By Benjamin Lyngdoh
If the KHADC and JHADC elections were to be held today, VPP (Voice of the People Party) would be a favourite for many to get a majority on its own and subsequently govern. The support (and if you like, love) that the party has generated for itself is nothing short of a phenomenon. This is an outcome of the ‘empathy’ that the party has been able to generate with the voters. VPP is able to sell itself as the only party that understands the problems and pain of the grassroots. It has also positioned itself as the only party that has feasible and viable solutions to the developmental problems of Meghalaya. This is a kind of political cocktail that would sweep anyone off their feet. But, is there a problem with the narrative of VPP? The devil lies in the details.
Railways
The position of VPP on the issue of railways was as expected. The party has explicitly supported the demand for ILP. In such a situation it has no room to maneuver on the matter of railways; else they would invite opposition from the pressure groups. Hence, it is not a surprise that VPP refused to accept the correlation between price rise and the absence of rail network penetration into Meghalaya. It is an established fact that transportation and accessibility is an important factor in development. So, what does the stand of VPP on railways say about its heartfelt dedication towards growth and progress? ILP is a sensitive issue for many in Meghalaya. By giving ILP a special pedestal and thereby subsuming the cause of growth the VPP is doing nothing less than playing to the gallery. When a political party captures the emotions of the people, then data and facts have no meaning at all. While Meghalaya continues to be emotional about railways, the other parts of north-east India are moving ahead with rail connectivity networks. Once these networks become fully operational, the benefits which the other states will enjoy in terms of transportation of people and goods will be manifold. Meghalaya then will be a mere spectator, all thanks to its politicians and society at large.
Local economy
Meghalaya has been quipping a lot about how its local economy is not in the position to produce enough and hence, a lot of eatables and consumables are to be brought in from outside the state. These are brought in through trucks and other smaller commercial vehicles which are an expensive proposition as they do not possess the advantages of economies of scale (bringing goods in bulk and thereby reducing costs). Railways continue to be a pipe dream and hence the focus has to shift towards the local economy. All political parties will empathize with the poor on the issue of price rise for political mileage, but in reality no one seems serious about addressing the root causes of the problem. Even VPP is not offering tangible solutions. For instance, price rise is the diagnosis. But, what are the symptoms? The main symptom is the poor state of the local economy. Needed are interventions that would push the major growth sectors of the local economy such as agriculture and small businesses. This will generate employment. Plus in the equation of demand and supply the increase in the quantity of goods will automatically bring the prices down. But, we are in a sad place where, for example, fishery schemes meant for commercial production are rather being used for setting up ponds just for fish-gambling. No wonder the local economy is in shambles.
Loans
With every passing year there is a growing concern that Meghalaya is going to end up in a debt trap. But data tells us that Meghalaya is already in a mini-debt trap. This happens when a state borrows new loans to repay old loans. When this happens in continuity over time then the state falls into a debt trap which is irreversible. Then the only way out is a bail-out package by the central government. When the CAG report talks about the five-year time clock of loans repayment it is basically warning that if in five years things do not improve Meghalaya will fall into an irreversible debt trap. But, there are two angles to it. First, if the loans are invested in productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, etc., then the loans become good as the returns would come in, in the future. Second, if the loans are invested for unproductive purposes then they turn bad as they generate no returns. For example, if a family takes a loan to invest in a local taxi then it is good as it generates revenue, but, if the loan is used to buy rice and vegetables then the family is in deep trouble. VPP, TMC and Congress need to ask MDA 2.0 where the loans are invested. Is it for productive or unproductive purposes? Without having the facts, all doubts raised are just casting aspersions. Now, will they ask?
Drugs
Equating the menace of drugs with the issue of corruption is problematic. It is difficult to believe that VPP does not realize that drugs are not a political problem but a societal one. But, picking corruption helps as it raises eyebrows and captures the attention of people. It would be better if VPP’s empathy is directed towards locally solving the problem through potent interventions rather than just giving a clarion call.
In fact, none of the political parties are mobilizing their mammoth support bases to rally a movement against drugs. By the way, if 3 lakh people are addicted to drugs and other forms of substance abuse then effectively 12 lakh people are indirectly affected by it. Drug addiction is basically a family problem and it impacts all members. Now, 12 lakh means that one-third of Meghalaya’s population are directly or indirectly impacted by drugs.
Reservation
How many government jobs are there annually in Meghalaya? Statistics tells us that it is around 3000 per annum. VPP is within its rights to highlight the reservation issue. But whether it will come to fruition or not remains to be seen. Now there is a talk by the party to revive the issue. Amidst all this, VPP is losing out on an opportunity to drive the local economy through entrepreneurship and small businesses by engaging the youth in productive employment. Their MLAs could have used the MLA scheme to collectively invest in some venture rather than distributing it piece-meal. It is an opportunity for the four VPP constituencies to show how development can be done through collective action. Real empathy is in bigger investments as they bring better returns. Does the Party have the capacity to do it in future?
Today, VPP has the image of a trouble shooter and the harbinger of justice in the eyes of the voters. For the sake of the people, let us hope that they can live up to the expectations and deliver. But, as history has shown time and again; in politics, no one is innocent and all is not true.
(The writer teaches at NEHU; email – [email protected])