Editor,
The letter to the editor by Dr Sandi Syiem (ST 24 Sept, 2024), about deforestation activities in and around Sanker Sanatorium, carries with it a sense of deja vu. Not so long ago the Syiem of Mylliem, (commonly referred to as U syiem U kmie), the traditional guardian of the ‘ki khun ki hajar’ (subjects), and his myntris had tried to demarcate and partition for selling, plots within the forest under discussion. They tried to do this under the fig leaf of tradition claiming that the area belongs to the Syiem clan. Surprisingly most educated persons of the Syiem clan challenged this claim; it raised suspicion of a scam. Parts of Mawlai depend on this forest for their water source, and the resulting public hue and cry finally resulted in the then CEM of the KHADC, Ardent Basaiawmoit, declaring the whole pine forest of Mawpat as a ‘Law Adong’ (protected forest). This means that this forest since then has become a Reserved Forest of the Khasi community and no longer the private property of the Syiem of Mylliem and his Myntris. For this action on behalf of the people of Shillong we owe a big thank you to Bah Ardent.
Gullible people that we are, we dared to assume that the lungs of Shillong had been saved. Little did we realize that the Syiem of Hima Mylliem and his myntris, like the traditional Thlen of the Khasis, had simply gone into hibernation waiting for the appropriate time to awaken and strike. From Dr Sandi Syiem’s letter it seems they believe that the time has arrived to once again gobble up the assets of the community. Intrigued by Dr Sandi’s accusations, mentioned above, some of us had gone to the site to verify the same. What we found were trees being felled; being towed away and dumpers entering the forest to dump more earth so as to kill more trees. We asked the loggers as to who had directed them to do what they were doing and the answers we got were totally confusing. No written order was shown. Some claimed that the Syiem had sent them. Others that the order had come from the myntris. Classical mafia defense tactics when challenged! More intriguing is the absence of the Forest Department and the KHADC to protect this Khlaw Adong.
A little more digging showed that this Khlaw Adong is not the only community asset being abused by the Syiem and his Myntris. Iewduh is one of the largest community asset of the Khasis entrusted to the Syiem for safe keeping but look at what it has become. Every shopkeeper in Iewduh pays rent to the Syiem yet no one knows what is the total revenue earned by the Hima from the thousands of shops there or how is it spent. This is public money and in this age when accountability and transparency have become catchwords of governance, Hima Mylliem has firmly shut its door against all cries for transparency.
Secondly, Iewduh masquerades as a bazaar in the day and turns into a den of thieves once the sun sets. Woe betide the foolish person who dares enter Iewduh once its dark. So the pride of the Hima Mylliem has been turned into a centre for crime! Nearly all of us get our eatables be it meat, fish or greens from this market, yet all the above is sold in the most unhygienic conditions ever. With no other market available , the common man is forced to eat from such filth. U Khun U Hajar is now treated as u ksew u miaw. Any attempt to modernize or repair needs the approval of the myntri. It is they who will decide on the contractor and the price. Sicilian crime syndicates don’t differ much from the manner in which Iewduh is managed by the Syiem and his myntris.
Today a concerned citizen, worried about the soiled condition of Iewduh or a citizen having some work regarding his property under Hima Mylliem ; or anyone who wishes to submit his plea/request/complaint to the Syiem of Mylliem has to approach the Syiem for redressal at his Durbar Office at Mawkhar. Here a type of tariff has to be paid. It’s called ‘Ka Bai Burom Syiem’ (“Paying obeisance” to the King) and it can range from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000. No receipts are given but the amount paid determines how fast the file moves. How can such arbitrary transactions be allowed which even the excuse of tradition cannot condone for it has never existed before. But without receipts how does anyone prove anything?
It is here that the rule of law must prevail and this can only come as a suo-moto action from the Meghalaya High Court. The Court should order an inquiry into the matter. In the name of tradition all such subversive money earning activities have carried on for decades without any accountability. The Syiemship is a public institution under the purview of the Indian Constitution. It cannot act as a non-state, stand-alone institution beyond the ambit of the RTI and the CAG.
Yours etc.,
DS Lyngdoh,
Via email
Growth data interesting
Editor,
The editorial “Growth, ground realities” (ST September 27, 2024) was interesting. If we examine the data of India, China, USA, Germany, Japan and UK on Disposable Income, GDP and Per Capita GDP as provided by the Economic Times of India, State Council Information Office of People’s Republic of China, World Population Review, World Bank and Investopedia, the “amount you have to spend or save as you wish” (Disposable Income) in India is $ 2,485, China $ 5,487, USA $ 51147, Germany $ 38,971, Japan $ 28,872 and the United Kingdom $ 33,049.
In the 1st Q 2024 the GDP is $ 3.94 trillion in India, $18.53T in China, $28.78T in USA, $4.59T in Germany, $4.11T in Japan and $3.5T in United Kingdom while the per capita GDP of these countries is $2,730, $13,140, $ 85,370, $ 54,290, $33,140 and $51,070 respectively. These figures of countries which are in the list of “Top 20 Economies of the world” drive home the argument of Raghuram Rajan that the path to becoming a developed nation is still challenging for our country. Hence the former Governor of Reserve Bank also rightly emphasized on improving ease of doing business as being crucial for driving growth, especially by reducing bureaucratic hurdles and the fear of regulatory raids.
One must not forget that the “businessman’s tool is an incentive and an economic value while the tool of a bureaucrat is fear and fear of the unknown.” Unless these twin objectives are achieved India’s dream of a developed economy will remain a pipe-dream. If India is to become developed the per capita Income alone will not suffice because it is an average income per person. In fact, disposable Income or the “amount you have to spend or save as you wish,” will determine a developed India. Raghuram Rajan has raised a very pertinent question – “from where are we going to generate that growth to become a developed nation by 2047?”
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email