By Toki Blah
The unfortunate and untimely passing away of (L) Dr Ricky Syngkon, Lok Sabha member from Shillong constituency on Feb 19, 2026 left a gaping void in Meghalaya’s political milieu. The Lok Sabha vacancy he left behind now needs to be filled up and till the writing of this op-ed, three potential candidates, from three prominent political parties have announced their candidature and intention of contesting this vacant Shillong MP seat. No doubt other parties will soon follow suit with their own candidates. That is the easy part. The daunting feature of the exercise lies in identifying a candidate acceptable to the electorate and public acceptance will be for a person whom the electorate think can fill the (L) Dr Syngkon’s shoes. Dr Syngkon belonged to that rare breed of politicians whom the common man looked up to. A people’s representative whom one could trust and rely on. He somehow radiated that sense of ethics, sincerity and value-based politics that is in such short supply among Meghalaya politicians. It’s the type of leadership Meghalaya needs and has been in search of. Candidate selection is therefore going to be a tough call, for besides the above-mentioned qualities the element of sympathy voting also has to be taken into consideration. The content of this writeup will therefore aim on (1) how to, without prejudice to any candidate or party, assist the electorate, in electing the type of person Meghalaya needs to send to parliament (2) create awareness as to the duties and responsibilities expected of an elected MP from the Shillong constituency.
In the coming MP elections, although everyone will deny it, money will definitely play a role as it usually does. No point bewailing this unavoidable fact. This write-up therefore will not waste time deliberating on a socio-political malaise that everyone pretends is not there. Instead, let us talk about the expectations, both social and political that people expect from their MP and as a corollary to that, the official duties and responsibilities the elected MP has towards those who elected him to power. The contest usually proceeds in the following manner. Once the name of a candidate is announced for any election, his/her disposition and temperament, personal lifestyle, personal history, attitude towards others, especially the poor, form hot topics for public discussion. The main points usually debated upon are the attitude and conduct of the candidate in his/her social interactions with others. Humility, the trait Dr Synkon displayed with such natural ease of which Ellerine Diengdoh highlighted in her article titled “The Sound of Silence”, ST 22nd May is a definite advantage. Academic qualification is another plus point because we have learnt from the past that MPs who are comfortable with English are better equipped in driving home a point on the floor of Parliament. Being solicitous and compassionate; ready to help; ready to walk the walk of the poor and the marginalized is another quality that the electorate admire and expect from their representative. A candidate who manages to emerge unscathed through this unofficial pre-poll, public screening will enter the fray with an edge over others.
Once elected, the tenure of an MP is usually for 5 years. During that time he either sits with the treasury or the opposition. Everyone knows this. The sad part however is the fact that most of us remain ignorant of what exactly is a MP supposed to do. Actually, the onus placed on an MP is quite intense and heavy as he represents people at three overlapping levels. First at the constituency level. In our case the Shillong Constituency that comprises both the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. At this level he is expected to raise issues that impact the constituency he represents. The Shillong MP raising the question of inclusion of the Khasi Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution is an example. Secondly, he also represents the state he comes from. The MP from Shillong standing up in Parliament to flag the seriousness of the border dispute with Assam and to call for Central intervention on the matter, is what Meghalaya expects its MP to do. Thirdly he automatically also represents the nation as a whole, irrespective of whether he belongs to the treasury benches or the opposition. This inclusive character of our democracy is usually displayed when delegations of MPs are sent abroad to advocate core interest issues of India. Such delegations are multi party in nature and can even be led by an opposition member, the latest example of which are the delegations sent to various countries after Operation Sindoor.
Let us therefore assume that by late 2026 we would have elected and secured an MP seat for a person we believe is best qualified to represent us in Parliament. Now what do we expect him to do in New Delhi? It’s a cheeky impertinent question to ask but it has to be asked for the simple reason that most of us view our MPs simply as money bags elected to disperse the MPLADS funds. That of course is ridiculous for, the MP we send to Delhi must possess a world view that is in tune with Meghalaya’s needs. The (L) GG Swell as Deputy Speaker of Parliament did once comment on the qualifications and ability of a rival MP candidate with the caustic remark “Un leit leh aiu sha Delhi? Un leit die shana?”( What does he expect to do in Delhi? Sell hot gram by the wayside?)” Malicious no doubt but true!
So aside from the demand for ILP and inclusion of Khasi language in the 8th Schedule, there is also the bigger picture of what Meghalaya needs to obtain from the Center. Our MP should have the intellectual capability and oratory skills to shift parliamentary focus on Meghalaya’s rural development where 75% of our population reside. He should be able to leverage Central schemes on issues such as agro-processing; value addition to agricultural products; urge upon the center for studies on how our small marginal hill-side-farmers can create adequate economies of scale production to enable Meghalaya’s agro products to compete in the open market.
Speaking of markets let us also create awareness at the Center of the need for an alternate people’s market based on the Iewduh model. I am not speaking of shopping malls but of a multi-storied marketing complex , somewhere between Mawlai and New Shillong designed to create relief to a overpopulated and stressed Shillong. Such a market should be for small scale local entrepreneurs (Iewduh style). It will provide livelihood opportunities; decongest old Shillong and improve the local economy. Can’t see why KHADC cannot be involved in such an enterprise.
The Shillong MP should also have the skill to socialize and bond with other MPs even if they don’t belong to the political side he is on. Friendship with other Parliamentary colleagues helps in pushing Meghalaya’s agenda even with MPs who know nothing about our state. Other issues our MP need to introduce in Parliament are the seemingly impossible task of improving Shillong traffic congestion. There are various technologies developed specifically to introduce rapid urban transport. Bringing in such improvements through Central assistance will be a boon for all concerned.
Then there is tourism that is now officially accepted as the state’s biggest economic engine. Space prevents me from naming all the tourism areas and places that still await development but let us take Umiam lake as an example. It has all the potentials of attracting tourists. It will be hypocrisy and deception of the first order if we develop 5-star tourism infrastructure in and round the lake while leaving its water quality as dirty, polluted and compromised as it is today!
Today Umiam lake forms the world’s biggest cesspool fed with raw sewage and garbage from both the Umshyrpi and the Umkhrah. Umiam is a waterbody that has lost its natural ecosystem and turned into a stagnant, toxic trap for waste. Restoring its health is imperative if we are sincere in showcasing Umiam as a prime tourist destination. Business ethics commands that we as hosts cannot tempt tourist clients into beautiful but toxic tourist sites. This demands that Umiam Lake’s sources of pollution be addressed first. We therefore need a MP who can convince the highest echelons in both the Urban, Tourism and DONER Ministry in Delhi for a comprehensive Umiam Ecotourism restoration project at the earliest. In conclusion may the best person for Shillong’s development carry the day of vote counting.
