Fifty one years running, many of the statehood fighters have left for the heavenly abode, though some are still alive and kicking. Salute to all of them who bravely fought for the statehood of Meghalaya. But what kind of a State did they achieve to get? What are those people in the helm, who governed and inherited from the predecessors, have been doing all these years?
How many would agree with me, if I say that Meghalaya is a Sub-State of Assam. I can prove that with the following arguments.
Firstly, we are not having a clear boundary. There are always conflicts, arsons, deaths, etc in the (so called) borders (Langpih, Khanduli, Mukroh, etc). Disputes are imminent, and will keep on continuing. It would just become an election issue every time the election to the Legislative Assembly or the District Councils takes place.
Each and every government servant is drawing salaries, right from the Chief Minister to the muster roll workers. However, the acquaintances roll, pay bills, etc are all Assam scheduled. Therefore, we can easily conclude that we are still under Assam.
Our forms and challan cease once they reach the last check gate. They will be automatically replaced with that of Assam with full value. For any material that is supposed to leave the State, our Transit Pass, challan, etc cease to function at the last checkpoint. From then on things are changed to Assam’s. This means that our challans are meant for internal use only. Yet our businessmen never complain. Is it due to ignorance?
A joint cadre is another example. In the true sense, why can’t we do away with these? ”Salute” to the “fighters” (dead or alive) who thought that they had accomplished their mission. It would have been the responsibility of the next incumbent to take forward and finish the incomplete task and solve the crisis once and for all.
In a very simple word, we can say that our Chief Minister is the Sub-Chief Minister of Assam. So do the ministers and everybody down the line and the whole population of the so-called Meghalaya race, tribe, etc…. loving people. We are all after our own goal, trying to out-live one another using all our wits and whims.
Another question: Do we have to learn from the other younger states like Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal, Sikkim, etc? Do we need a time rewind machine?
Meghalaya is still lingering on to its name, in the “Limbo”, not able to achieve full statehood. What!!!??? I still remember the time when Bah Nit Shabong was canvassing for his election to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly when he said, “Elect me and I am going to change the name of Assambly to Meghalayably” (try to digest this). Ours is the best example of the proverb “Haste makes waste”.
We can solve these issues, I like the visionary legislator (Late) Martin N. Majaw of Mawhati (ST Assembly) in the 70s. What he did was considered foolish at that point of time. He did construct the earthen road at some vulnerable point of likelihood of encroachment bordering Assam in Umsiang. People at that time thought it was a waste of money, but now it stood firm as the boundary pillar.
At present we have a lot of schemes and projects which we can take up in the border areas (be it inter-state or international). Schemes like plantation works, research and training centres (Police Battalions), educational institutions, plants and industries, roads and communications (PMGSY), allocation of land to central forces (need scrutiny).
Buying the land from the locals in the border areas by the government and allotting them to the educated unemployed youth, especially from agriculture and allied sectors and a lot of other activities which can be of economic empowerment to the locals who had been in border security or guards without incentives or pay but who adhered firmly to protect our boundary (thanking you all). There are a lot of individuals like me, who would like to help solve the problems if it is worth mentioning.
