By Toki Blah
Like any other living, throbbing pulsating entity, Shillong too has a life of its own. With this comes the various ailments that afflict any living organism. Again, as in life the sudden flare-up of any particular illness may call for immediate attention but it does not in the least mean that the other ailments have suddenly dissipated. So is the case with the current hullabaloo over street hawkers. The other existing Shillong urban problems have simply receded from our minds. They however still remain and still call for attention. Lack of public transport persists and the common man is forced to resort to expensive cab fares while travelling in the city. Traffic congestion ( we call them Ka Block) are getting worse by the day while our narrow streets defy all attempts at widening. Supply of drinking water remains an urban horror story. Some localities have 24×7 supply while others have to resort to buying water from private water carriers. The PHE and the SMB bicker with each other over responsibility for such lapses – a crying shame for any self respecting metropolis.
Coming to waste disposal and sanitation and the less said the better on the subject. The sad truth is that the problems have increased with the time and defy solutions. The question is why? It is not that other cities have not faced similar problems, but they have been able to formulate viable solutions. Why is Shillong then stuck with this blocked mindset? Where are the solutions? As citizens we have to ask ourselves these questions and as citizens be equally responsible for finding answers.
Time is of the essence here and we don’t have time for meaningless debate on the matter. We need to cut to the chase and come to the point. The point is that Shillong lacks a viable, workable elected Urban Civic Body! Such bodies play a crucial role in the administration and governance of urban areas. They are responsible for providing essential services, managing infrastructure, and facilitating development within cities and towns. These bodies are vital for ensuring the well-being and quality of life for urban residents. The issues addressed by such bodies range from supply of potable drinking water; providing and facilitating the process of sanitation and waste management ( something that is on the verge of collapse in Shillong) ; addressing public health which includes measures to prevent and control spread of diseases; street lighting; managing urban infrastructure like roads, bridges footpaths etc; urban planning by coming up with master plans for urban development; economic development by creating employment and economic growth through the creation of markets, business zones.
Civic bodies provide and create social infrastructure through social amenities like schools, hospitals, and recreational facilities; they play a crucial role in developing and managing city transport systems. They are responsible for planning, funding, and implementing various transport solutions to ensure efficient, safe, and sustainable mobility for residents. This includes public transport infrastructure and traffic management ( a sorely needed public service). Surprised? In reality, its Urban Civic Bodies and not governments that are mandated to act as the primary elected entities responsible for the day-to-day administration, planning, and service delivery in urban areas. Its basically what Shillong desperately needs. Now why Shillong is devoid of such solutions is something none have cared to explain. Perhaps the time has come to do so.
First let us examine the existence of this dilapidated, rundown and decrepit institution called the Shillong Municipal Board. Shillong Municipality was first created by the British in 1878 and the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) was constituted in 1973. It was established under the Meghalaya Municipal Act in the same year but for reasons unknown, has remained superseded ever since. Meghalaya like Alice in Wonderland thrives in paradoxes and the reason for SMB supercession remains a mystery, buried with the bones of politicians who then took such decisions. Since then the State Government has been nominating members to the Board which is treated like a Government Department than the elected coordinating institution it ought to have been. Instead of coordinating it now competes with other Government Departments; its key role and functions delegated to the Dorbars Shnong ( who, lest we forget, are yet to attain legal recognition). Hence the SMB’s performance has plummeted and lost public trust and confidence.
Today SMB is looked at askance by the very citizenry it seeks to serve and who are reluctant to revive the Board or to expand it to other areas of a rapidly expanding city. Instead the decision was taken in 1990 to create MUDA , a standalone Urban Development Authority, without any support from existing civic bodies. No wonder it too flopped; politics took over and now the KHADC has taken over in the 6th Schedule areas, whatever MUDA was mandated to perform. This is another mystery; another enigma; another paradox. Here’s another public service initiative sacrificed at the altar of politics! The question to ask – is Shillong and Greater Shillong doomed forever to remain a glamourized village just because politics refuses to empower it with the institutions and amenities of a modern metropolis? More important, what makes us hesitate to enable an elected Municipal Board from reviving itself?
Most Shillongites, especially the local tribals, recoil with horror from the idea of holding Municipal Elections. Three main reasons are cited for this reluctance. First is the fear that the SMB will then be controlled by a non-tribal majority. A falsehood – since only five out of the total 27 wards are open general seats. The remaining 22 seats are reserved seats for tribals. So whats the fear? Second, there is an apprehension that Ward Commissioner elections will introduce party politics at the Dorbar level which is detrimental to the traditional practice of electing Dorbar office bearers on non-party affiliations. Again this is untrue as the Meghalaya Municipal Act itself vide Section 15-A provides that “Political parties are barred from contesting elections” and further clarifies that no person will be allowed to contest Municipal elections on the ticket or symbol of any political party. The Third reason is a bit more complicated as some Rangbah Shnong have opined that Meghalaya needs a Municipal Act of its own.
This one’s a real brainteaser. It sounds complicated because Municipal Acts of all cities all over the world invariably address the same basic urban needs. The reasoning here therefore sounds more like a cognitive impediment than a sincere appreciation of an anticipated difficulty. Perhaps it springs from the fear of the imposition of another MLA/ MDC clone to lord it over our Dorbar! Now that’s a genuine concern! Perhaps a Municipal Act of our own simply means the need to provide our Dorbar with a more direct role in the election and functioning of an elected Ward Commissioner. This however should not be a hurdle as the Meghalaya Municipal Act can be amended, if need be, to help remove such fears. I know it can be done!
To clarify matters it must be stated upfront that an elected Municipal Civic Body is a special democratic institution invented to help administer and govern modern urban centres. The basic needs and requirements of all urban centres are listed in the 2nd para of this write-up and it is important to understand that these needs are usually interlinked with each other. Departments of the Government cannot on their own create the required linkage with each other. They need a coordinating agency for such interface and the Municipality is specifically designed to provide this coordination in urban governance. Secondly, urban centres of Meghalaya are composed of the traditional Dorbar Shnong running contiguous to each other with the same urban infrastructural requirements running from one Dorbar to the next. Water supply, drainage , transport and traffic control are some relevant examples for Shillong. They need to be handled and coordinated in a holistic contiguous manner not in bits and pieces by independent unrelated Government Departments. These are urban prerequisites that need to be recognized and accepted. Most of Shillong’s current problems arise out of our inability or fear to accept these realities. The Dorbar need to come together under the roof of a legally recognized apex coordinating agency. The Synjuk, however emotionally popular, does not qualify but the Municipality fulfills this requirement so why not make use of it?
The main focus of this article is to remove these cobwebs that have clogged our minds for so long. Yes, lets have a Municipal Act of our own where the Dorbar can have a direct role to play. A simple tweaking of the present Act will meet this requirement. Lets get together and recognize the urgent requirements of our beloved city, the most important of which is the replacement of aging and archaic infrastructure and replace the same with modern ones. Our people deserve it so why should they be denied. Yes lets hold elections, access the provisions of the 74th Amendment and help ourselves to the required funds from the Ministry of Urban Affairs. Let the Shillong Municipal elections be Of the Dorbar, By the Dorbar and For the Dorbar. It can be done.