By Patricia Mukhim
As a media person I am not ideologically attached to any political party. This vests me with the freedom to judge every political party by its ability to serve a public purpose. Sadly, in Meghalaya no political party has so far stood out for taking a public position on behalf of the citizens that voted them to represent their voices in the legislature. In this respect I salute the Voice of Peoples’ Party (VPP) for taking a stand on a crucial public interest matter – the bold attempt by those in power to parcel off the only protected forest in Shillong’s peri-urban area of Mawpat, beginning from Lumshyiap area. This forest is our green lungs. If this forest goes, Shillong’s populace will suffer from air pollution like the citizenry is suffering now. This forest is also our catchment. If it is turned into an urban township which is what those in power seem to want, then Shillong could well become another Byrnihat – the most polluted area in India today.
Democracy demands that citizens raise their voices on issues affecting them. It is assumed that the educated who can grasp issues that afflict or are likely to affect the future of the state and its citizens will voice out these concerns. More so when that involves the takeover of common property resources such as forests, land and even rivers, not by the so-called ‘outsiders’ (read non-tribals) that the sundry pressure groups paint as the buccaneers of indigenous wealth but by the powerful tribal politically connected elite. Its tiring to hear of pressure groups voicing out regularly that they stand to “pynim ia ka jaitbynriew,” (to protect the local indigenous people), but those shouts stop short of questioning the looting of resources that actually belong to all indigenous tribals who fall under the larger Khasi-Jaintia umbrella. We must therefore be grateful to the VPP for blowing the whistle on what is one of the biggest loot of common property resources – the parcelling off of the protected forest of Mawpat.
So let’s take a look at the accountability factor and ask those responsible how they allowed such a serious crime to be committed in broad daylight
Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council:
As per the Sixth Schedule all forests other than reserved forests are under the custody of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). If the forests have been cut down and the land parcelled off to different entities -mainly the powerful tribal elite, then the KHADC must be the first respondent and give a public statement as to how this was allowed to happen. If the present VPP-led ADC is not involved in the process of parcelling out such forests to individuals then it has to follow protocols and look into the files where the proceedings of allowing such forests to be privatised is being noted. Those responsible for allowing this theft to happen must be hauled up publicly. Surely, the KHADC cannot just sit back and allow the resources that are under its watch being stolen by powerful forces, allegedly by elected representatives. If the KHADC is unable to put a stop to such thefts then what is it good for? We might as well do away with the Sixth Schedule.
Mylliem Syiemship:
Currently this seems to be the most problematic institution. If the former Syiem of Mylliem – Latho Manik Syiem and the KHADC have signed a deal in 2014 to turn this entire forest measuring about 1700 acres into a protected forest (Law Adong) then why is that sacred trust violated? Is the present Syiem of Mylliem not aware of this loot of what is a sacred trust that he is supposed to zealously guard? What does he have to say on this daylight robbery of a peoples’ resource – not his, by any stretch of imagination. These forests are what our ancestors called part of Ri Raid (collective property of the people; not belonging to any single clan) and if such a thing has happened it is a deceitful piece of legislation that we are not aware of. If there was some decision taken that the entire forest belongs only to the Syiem clan then we need to approach the National Green Tribunal on this matter before this state starts to face a drought situation.
State Forest Department:
Is it not the brief, nay the scared trust of the State Forest Department with an over-abundance of officials to conserve the forests of this state? Are those at the helm of the Forest Department blind and deaf that they have allowed entire forests to be denuded when ordinary mortals wanting to cut a single tree that has encroached into the public road have to go through several procedures of getting the Forest Department’s consent? What is the Territorial Division of the Forest Department pretending it knows nothing about this theft of forest land? What is really happening here? Is this not a collusion between the Forest Department the Mylliem Syiemship and the KHADC?
What about the Dorbar Shnong?
I am mentioning this institution last of all because it is supposed to be the eyes and ears of Khasi society and to safeguard the rights of the people. The Dorbar Shnong of the areas within which the Law Adong Mawpat falls should have been the first whistle blowers when such an outrage has happened. There are several Dorbar Shnong around the Mawpat forests. Are they not concerned about the future outcomes of denuding an entire forest so that some people can make money out of the deal and powerful politicians get their dirty hands on sacred common property resources? The problem with the Dorbar Shnong and also the Syiem is that they are a law unto themselves and accountable to none. This system of impunity has to stop and the Meghalaya High Court ought to step in and intervene in a situation where all other institutions have failed the people. The High Court should step in now before Meghalaya loses every inch of its forests to a powerful tribal elite.
Will Pressure Groups speak up?
The pressure groups seem to have a single agenda of blaming the outsider (mynder) for everything that is wrong with this state and society. In this case the thieves of our common resources – the forests that are providing us clean air to breathe without which we will die, are not the outsiders (mynder) but our own powerful elite. Do the pressure groups have the will and the conscience to take up this issue on the grounds of Khasi native ethics of “pynneh pynsah ia ka mariang?” We wait and watch to see what the guardians of society do now that this loot of the commons is exposed.
And where are the faith groups?
There are so many faith groups each one holier than the other but when it comes to taking a stand on important public issues they shy away probably because the political elite belong to their congregations and are also probably their biggest funders. What’s the point of preaching the indigenous value systems when these are ruthlessly trampled and nature is suffering at the hands of those very people who are the loudest trumpeters of piety; who speak of “Ka Mei Mariang” with such solemnity at public platforms but fail to address the onslaught on the same mother nature? Aren’t these mere empty rhetorics? Empty celebrations of so-called socio-cultural events; vacuous songs and lyrics that sound good but have no force to stop the looting of public resources?
Slaves of GroupThink:
This is a society where people shy away from thinking as individuals. People gravitate to where the numbers are without considering if numbers alone help in deciding whether an issue is worth taking a stand against. One is shocked by the stunning silence after the forest loot was reported in all the local dailies. Perhaps the regular noise creators are shell-shocked by what happened. It’s time to seek public accountability from all the institutions mentioned above. If they don’t rise to the occasion they have no business to lord it over us. The Minister of Environment and Forests in the MDA Government must tell us why his Department has failed to check the biggest loot of forest land. The Syiem of Mylliem must be hauled up by the District Council. The previous MDCs who allowed a road to be constructed through the forest without due permission must also be named and face punitive action.
The above actions are necessary and the people must stand together to address this loot of common resources. Look at the encroachment on the Wah Umkhrah by the moneyed class. Why is it allowed to happen? If Meghalaya does not come up with a Land Ceiling Act it will not be long before the landless will revolt and do so violently because they would have nothing to lose. Landlessness and the elite capture of land issues that need immediate intervention. Its now or never!