By: Kerlang Ksoo Dkhiah West Village, East Jaintia Hills District
Meghalaya is all set to commemorate its Golden Jubilee celebration on the 21st January 2022 which marks the 50th full fledging status of the state that was carved from Assam on the 21st January 1972. While within the 50th milestone, the state has witnessed a total of ten assembly elections for the 60 member house representing the people from the constituencies across the state.
While some of the governments showed some extent of positive essence of governance whereas others prove failure and frustration. Different parties from the national ones to the regional ones are taking their turns in leading the government in the state; however at its golden age the state still seems to lack the basic and conceptual ideology of healthy and fit governance.
There are regions within the state’s topography that got special treatment and special attention by these governments for development and even further beautification, whereas some regions are just not so fortunate enough and are blatantly left unnoticed and unattended.
Government after government are indulging in their political trade and business of which they play best, blaming, condemning and pointing fingers at their predecessor for the failures and incompetence caused in governances. Issues ranging from border disputes to rampant coal trafficking, basic road connectivity to drinking water, from electricity to health infrastructure, from education to waste management and many other major issues that irked and vexed the very common sense of the general public.
Ridiculously, the government has all the financial resources to organize various festivals of every sorts and kind in the namesake of promoting this and promoting that while most of our remote rural areas are living in the dark and struggling a hard life with no electricity, no road connectivity and no drinking water and no proper health accessibility. Residents of such areas and the border areas fell victims to the false promises made by every visiting politician during election campaign for a better life.
The present MDA government nonetheless is another government whose governing methodology exhibits its nepotism and favoritism nature in the course of its endeavor. Be it the central schemes or state schemes, implementation of these schemes are always to a region already stacked with existing development and infrastructure.
Jaintia Hills region is one such region in the state of Meghalaya that has been a sufferer of deprivation and discrimination by every government in the span of all the fifty years. The present government however functioned in a way that Jaintia Hills region is not in its developmental goal. With almost 80% of the schemes and projects being placed and located for implementation in Khasi Hills and Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills alone stands neglected and isolated.
The game being played by the government in turning Jaintia Hills as its business district for the politicians in POWER that does not only end with exploitation of the region’s rich minerals deposits, ironically basic infrastructure in road connectivity, health accessibility, potable drinking water availability and electricity connectivity to many villages are intentionally abandoned and forsaken.
The golden age of the state also revealed the failed waste management measures of the government as Jowai witnessed the garbage endemic and crisis of which Jowai being one of the major town in the state unnecessarily turned into a dumping ground for tons and tons of garbage and solid waste piling every day. The question now is whether the Chief Minister will take pride in clicking his selfie or picture if he visits Jaintia Hills region as he regularly does while walking around or while having his lunch in a local dhaba in Garo Hills?
Conrad Sangma’s government launched over 300 projects in the state as part of the state 50th commemoration. Will the Chief Minister allot equal shares to Jaintia Hills from the 300? Or will he simply include and insert Jaintia hills with Khasi Hills like always and then give no projects to Jaintia Hills in particular? Nobody can deny the fact that Jaintia Hills too deserve technical colleges, skill development institutions, universities, hospitals besides other human resource developments and skills equivalent with the other region in the state but does the government have these plans/projects in place for Jaintia Hills?
Our dearest seven MLAs representing the region undoubtedly are the most silent and most obedient representatives in Conrad’s regime. Perhaps the MDA has taught them well on how to be good with “Yes” rather than saying “No” to the Chief Minister at the cost of neglecting those they are representing in the house. The hue and cry of their folk means nothing to them most of the times.
In conclusion as a concerned and responsible citizen of Jaintia Hills region, I urged the Chief Minister to consider developing the region the same way as being done to other part of the state, unless development and progress walk hand in hand to every nook and cranny of the state, the celebration of the state’s golden jubilee is yet another day to remind the people of the incompetency of all the government in running the state for the past 50 years!!!
