SHILLONG, July 23: Outraged by the recent developments in Meghalaya concerning its development, the KSU on Sunday vented indignation towards the past and present governments while lamenting that despite 51 years of statehood, the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya are yet to see any sign of actual development with little to no improvement in their livelihood.
“The recent publication of NITI Aayog whereby Meghalaya was placed at the 2nd last in terms of poverty should be an eye-opener for all the politicians. Lack of vision and shortsightedness of past and present governments contribute immensely to the slow pace of development and eradication of poverty,” KSU general secretary, Donald V Thabah told The Shillong Times.
He further said that most of the tribals in the state, both rural and urban, are living below the poverty line to date. The per capita income of most families is at a dismal low, Thabah added.
According to him, the government should find a long-term strategy to eradicate poverty.
“Resources are aplenty in the state, and people, especially youths, should be given proper training, guidance, and support on how to tap these available resources for their livelihood. Optimum sustainability should be thoroughly considered so as to ensure that resources are not depleted,” Thabah said.
The KSU general secretary stressed on the need for improvement of education, entrepreneurship and health sectors.
Stating that the state should take a relook at the numerous companies from outside investing in the state, Thabah said that stringent conditions should be placed in terms of employment opportunities for the indigenous tribes, exploitation of the environment and imparting developmental activities in the area where they would operate.
The KSU leader also observed that land is another issue, even as he claimed that most tribals, especially in urban areas, are living in rented spaces.
“This factor will undermine the income savings of such tribals. Proper mechanisms should be put in place so that land should not be alienated to outsiders. Government or revenue land should be utilised solely for the purpose of developmental activities and not to be leased out to private business entities,” he said.
Thabah further suggested a strong work culture by all citizens, terming it the need of the hour for overall growth of human resources.
“Respecting one’s job, understanding the dignity of labour is a must for one and all,” Thabah added.
Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had claimed that the Niti Aayog report, which marked Meghalaya as the second-poorest state in the country, was based on old data that was compiled in 2018-19.
He was positive that once the data of the last four years are taken into account, Meghalaya’s ranking will improve considerably.
The CM even promised to ensure a huge improvement in the ranking in the next five years.
Another concern the chief minister spoke about was the extreme rate of polygamy, more than any other part of the country.
He said the government has to look carefully into any report that comes out to address the concerns at various levels. “The government may not have a solution or reply to every single problem that is there. But there are concerns and it is good to be aware of those concerns and work towards ensuring that we try to find solutions to those problems,” he had said.
According to the report of the Mumbai-based International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Meghalaya (6.1%) has the maximum number of polygyny followed by Mizoram (4.1%), Sikkim (3.9%), and Arunachal Pradesh (3.7%) in the Northeast.
According to the district-wise analysis, a high rate of polygyny exists in East Jaintia Hills (20%) followed by West Jaintia Hills (14.5%), West Khasi Hills (10.9%), South West Khasi Hills (6.4%), Ri-Bhoi (6.2%), and East Khasi Hills (5.8%).
