used for cooking or to spice up a cup of tea. It’s difficult to fathom why Meghalaya has not invested in processing. Look at how our pineapples rot because their shelf life is so short. We neither have cold storage facilities nor export linkages. We also have not been able to get Government of India to negotiate with Bangladesh for the use of Chittagong port. Why can’t the Ministry of MDoNER make common cause with all the 8 state governments and put pressure on the Centre for trade linkages? Something’s got to give. We cannot keep producing only for the local market where the bulk of the produce just rots or is sold at throwaway prices, thereby leading to farmers’ distress.
Institutions of national eminence based in Meghalaya such as the IIM -Shillong, the NIT and NEHU have an onus to engage with the State Government on these key issues. Fortunately, now the Lakadong turmeric is fairly widely known because some of us do active promotion of the spice and zero in on it as the gift of choice for visitors to Shillong or take them with us as gifts when we travel outside.
Within the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) there are a number of verticals such as the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship. If this can be made the line Department with a senior level official taking personal interest it might help to lift Meghalaya’s farmers to the next level. Mr KN Kumar has himself written several hope-giving articles on the trajectory that he envisages for farmers to take off. But there is a whole value chain that needs convergence. The farmers will produce but he/she cannot also process the produce. Some other agency has to do it on a business model. Similarly, the processing unit will have to find the market which, in this digitally linked, globalised world is not so challenging. One only wonders what we have done in 50 years and why we have not produced the entrepreneurs that will market our products.
What we have done on the contrary is rely on an extractive economy of coal and limestone mining and gouging out boulders which we are selling to Bangladesh via Tamabil to the tune of 300 trucks a day. What will happen to this state when all its forests are gone and it is reduced to stark barrenness? We need to exit from extractive mining and quarrying if we want to save this degraded environment. It’s time to find alternative economic activities for the upcoming generation. So, Mr Conrad Sangma as the leader of this State, please give your undivided attention to this issue if you care enough!