It says a lot about the integrity or lack of it of the State Police when the Meghalaya High Court now has to rely on a wing of the central armed police forces (CAPF). Considering that CRPF has within its set-up the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), it might be better placed to intercept the coal trucks that have been plying without caring a hoot for the law. This, in fact, is the dangerous part about Meghalaya. The rule of law just does not apply in this state. People actually get away with murder. Conviction rates are abysmally low and an FIR filed on any issue is unlikely to yield any result. Ultimately the person filing the FIR is harassed because he/she has to appear in a court of law to ensure that the case is closed because police cannot piece together any evidence. For 8 long years since 2014, coal has been mined despite a ruling by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banning rat hole mining (a) because of the risks involved for the miners who have descend some 200 feet vertically into a hole and then branch out horizontally to dig the coal seams that are then carted to the top of the mine. Several miners have been buried alive due to sudden flooding of mines when they accidentally burrow into an abandoned mine that is flooded during the rainy season.
That a mining accident happened as late as December 2018 where 15 people died inside due to sudden flooding is information enough that coal mining had never really stopped but was actively happening under the watch of the State. The law and order machinery that should have been used to stop illegal transportation of coal was instead used to facilitate the business in collusion with the truck owning mafia. It is a known fact that each coal laden truck had to pay Rs 90,000 to a set of collectors under the behest of the Home Department. Each transport challan is being used at least ten times. So the Department of Mines and Minerals, the Transport Department, Taxation Department and the Home Department work in smooth convergence in this fraudulent set-up.
It is also surprising that no one questions the makeshift police check posts at Mookyndur and Mukhla where every truck halts and hands over money to the police without ever asking for a receipt. How can such violations of the rule of law be allowed without any consequences? The BJP and TMC have both vowed to root out corruption in Meghalaya. It remains to be seen if these national Parties will make good their promises should they hold the reins of governance in Meghalaya. Lawlessness should end. And the High Court has the onus of ensuring that criminality is arrested.
