By Toki Blah
This strategic discourse on Meghalaya is looks at how for the last 50 years, and immediately after attaining statehood, the Jaitbynriew Politics took over the politics of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Jaitbynriew Politics is a political pronouncement that calls for saving the Jaitbynriew. What sort, type and kind of danger we need to be saved from has really never been clarified. Nor has anybody questioned the fact that if the Khasi Pnar as a tribe have managed to survive for thousands of years on their own; have managed to emerge unscathed as they are today; then from where and to whom do we owe this sudden discovery of unknown threats? The only hint is that it is coming from outside and that the Jaitbynriew is in need of saviors. The call however seems to strike a sympathetic and emotional chord with the electorate and people get elected based on how articulately they are able to advocate their own persona as that “Savior” of the Jaitbynriew. The irony is that the electoral victories of such candidates or the political parties that subscribe to such views has led the Khasi Pnar people nowhere, but downhill. Like the Israelites of old, our Messiah is expectantly awaited, but seems to be mysteriously delayed somewhere. To put it in its correct perspective – as a Jaitbynriew, we are well and truly stuck!
This writer contends that it is high time we start looking for answers to get us out of the quagmire we find ourselves in. This obsession for Jaitbynriew politics has simply produced a leadership with a very restricted world view, one that is unable to absorb the governance bandwidth that Meghalaya statehood demands. Time to realise that with the overall development of the state, the growth and prospects of the Jaitbynriew also prosper not the other way round. If that makes sense then can the wholesome governance of Meghalaya be compared to that of a well cooked nutritious meal that provides nourishment to all members of the family?
Our ancients were of the view that a well cooked meal is consequent on the constitution of the hearth over which the meal is prepared. The traditional Khasi hearth (the dpei) has to be properly constructed; the flow of air into the fire skillfully directed; the heat evenly distributed while the pot itself is well balanced without tilting to either side. All of the above depends on the positioning of the all important Mawbyrsiew ( the three corner stones) erected round the hearth. Even if one corner stone were to tilt; or is not evenly placed or is incompatible with the other two stones, the meal cooked would spoil. For a change, lets consider the all encompassing inclusive development of Meghalaya as the composite wholesome meal that the family of our Three Tribes require. So with what do we correlate the three Mawbyrsiew that this family depends on? Parochial, narrow tunnel vision, ethnic based politics has not worked. Time to try other inclusive and comprehensive political options. Lets try and see if we can come up with a sensible alternative roadmap for our future.
What then are the three Mawbyrsiew that our state needs for survival? One glance will easily convince us that it is (a) Efficacious Electoral Democracy (the system of government where enlightened elected representatives govern – not RULE!) (b) An electorate with aptitude for democratic fundamentals (that enabling voter ability to think and vote for a political entity who has Leadership Qualities) and (c) the understanding of Survival Economics (the equitable system of production, distribution and consumption of wealth in an egalitarian Tribal society). So are the Meghalayan Mawbyrsiew mentioned above in equilibrium with each other for the balanced development of Meghalaya? I think not. Lets start with Efficacious Electoral Democracy and its impact on governance. We have elected MLAs that make up the ruling and the opposition. So how do these guys go about the serious business of legislating? In 2024 the Assembly sat for only 13 days out of 365 ! 13 short days only to do the work you were principally elected and paid for – to Legislate! God only knows on what the rest 352 days were wasted on. Again, how many Bills in the interest of the state, can you introduce, debate upon and pass in 13 days? This simply enforces the image of a ‘I- don’t – give – a- damn’ approach to the all important issue for Efficacious Legislation. Here is where Accountability to the public is on call but never ever given. Or were these fleeting Legislative sessions deliberate; caused by unavoidable, scandalous reasons?
To the common man in the street, who watches the House proceedings on TV, its scandalous to note that 70% of the MLAs never open their mouths throughout their 5 year tenure! The wonder is not how they became MLAs, but the danger lies in the belief that the interest of the state is best served through their silence! It’s a 50 year old scam of Silence! Dr Martin Luther Jr said “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” We Khasis have a better proverb. We sneeringly label them as “Ki Ksan Rympei, Rem Dorbar”.(Loudmouths at Home, Silent mice on the Dorbar floor). Tragedy is we then go and elect them!
So on what basis do we cast our votes ? It forms the second Mawbrysiew- the educational aptitude of the electorate for democratic fundamentals. Is it because of the money lavishly distributed during elections; the emotional appeal of an election lyric or is it because of the candidate’s ability to govern? I’m afraid the last is considered least and the reason for the proliferation of “constituency devoted” MLAs whose entire 5 year focus is constituency development than in idea contribution towards the overall growth of Meghalaya. This is the worst type of MLA to elect! As an electorate, we are yet to identify the ballot box as the opportunity to elect persons capable of leading the state. Instead we use it to come up with a slightly better version of a Rangbah Shnong! Oops, so sorry to have let out the secret!
Then we come to the 3rd Mawbyrsiew, Survival Economics mentioned above. It’s the most crucial but the least understood. Jaitbynriew politics believes in exclusivity as the best survival tool for the Jaitbynriew. History teaches us otherwise. A society with a strong and balanced economic grounding (u saipan ba khlain) has little to fear. It’s the economically weak, poverty stricken that are socially unstable and insecure. So lets look at Meghalaya’s economic scene. Niti Aayog figures say Meghalaya is the 3rd poorest state in the country. As per 2024 Meghalaya’s total population stood at 34 lakh out of which 28% (9.5 lakh approximately) were bracketed as poor. Now lets be liberal and claim that we have 5% ( 1.70 lakh) who can be classed as rich; 15% (5.1 lakh approximately) who can be classed as middle income ( Govt servants, small businesses etc) and we still find 52% (about 17.7 lakh) of LIG (Lower Income Group inclusive of small and marginal farmers, daily wage earners etc) who just manage to exist above the poverty line. So 28% + 52% = 80% , a staggering 27.2 lakh of the states population, mostly in the rural areas, literally living as Bhogtoram Mawroh puts it in “Highly vulnerable conditions”. Vulnerable to any negative change, however small, in their socio-economic status. Vulnerable because the possibility of starvation is ever present. The idea of an equitable egalitarian tribal society, today exists only in our minds. For most, poverty is the determinant between life and death. Now you decide from where the deadliest threat to our people comes from? From an imagined threat or from fact based data that clearly indicates that unless our economic condition improves, our very survival as a Jaitbynriew is shaky!
The analogy of the Mawbyrsiew as pointed out above, cannot be more pertinent than it is today. If flaws to individual corner stones exist they need to be set right. First correction priority is educating our electorate on the type of persons they elect as leaders. The concept of a good person ( u/ka briew ba bha) as your elected representative has failed. It needs to be replaced with the concept of a competent person ( u/ka briew ba shemphang ia ka synshar khadar bad ba lah ban kyntiew ia ka ioh ka kot). How this enabling process is to be done needs a more intense public discourse than is possible within the limited space of an op-ed page.
Secondly our MLAs must understand that being elected means being endowed with power, to govern, not to rule! But power also comes with the need for accountability. 50 years has shown that our MLAs love power but shun accountability! The uneducated public never asks for accountability. Meghalaya is thus left with only the print, electronic and social media to enforce this mandatory accountability from our leaders. Question is whether the media is prepared for this responsibility?
The third Mawbyrsiew demanding urgent repair is our economy. Legislators, both ruling and opposition, need to sit down and plan how and where the economy is to be directed. If Meghalaya is to survive, its poverty levels must be drastically brought down. On this particular aspect, the pressure groups must re-strategize their usual approach, from that of confronting to that of engaging with the Government. The idea is for everyone to work in tandem; together; unitedly for the economic upliftment of the state. Only then will Meghalaya and its people regain hope, confidence and growth and with it the survival of the Jaitbynriew.