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Meghalaya : Chief Minister Lapang in Catch-22 situation |
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The clash of interests between the Garo and Khasi hills over restructuring of school education in Meghalaya appeared to intensify last week with the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) saying it would not accept anything less than implementation of the recommendations of the government-constituted committee.
The KSU statement came amidst renewed turmoil in the Garo hills, where the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) mounted pressure on the D.D. Lapang government not to amend the Meghalaya Board of School Education Act, 1973.
The Garo community believes the government is trying to bifurcate the board, which operates from Tura in the West Garo Hills, in a bid to appease organisations in the Khasi hills. The KSU has specifically demanded a regional office of the board in Shillong.
KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said his organisation would write to the Assembly panel that has been set up to study the proposed amendment and ask it “not to deviate” from the original recommendations. The review panel was formed after differences cropped up in the ruling coalition over the amendment bill, which was tabled during the autumn session of the Assembly, last month.
One of the recommendations received by the government is to set up a regional office of the board in Shillong with a director at the helm to oversee school education in Ri Bhoi and the Khasi and Jaintia hills districts.
The second proposal is to appoint a full-time chairman and directors for the four wings of the board “administration, academic, examination and finance” in Tura.
The recommendations of the committee on school education ended the month-long agitation in Shillong, but had the opposite effect on the Garo hills.
The GSU and a few other organisations launched an agitation immediately, leading to police firing on protesters in Tura and Williamnagar on September 30. Nine persons were killed and several injured in the twin incidents.
Sonia’s ‘No’ to Meghalaya reshuffle
Meanwhile, on the political front, the Congress high command has blocked Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang’s Ministry reshuffle plan, arguing for continuity rather than change.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi told Lapang on Nov. 11 that barring the appointment of a minister in place of former deputy chief minister Mukul Sangma, there was no need to usher in changes because the situation in the hill state did not justify such a step.
In Shillong, Governor M.M. Jacob came down hard on the district administration of Tura and Williamnagar for the death of nine persons in police firing on September 30.
Jacob expressed his dissatisfaction at the district administration’s inability to prevent the loss of lives during his two-day visit to the Garo hills last week.
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