When the state passes through a period of storm and stress political parties are expected to come together and stand in solidarity for a larger purpose. Meghalaya has passed through a tornado since May 23 when Raja Raghuvanshi and his newly married wife Soman went missing. After what was a manhunt in the deep gorges of Sohra, Raja’s decomposed body was found on June 2, but Soman remained untraced until June . Naturally the family members especially of Raja Raghuvanshi who were in shock, raved and ranted and called Meghalaya Police, and the Meghalaya Government incompetent and hurled choicest abuses at the state and its people. One of them even spat out that Meghalaya should be thrown out of the Indian Union as it is inhabited by criminals. This statement hurt the most and people of Meghalaya wondered why when the Police, the SDRF, NDRF and even volunteers from West Jaintia Hills had undertaken one of the most dangerous expeditions to recover Raja’s body, they were still found wanting. Granted that the couple came in as tourists and that the state has a duty to ensure their safety but that is provided they were genuine tourists. In this case the motive was a well-planned murder with at least four accomplices in tow.
In all of this the people of Meghalaya stood as one barring the Opposition Congress and VPP. Leader of the Opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma instead of offering to work towards redeeming the stature of Meghalaya after the drubbing it got from sections of the national media, instead went hammer and tongs at blaming the State Government and even brought in the drug angle. This was one time he could have risen above politics and shown himself as a statesman but that was not to be. The VPP too was conspicuous by its silence, quite forgetting its role in a democracy. A significant role of the Opposition apart from keeping the government under check for acts of omission and commission is to present itself as an alternative government. This concept goes beyond mere criticism and involves offering viable solutions and policies that could be implemented if they were in power. By doing so, the Opposition also demonstrates its strength, apart from demonstrating what it would do if it were in the ruling side and governing the state.
The role of the Opposition members is not to be mere critics. They are to provide diverse perspectives and hold the ruling party accountable. The Opposition is a watchdog that is meant to curb government excesses and to scrutinize its actions and policies. A question arises as to whether the Opposition parties had scrutinized the State Tourism Policy and offered alternative suggestions to the Government to strengthen the Policy. The Opposition has a critical role in a democracy because it represents the public. Sadly, in this present conundrum when the people of Meghalaya stood as one with the Government. the Opposition stood aloof. The Opposition must recognize that its role is not merely to find fault and waylay the Government but to assist it to govern ethically.
