By Melarbor L Thabah
There has been a lot of ruckus on a plethora of issues with which the way the dorbars function coupled with lack of systematic administration where rules have been sidelined in both urban and rural areas which we have seen in the newspapers innumerable number of times to which I have also experienced this personally in my own dorbar and dongs or blocks which I am very much frustrated as to way that such affairs are being carried out. Instead of airing my many grievances, I would like to offer solutions to the Himas, the ADCs for administrative streamlining of all the dorbars in the Khasi Jaintia hills. Making suggestions for improvement is more pragmatic than lamenting in silence.
Highhandedness “One Man Show” mentality of the Rangbah Shnongs and Rangbah Dongs
A Khasi dorbar or dong is based on debates and agreements on a consensus basis and not governed by personal ego. Basing on this premise, more often we had seen in the newspapers more so in the rural areas that there have been people who have been deprived of schemes, excommunicated and chased out of their village for various disagreements or suspicions. There are villages where wanton acts of aggression are not reported because the populace are scared of their own Rangbah Dong and Rangbah Shnong. To do away with all of this, existing rules have to be made more stringent and implemented by the Himas which oversees all the dorbars and ADCs within their respective jurisdictions that; Khasi Jaintia Dorbars functions on a consensus mandate and not according to whims and wishes of a single person. Failure to follow the rules must result in the removal of the incumbent Rangbah Shnong /Dong.
Compulsory Election of the Executive Members of the Dorbar, the Dongs, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei
Election of all the members of the Executive Committee of the Dorbar, the Dongs, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei must be held every 3 years which must not be delayed under any circumstance even if there are scams or any other issue. Just like assembly elections are held within that stipulated year, so should all these 4 entities namely the Dorbar, the Dongs, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei must be held every 3 years. No excuse should be entertained for failing to conduct elections by any or all these entities in the due election year. Case in point, as per the Mylliem Constitution, the term of the Rangbah Shnongs, Executive Council at the Dorbar, Dongs/Blocks, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei is 3 years. Flouting of the rules by the Dorbar, its Dongs, Seng Kynthei and Seng Samla for not holding elections, annual meet and other rules must be dealt with rustication when complaints are received. The Secretaries of the 4 entities should conduct elections immediately. Strictly, by a new rule, “no election” to Executive Council of the Dorbar should ever be carried without first renewing the Executive Council of the Dongs/Seng Samla-Kynthei when the term of these Executive Members had ended. If the Secretaries do not perform their duty of carrying out elections, then, it is incumbent upon the Rangbah Shnongs to ask all the Dongs to immediately conduct elections. No excuse should be allowed for failing to carry out the election within that stipulated election year. The Secretaries at the Dorbar, Dongs, Seng Kynthei and Seng Samla both at the Dorbar and the Dongs should compulsorily conduct elections when the terms have ended.
Compulsory Annual Meeting of the Dorbar, Dongs, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei
A mandatory and compulsory meeting of all these 4 entities must be held once a year, every year with no excuse for their inability of holding this annual meeting. All issues, bar none, concerning these 4 entities must be brought forth, presented and discussed. Issues concerning the locality cannot be carried on to another year for discussion and must be discussed within that year since it is very difficult to gobble up all issues in one go and may encourage undesirable activities. Activities cannot go on as before and changes are desirable in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Emergency Meeting
If there is any emergency issue which arises warranting the either the Dorbar, the Dongs/Blocks, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei to take money from the public exchequer, then such an emergency meeting must be notified and convened by any of these 4 entities facing this emergency crises to discuss this issue. Non-pecuniary emergency issues must also be notified and an emergency meeting convened by any of these entities.
Financial Propriety
There must be stellar financial conduct in accounting and auditing with dates strictly mentioned of the revenue and expenses by the 4 entities namely the dorbar, the dongs, seng samla and seng kynthei. Financial impropriety must be effectively dealt with and responsibility must be fixed on the person(s) responsible to face legal action or refund the amount that was impropriated. Many cases at the dorbars have come to light where money was misused. To curb this menace, the guilty must be punished with rules which emphasize such punishment.
Tax Collection
The tax collection from the shops, land lords and tenants should never be high, never increased within 5 years and if there is any increase post 5 years especially for tenants / shops and other business establishments, then it should not be to one’s financial detriment. Dorbars should take for granted that simply because the landlords, shops and tenants have a home that they are financially stable since most of us are unemployed with severe dearth of government jobs. Most people have to set up small businesses and work daily wage just to make ends meet. We are already facing tax terrorism of the central government with jobless growth. We most emphatically do not need tax increments at the community level at regular intervals.
Voting System in the Local community Bodies
All Dorbars must now use only and exclusively the “Ballot System” for counting of votes since raising hands, standing up and voice votes are unscientific, relics of the past constituting an inaccurate voting system especially when the contest is close. To ensure flawless elections, the dorbars should instruct the use of postal ballot boxes and ballot papers for all future elections to all the Dongs, Seng Samla, Seng Kynthei and at the Dorbar. The ADCs and Himas should endeavor a scheme of small amount for enabling dorbars in the rural areas to make such ballot boxes and buy papers.
Renaming to Khasi Names wherever applicable
In a Khasi community inhabited by all Khasi people, the names Block and Chairman must be compulsorily renamed to Dong and Rangbah Dong respectively .In mixed communities, such Khasi names are used such as in Laitumkhrah. Hence, it is logical for all dorbars and dongs to immediately rectify this mistake and make fundamental corrections immediately by substituting Khasi words for English words wherever applicable. The Rangbah Dong is superior to the Secretary Dong. Both are de-facto EC members of the dorbar. Same is the secretary and president of the Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei as EC members of the dorbar. It will be a collective shame if English names still persist whenever Khasi names can be substituted.
Sports and Miscellaneous donations
The share given by the Dorbar to the Seng Samla is extremely paltry in this day and age. This amount should be incrementally increased to commensurate with price rise and should be given annually so that the Seng Samla can conduct sports meet annually every year to nurture the sporting talent of the youth in order for the youth to harness and showcase their potential thereby also preventing them from being engrossed in unwanted activities. Public announcements and banners for holding of such youth events to enable wide participation by the youths must be carried out by the Seng Samla. The dorbar along with dongs, Seng Samla and Seng Kynthei should help in cash or kind to the poor families within their dorbar or raise funds to make such donations in December every year.
Need for a Constitution
All dorbars must have a constitution encompassing the Dorbar, its Dongs, Seng Kynthei and Seng Samla in which the duties and responsibilities of all members are listed in detail. When office associations of the government have a constitution, so should all Dorbars have a constitution mandated by law by the ADCs and Himas to ensure that the dorbars falling under them have a constitution.
Conclusion: Suggested points can be added to the Village-Town Development Council Act 2022 and the Constitution of the Himas for uniformity in administration of the local community bodies of the Dorbars, the Dongs, the Seng Samla and the Seng Kynthei so that the residents of the community will not suffer. This will help to improve administration of local bodies by leaps and bounds through a policy which is implementable in public interest.
