Judging by the point and counterpoint between the chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya it would appear that there are no bigger issues than holding world class concerts where western singing idols decorate the stage and woo the crowd. In fact, every state of India’s North East is trying to outdo the other in terms of hosting events and bringing in singing sensations from the west. Interestingly, before the concerts, gate-keeping groups are heard prescribing decent outfits for the audience. When states promote western rock stars they have to put up with the peccadilloes of those stars because those are the kind of get-ups that bring them stardom. If they came dressed like staid gentlemen or high society ladies they would not be where they are today. Hence the dichotomy of inviting singing stars from the west while at the same time expecting the home- grown youth to still cling to their cultural dress-codes that keep body parts from making shy appearances is anomalous.
Interestingly, after the Post Malone concert in Guwahati, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has been making claims about making Guwahati a bigger event venue than Shillong. His cheerleaders have not been far behind in stating that Guwahati is the regional capital and has more to offer than all the states put together. When Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma was asked for his response to Biswa Sarma’s braggadocio, he merely stated that competitive rivalry was welcome. When states begin to compete to give their best is when healthy competition happens. Each state has its plus and minuses and it is not the star singer who is best placed to certify whether a concert was worth the ticket amount paid. Rather it is the audience that has paid through its nose for the tickets who is the best judge of the quality of the event and whether they got their money’s worth.
What is worrisome is that entertainment apart from claims of bringing in revenue for the state and other spin-offs could also be a distraction from the many ready examples of poor governance that plague the daily lives of citizens. India’s North East suffers from decrepit governance where roads are built to last just one season. Come monsoons and the roads develop crater-sized holes that are dangerous for vehicles. And these are right inside the city limits. Many households in Shillong city still don’t have regular water supply and have to purchase water for their daily needs from private water suppliers. This despite the tall claims of the Jal Jeevan Mission Project being successful. The health system is barely coping. Electricity, which is a dire need across all institutions, especially banking and technology parks handling high-paying clients across the globe, fails at the most crucial morning hours. Depending on generators or inverters is neither efficient nor sustainable for hotels and business establishments. Education in all the eight states of NorthEast India shows poor learning outcomes but these are not even talking points. Instead, all the energy is directed at successfully running a concert as if that alone can resolve the persistent problem of lacking basic facilities. Concerts are to entertain the elite. What do the poor get out of them?
