Meghalaya skated along on thin ice on the law and order front with agitation after agitation in 2022 taking the capital by storm every few months. On the political front, party hopping by various politicians was also witnessed frequently just before the end of the year and as the State prepares to enter into an election year.
The agitations ranged from demands for Inner Line Permit, unemployment, teachers of various shades demanding unpaid salaries, regularisation and reinstatement, ASHA workers demands, and the increasing unease with the agreement penned between the Assam and Meghalaya governments to ‘resolve’ the long pending border dispute.
The population hooked to the internet was forced to look for other venues of entertainment this year as the government slammed shut the mobile internet on law and order concerns.
The internet shut downs was in November when events exploded into frenzy with the killing of six persons by the Assam Police in Mukroh in Jaintia Hills District in the Assam-Meghalaya border in the wee hours of November 22. Though the claim by the Assam authorities was that the area does not come under the ‘disputed’ areas, this incident served to haul back Chief Minister Conrad Sangma from his roughshod ride over dissenters against the controversial border agreement he had signed with the Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma. One of the persons killed was an Assam forest guard while the rest were villagers from Mukroh. For days the issue boiled till it died down with both governments ceding to all the demands from the NGOs on behalf of the families of the persons who got killed in the firing by the Assam Police.
As an issue the “border dispute’ and discussions around it hogged most of the headlines throughout the year. But even as the year ended complications did not seem to diminish, what with the Mukroh shootings putting its shadow even over the Agreement to partially ‘solve’ six out of twelve areas of dispute, already penned by the state governments which, incidentally where done in Delhi in the presence of the Union Home minister Amit Shah on March 29. What happens to this agreement remains to be seen as the term of the Sangma led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) comes to a close.
The MDA government was intermittently rocked this year by dissent within the coalition with the various constituents publicly calling for their own government on various issues including the allegations of corruption. The BJP and as the year ends, the senior partner UDP accused NPP MLAs of misusing government funds meant for farmers and have lodged a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner against ministers and legislators associated with the ruling NPP for allegedly misusing the FOCUS and FOCUS+ Scheme.
But it was the Congress party which suffered the biggest blow in its history this year with its complete demise. After 12 legislators out of 17 left the party last year to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and recently some of them defected to variously join the NPP and some the BJP. This year till date marks the lowest ebb of the Congress, once an unassailable giant in the State.
The All India Trinamool Congress entered Meghalaya with serious intentions of making a play for power in the next elections to be held early next year. The year saw the party start off with a bang with Congress party stalwarts of the like of former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and former Speaker Charles Pyngrope leading their followers into the TMC. They immediately became the only opposition party giving them a strong platform to launch their campaign. The year ended for the TMC with the visit of the party supremo Mamata Banerjee to the State and making headlines with her usual charisma.
The judiciary virtually ruled the State this year with many orders and judgments which directed the State government to correct many of its wrongs and injustices of commission and omission in cases brought before it throughout the year, including PILs. In one case the Meghalaya High Court said that hospitals are useless if there are no roads as even basic roads from district headquarters to sub-divisional headquarters are not in place. The High Court asked the government to stop using the constraint of funds as an excuse to not have a basic health care system in place across the State.
The Meghalaya High Court’s full bench took up the issue of unabated illegal coal mining in the State in February asking the chief secretary and director general of police to undertake independent inquiries and report back. Observing that the State government did not act as per the orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal Panel the matter was put before a full bench of the court.
Although Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui defended that the State government was unable to curb the menace effectively as there was a shortage of 1800 personnel in the ranks, the High Court gave the chief secretary of the State “last chance” to reply as the court fumed at the dereliction of the government.
But added to the coal controversy, limestone trade was given a jolt as the traditional export was halted by the Meghalaya High Court based on the State policy which termed limestone mined for export as a “major’ mineral under several conditions which could not be fulfilled by the traditional small minors. This has put thousands of traditional miners and exporter (to Bangladesh) livelihoods on the line and likely to become a major issue in the months ahead in 2023.
The repercussions of the far off Ukrainian War was felt right here in Meghalaya when a dozen or more students studying in that country were among the hundreds who had to flee the war torn country. They were brought back home safe and sound.
Almost 1,600 lives have been lost to Covid-19 in Meghalaya but beyond, yet related to that figure, is the tragically sad toll of newborn babies, 877 of whom along with 61 mothers died due to fears among pregnant women of contracting the coronavirus. These last two figures were highlighted in a report the Meghalaya government prepared for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The NHRC had registered a case over the exceptionally high number of newborn and maternal deaths in Meghalaya during the Covid pandemic. 8000 tobacco related deaths every year, said a report.
MeECL continued to be haunted by its scams including the Smart Meter project. The three-member probe committee headed by retired judge Justice R N Mishra was constituted on July 29, 2021 after allegations from various quarters regarding mismanagement, siphoning of funds and various irregularities in the functioning of MeECL. The report was handed over to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in New Delhi today by retired judge Justice R N Mishra who is heading the inquiry in the presence of two other members of the committee – retired IAS officer Manoj Kumar and retired REC executive director Sunil Kumar. But nothing much has come out of it.
Church leaders under the umbrella of the Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders Forum stepped forward in an attempt to break the hold of corruption and money power in the elections. In a meeting between them and the representatives of the various political parties in the State the issue was discussed amicably but whether this will have much bearing on the elections round the corner remains to be seen.
The collapse of the dome of the Meghalaya Assembly building being constructed at Mawdiangdiang on May 23 shocked the State as the new Assembly construction is a flagship project of the State. The consequent blame game among the politicians and bureaucrats handling the project was embarrassing to see as the incident threw doubts over the design and quality of construction in such a highly prestigious project.
The State successfully hosted the 2nd North East Olympic Games in Shillong in which more than 4000 athletes, technical staff and volunteers from the eight north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura participated. They competed in 18 disciplines including Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Judo, Karate, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Wushu, Cycling, Golf, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.
THE YEAR THAT WAS
JANUARY
Omicron reaches Meghalaya but state copes with the pandemic
EMRI workers go on strike. Government later cuts ties with GVK
Meghalaya celebrates 50th statehood anniversary
IED blast claimed by HNLC rocks Khyndai Lad
FEBRUARY
HNLC offers unconditional peace talks
Five remaining Congress MLAs decide to support MDA Government
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causes difficulties for Meghalaya students, nearly 20 of them were trapped when the war began
MARCH
Controversial first phase of boundary agreement signed between Meghalaya and Assam in New Delhi
APRIL
ISBT inaugurated
Them Metor issue persists for another year
Government formulates roster system for recruitment
Shillong hosts Senior National Table Tennis Championship
Former Chief Minister J D Rymbai passes away
Conrad puts forward casino plan
MAY
4th Meghalaya Games begins with viral complaints over accommodation
Centre grants Meghalaya colleges formal exemption from CUET
Government restarts fertiliser subsidies after failure of Mission Organic
Under-construction dome of new Assembly building collapses
Concerns over Umiam Bridge raised
Double child murder shocks State
JUNE
Nearly 20 killed by mudslides, NH-6 caves in
New political outfit, KAM, launched
JULY
Teachers of all stripes protest for better pay
Government cracks down on bike taxis
HNLC leaders given safe passage for talks
Bernard Marak’s property raided, Tura MDC arrested from Uttar Pradesh
Former minister R G Lyngdoh passes away
AUGUST
Mawlynnong village bags Silver Award as the Best Eco Tourism Destination in India.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma hold talks for second phase of boundary settlement
SEPTEMBER
Car lifter I Love You Talang lynched
Police Department ‘scam’ comes to light
Casino plans scrapped after intense opposition
Justice Vaiphei commission report into Cheristerfield Thangkhiew killing released
OCTOBER
Contractual teacher protest blows up, cops resort to tear gas
FKJGP rally against unemployment turns violent
Govt scraps Gaming Act
Taj Vivanta, Shillong’s first five-star hotel, inaugurated
NOVEMBER
Shillong hosts the North East Olympics Games
Mukroh massacre results in six deaths
DECEMBER
Govt launches/inaugurates/lays foundation stones of numerous projects
Politicians switch parties in droves for 2023 polls
Congress clears first list of candidates
