By Patricia Mukhim
The public of Meghalaya is being constantly entertained by the political class inhabiting this terra firma. The BJP is hemming and hawing about whether to quit the MDA Government or to hang on to its apron strings. Not that the BJP has too many squeaky clean politicians to showcase to the world. Frankly speaking, after the demise of Late TH Rangad the BJP has not had a face they can be proud of. Another reason why BJP has not attracted good leaders here is because it has been painted as an anti-Christian Party. The NPP has taken advantage of this perception and asks people to join it because it is not like the BJP. Alas! The NPP is the younger brother of the BJP and is surviving as long as it implements the BJP agenda and does not dig in its heels on any issue. The central BJP leadership is happy for this marriage of convenience to continue. So as Rancho (Amir Khan) sings in 3-Idiots, “All izz well!” Except that in Meghalaya there are over 30 lakh idiots and I top the list! And this rather romantic partnership between the BJP and NPP looks like it will continue beyond 2024.
So confident is Conrad Sangma of his government’s survival that he constantly taunts the BJP to leave the coalition but the BJP tamely continues because as long as they are in the Government there are the crumbs of office they can enjoy. Once out they will be in the dog-house and it would be difficult to woo people without money power when they have already fed the constituents on an easy diet of freebies. The comic reaction is that of the UDP which says it cannot divorce the NPP at this juncture because the Government would topple and Meghalaya would then have President’s Rule. As if President’s Rule is some fire-breathing dragon that would swallow us all and get us roasted in its innards. But that the UDP and its leadership would consider us idiots with no political brain is an insult we should not tolerate.
Meghalaya is no stranger to President’s Rule. We have had them in the past when Governor MM Jacob ran the Government. We also had a brief stint of President’s Rule during Governor RS Mooshahary’s tenure. On both occasions the Governor’s office ran the administration and during the tenure of the latter I recall that he visited the Civil Hospital to oversee what is actually happening there and how the Hospital was being run. At that time, we all felt that President’s Rule should continue, for when did the Chief Minister of Meghalaya last visit the Civil Hospital for a surprise check? Isn’t that what governance is all about? Visiting a health facility when people there have prepared bouquets and cleaned up the mess is not governance. It is what used to happen in the days of the Rajahs and Maharajahs. But perhaps it’s our fault for forgetting that these present set of politicians/ministers are children of privilege who are unused to the notion of simple living. So no, UDP leaders, President’s Rule is not bad at all. Ask us citizens how we feel; don’t assume!
Now let me explain why politicians are worried and insecure about the collapse of the MDA. It was Walter Lippman who famously said, “Successful politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.” How religiously our politicians seem to have followed this strange trajectory! So, the most insecure people in Meghalaya today are politicians. Each one is wondering if he/she will return to roost in the newly constructed Assembly building in 2023. Each one is calculating the votes and wondering which are the intransigent voters that need convincing with a sermon on how they represent the best of the legislative traditions and are harbingers of the true spirit of democracy. Big deal! We know at the end of the day that power is the ultimate elixir of life for them.
And then to add to the litany of agonies for Meghalaya we have a set of ‘about to retire’ government officials with both feet already in different political parties but shamelessly still drawing their salaries and perks from government. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court on this issue is urgently called for because these aggressively ambitious retirees use their office to promote their own image and themselves at public expense and immediately jump into the political fray. For what? To serve people? No to continue to be served even beyond retirement!
And the funniest part is that when these retired types get elected to the Assembly they forget their sordid past and the corruption they happily indulged in and become holier than thou, putting all kinds of questions to belittle the politicians from the rural outback. Like someone said, the dangerous politician is not the one who comes from the grassroots but the one who is air-dropped into a constituency after retirement.
Sadly, despite all these shenanigans and the collapse of the infamous Assembly dome, we don’t see people stirring for a public protest. What’s wrong with us Meghalayans (Sorry not the newspaper but the people)? Have we been so bamboozled that we have lost the power to protest? Then are we still citizens of a democracy? In fact, the uncanny silence from many of the usual suspects who call for public protests at the drop of an umbrella (that’s what we carry now during the rains and we hardly wear hats) and were ready to storm the Raj Bhavan at one time makes me wonder if they have decided to outsource that part of the business. Else why have they all become so tame? Other than some insipid statement in the newspapers/news channels not much was said about that disgraceful ‘Dome’ catastrophe.
For many of us who have been watching the electoral sport for decades it’s a long journey from desire to destination. Often, we become victims of cynicism but realise we cannot give in to such dystopia. Life has to go on and criticism must be our daily fare. And no, we the people are not in the least bit worried about President’s Rule. In fact, politicians are most worried about that for they will not have control of the exchequer in the last leg of their five-year roller-coaster ride.
Normally, clever politicians are master-chefs in cooking up a broth of both impression and expression. I am afraid the UDP failed miserably to express and therefore did not impress. We are no longer little kids just introduced to politics. Like our Prime Minister, Modi in 50 years we have acquired degrees in many shades of political studies from the University of Life and of late from WhatsApp University from where we consume news.
Let’s have President’s Rule in Meghalaya! Hip, hip hurray!