In May 2022, the dome atop the new Meghalaya Assembly building crashed almost as if it signified the collapse of a moral code that guided the tribals of yore. Now to speak of tribal values is to be disrespectful to the ancestors who had set such strong standards of behaviour. On June 22, parts of the much- touted PA Sangma stadium in Tura suffered a mudslide obviously because the foundation around the stadium was not strong enough. It’s another case of cutting corners to cut costs and make profit out of any and all government constructions. This year power cuts for several hours during the day time and post-midnight have been accepted as normal. It’s as if we the people have brought it on ourselves. The fact that the MeECL is and has been badly run like a mini government without any checks and controls for several years is a forgotten saga. On the contrary the narrative today is such that it is made to look as if it is not governance failure but the fault of citizens that power is now being rationed. This despite regular payment of bills! The major defaulters – the industries are getting away with non-payment.
Without power, mobile connectivity is also unstable. Virtual meetings are almost impossible to hold. Companies and start-ups reliant on a steady power supply are paying a heavy price for power cuts. But hospitals and nursing homes are the worst affected because they have to use powerful generators that are powered by diesel engines. Yet there is no protest from any quarters. Citizens of Meghalaya seem to have taken this in their stride. In other states this annual power cut would have resulted in public protests and the Government would have been put on the mat. But not in Meghalaya! With an Opposition that’s reduced in strength in the Assembly and too few to call out the Government, the MDA-02 Government is sitting pretty. Now with even the Congress on a bridge building exercise with the NPP, a time will come when there will only be only 10 Opposition members left from the VPP and TMC.
The quest for power and pelf and with no concern for the people who elected them has turned the politicians of Meghalaya apathetic. They have learnt that once elected and in the seat of power, no power on earth can dislodge them. It does not matter how badly the State is governed and how deep the corruption is, politicians will continue to ride their high horses for they are never held accountable. This is what happens when civil society decides to sit and watch the power play silently while things degenerate. It has been well established that the so-called pressure groups have no time for taking up issues of bad governance. They only take up populist issues that will gain them points for the next elections. Meghalaya is a state that is destined to fail and fail badly.
