The Assembly is a place for reasoned debates, not a platform for shouting matches. Elected members sitting in the Opposition may be agitated on several matters including long pending projects including the demand for the Inner Line Permit (ILP) which does not appear to be a priority for the NDA Government.The State Legislature is meant to be a place of constructive debate and democratic decision‑making. The Opposition is not there to oppose everything that the government does but to point out governance loopholes after having done extensive ground work which involves studying files and getting answers to questions from the Right to Information (RTI) route so that the Government can be held accountable for its acts of omission and commission. Few people and organisations in Meghalaya actually use the RTI to detect wrongdoing in implementation of schemes and the reason why every project over-shoots the deadline by several years unlike other states where construction companies are pulled up for inordinate delays.
The bedlam in the Assembly on Wednesday was created by the VPP supremo, Ardent Basaiawmoit who tried to corner the government on the undue delay by the central government in granting the ILP to Meghalaya when it was quick to grant the same to Manipur on the eve of the last election following which the BJP won the election in that state. Is the NDA Government waiting for a similar situation to develop in Meghalaya where people are so desperate for the ILP that they will vote the BJP to power? It appears that the ILP has become a bargaining tool that Home Minister, Amit Shah will use on the eve of the next elections in 2028. Playing games with weaker states has always been Delhi’s favourite playbook. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is heard saying that the ILP is a collective burden of the people of Meghalaya hence all 60 MLAs need to work in tandem and meet the Union Home Minister in what is seen as a united effort. Already the Shillong MP, has briefed Amit Shah on the threats posed by open borders with Bangladesh and the unregulated cross-border migration. So, Amit Shah knows exactly why Meghalaya needs the ILP but will not budge and nor will he give reasons as to why the idea is not feasible. He keeps the politicians of Meghalaya in good humour whenever they meet him but refuses to take action. What is the way forward? That’s where collective strategies are needed.
The State Assembly is not a performative space but one where despite all the rancour members must maintain decorum also because they are being watched by the younger generation of would-be politicians. When MLAs disrupt proceedings, business is dislocated and public faith in the democratic process is shaken. A disciplined, respectful, and thoughtful Assembly reflects the spirit of democracy and ensures that the people’s voices are truly heard.Besides, the Opposition cannot just wait for the Assembly to voice their grievances. They ought to do it through the year and take up what the CAG reports regularly point out about the poor deployment of public funds and the fact that several Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) of the government are actually opening bank accounts to keep money not utilised in a particular financial year. This is a serious offence but has never been taken up in the Assembly.
