The winds of change have blown off the ruling National Peoples’ Party (NPP) from its high level seat of power from where they were virtually the cock of the walk, ruling both state and the three state councils. The nascent Voice of People’s Party (VPP) has firmly knocked them off this vantage driver’s seat, leaving the ruling party with none to look after its back. .
At the same time, the VPP did not do too badly in the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) snapping off eight seats without much ado in the NPP stronghold, certainly a matter for worry for the ruling NPP in the days to come.
Some changes are in store in the running of the KHADC with this new dispensation. If the past acrimony between the NPP-led State Government and the VPP are anything to go by, one can surmise that there is a rocky road ahead for the state as one-upmanship over the issues is bound to happen. The hunger strike staged by the VPP president seeking changes in the employment reservation quotas for the tribes and the situation created in the capital city is still fresh in public memory. While there is not much difference in what these parties want, after all, they are all from the local tribal heritage, the demand for immediate implementation would cause a lot of heartburn. Be it NPP or VPP or for that matter any home grown political party or even any self-respecting local NGO, each has the issue of “protection of indigenous peoples’ right” as the first priority in their manifestos and agendas. There is not much difference in the agendas, even though the flags that they wave are different. The competition would be in the range of who will speak louder than the other and to what extent would they go to get these done, on the streets or in the conference rooms.
These are general agendas. Preserving traditional institutions and customs, strengthening dorbar shnongs, safeguard indigenous peoples land ownership, protection of environment, water sources, forests and rivers, good relations with the traditional heads are issues none would dispute. However, when it comes to the issue of implementation of the Inner Line Permit Regime (ILP), this could be a flash point as the matter does not lie in the hands of the State Government. The NPP led government has in fact passed a resolution seeking its implementation in the state. It is the Central Government which has to decide this. So far, there has been no indication as to its likely decision. Linked to this matter is the entry of the railway lines into the state. For the past decades, this has been hanging fire, and till recent months it seemed that the project would be allowed to come through. On this issue the VPP has maintained that their agreement to allow the railway project is dependent on whether the government will implement laws to safeguard the local population against influx from outside, such as the ILP. As the VPP has been raucous about the ILP, the state is likely to see some sparks over this at some point of time in the next few years.
Financial issues will overshadow everything else in both the Councils, because the Councils do not have much revenue of their own. They have to rely on the state government to release their funds from the State Budget and this has created many problems in the past. Direct funding is one of the many issues laid out in the 125th Amendment to the Sixth Schedule which this new ruling party will be voracious about. Whether they will agree to women’s reservation in the Councils is another question, these new members will have to decide.
As a new broom, the VPP, first time in power in the KHADC, has to take steps to implement its most stirring promise to bring transparency and weed out corruption in the running of the council. Already, there has been much discussion in the media over certain audit paragraphs where there was deemed to be corruption in some of the departments. To flip this out will probably be their first task as the new bosses in the House. The public will wait and watch how good a broom they have voted for.
