By Bhogtoram Mawroh
The cascades of events that have taken place in recent times have given the impression that we, the Khasis, are a confused lot. We are not really sure what we want. But nevertheless, we are very passionate about it. The latest evidence of this confusion is the attempt by HNYF (Hynniewtrep National Youth Front) to stop tourist vehicles coming from Assam. What was ironic is that Bless Dkhar, the President of HNYF had been arrested a year ago by the police for extorting money from overloaded goods carrier trucks operating between Damsite and Umiam Bridge. Dkhar was accused of demanding Rs 1500 per truck. I don’t know what has happened to the case. Is the president still in jail, or is he out on bail? Has the charge been proven? It was not a good look for HNYF. But after this incident, they will be hailed as the protectors of the ‘Jaidbynriew.’ Does this mean that the fate of the Khasis is in the hands of people who break the law? That is not a very reassuring prospect.
We need to remember that Meghalaya is one of the poorest state in the country. The majority of the workforce is based in agriculture, but its contribution to the state’s GDP is less than 20%. The majority of the contribution comes from the services sector, which generates 50% of the GDP. Tourism is part of the services sector. In recent years, it’s the only sector that appears to be doing well. Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh, stated in a program held last year that the number of tourists coming to Meghalaya number almost 15 lakh. To put this figure in perspective, the total population of the Khasis is just over 14 lakh. This inflow resulted in substantial financial expenditures by the tourists, which are being collected by the state in different ways. In 2023, Paul Lyngdoh informed the Meghalaya Assembly that during the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival, Rs 1.44 crore was generated as tax revenue from all hotels in November 2023. This amount was more than the total tax collection during October. Another form in which tourists’ expenditure is captured is in the form of GST. This is an indirect tax levied on all goods, including those sold at tourist sites. The rest is revenue, which includes profit for the local businesses.
In India, the travel and tourism sector contributes around 9.1% to the total GDP of the country. I do not have comparative figures for Meghalaya, but if we assume that the figure is similar or slightly higher, it means that 20% of the value in the services sector comes from tourism. For a financially strapped state like Meghalaya, this is a big figure, and any fall in it will not only affect the people who are dependent on tourists coming into the state but also the tax collection for the government. This will force the government to borrow more. Despite the Chief Minister’s assurance that 90% of the loan will be paid by the Center, this is highly worrying. The way out of this impending debt trap is by supporting local businesses so that we can generate our own revenue. Tourism is one such sector. The action of stopping vehicles from Assam will discourage tourists coming into the state, which will lead to decline in revenue. There’s already a news report that there has been a 30% drop in accommodation bookings, with more losses predicted in the coming days. The drop in revenue will force the government to borrow even more.
The pressure groups are part of the society. They belong to the local community, and they take up issues that agitate the local populace. HNYF stopped the vehicles from Assam because the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association had demanded a ban on vehicles carrying tourists from other states. In its demand to the government, the association gave a breakdown of the total number of vehicles carrying tourists from outside the state. According to them, only 31% (1106) of such vehicles are local, i.e., bearing Meghalaya registration. They also gave the total number of vehicles registered in the state, which is 5120, and came to the conclusion that 4014 vehicles do not have any passengers (subtract 1106 from 5120). Firstly, does this number (5120) include all the vehicles from both the Garo and Khasi regions, or only of the Khasi region? Secondly, even if these vehicles are only of those from the Khasi region, not all 5120 vehicles will be carrying tourists because the tourist circuit is not yet well developed in all parts of the state. For example, do drivers from Mawkyrwat come down to Guwahati to pick up tourists to take them to Jakrem or other sites in the district? How many tourists visit the caves of East Jaintia Hills? There is lack of clarity elsewhere as well. The 4014 taxis mentioned by the Association for not carrying tourists do not mean that they don’t have any passengers. Otherwise, what happens to other people (like us) who also need transportation? The numbers are highly confusing.
Paul Lyngdoh, has made the statement that the state is actually facing a huge gap between demand and supply of vehicles to cater to the growing demand. This makes the numbers even more confusing. Therefore, Paul Lyngdoh has asked the Transport Department to provide data on the actual number of vehicles with Meghalaya registration before meeting with the Association in the coming days. If there is actually a shortage of vehicles, stopping the vehicles from Assam will lead to a decrease in the total tourist footfalls. In the end, this will destroy the tourism industry in the state, at a time when it has just started to flourish. This will, as discussed above, kill one of the growing sectors of the economy, destroy the livelihood of thousands of people, and put the state into more debt.
Let’s agree for the moment that the claim of the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association is true and that the local drivers are suffering from a loss in business. If they can get a greater share of the tourists coming into the state, it will definitely help increase their earnings. That, however, is not going to happen by stopping tourists carrying vehicles from Assam entering the state. Firstly, such a move will provoke a reciprocal reaction from Assam. No vehicles bearing registration from Meghalaya will be able to cross beyond Jorabad. What happens to the drivers carrying passengers from Meghalaya to Guwahati and back? Will this not increase the losses for the local drivers? Such a move is therefore counter-productive. Secondly, stopping the vehicles from Assam does not guarantee that the tourist will choose Meghalaya-registered vehicles. This is because their tour may be part of a package, with Meghalaya being just one of the destinations. Drivers from Assam will face losses, forcing the tour operators from the state not to have arrangements with drivers from Meghalaya for fear of retaliation by the pressure groups in Assam. No matter how the situation is analyzed, a move to ban tourist vehicles from Assam is not going to end well for the local drivers or the economy. So, what’s the solution?
While rejecting any ban on the tourist vehicles, Paul Lyngdoh explained that Assam is the entry point to Meghalaya because they have the airport and the railway station. Tourists entering the North East have to first arrive at Assam through the airport, the railways, or the roads. Then they move into the different states, again either through the airport, the railway, or, in the case of Meghalaya, the road. It is, therefore, inevitable that the majority of the vehicles carrying tourists will be from Assam. There is only one way to challenge this advantage enjoyed by Assam. Tourists must arrive directly in Meghalaya. This will guarantee that the tourists will take local vehicles. This can be done by expanding the airport at Umroi so that it can handle the nearly 15 lakh tourists (now supposed to have reached 18 lakh) that will be coming every year. That seems highly unlikely at the moment. According to the data provided by the Airports Authority of India, the total traffic at Umroi Airport between April 2023 and March 2024 was 1,54,658, or just over 12,000 people per month. For comparison, during the same period, traffic at the Guwahati Airport was almost 5 lakh people per month. It will be a long time before the Shillong airport is able to handle the tourist inflow. The other solution is the railway, which will bring tourists directly to Shillong from different parts of the country with local taxis waiting for them outside the station. However, there has been a fierce opposition to the introduction of railways in the state for fear of illegal immigration. There is no evidence that large-scale illegal immigration is taking place in the state. But the fear is widespread and deep-seated, taking the shape of paranoia. As things stand right now, stopping the vehicles from Assam is going to be disastrous for the state on many accounts.
The US government has put Meghalaya on the no-travel advisory list. US citizens are advised against traveling to the state. Though many people were upset with this advisory, the recent incident reinforces the message that the state is not safe. Meghalaya will no longer be an attractive destination for tourists. The lack of safety will also act as a disincentive for those looking to invest in the state. At the moment, the state badly needs investments for creating jobs and helping the economy grow. Instead, low revenue and a lack of investment will further put the economy under pressure. This will again force the government to take on more debt which will make it harder in the future to provide for public goods like education, health, sporting infrastructure, etc. The state is, in fact, already facing a crisis in these sectors. But on the ground, many Khasis, no less the taxi drivers, will support the actions of HNYF. At the same time, they will not support the long-term solutions (e.g., introduction of railways) that can make their future more secure by helping reduce the dependence on Assam. Does all of this prove that we, the Khasis, are a confused people? We say we want something, but at the same time we do things that make it extremely difficult to attain those things. What exactly do Khasis want? This is a mystery that is not getting solved anytime soon.
(The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect in any way his affiliation to any organisation or institution)