Whenever I read various journals and magazines, I frequently notice that Meghalaya is rated as the least developed state in the country, the most backward state in the country and I am ashamed of this. And when people who know that I am from this region ask me why the region is still so backward, I have no answer to give them. So I thought, let me sacrifice and come back here and serve the state.
E. P–  You have seen the whole country, you have seen the world. Now you have said that you have come into state politics out of necessity for development. So, what model do you propose as the Chairman of the State Planning Board for the development of the state?
P. A. S– What I have said earlier is that there is a lack of direction, clarity and policy in the state. Therefore the State Planning Board is going to be a real think tank for the state. It will conduct a lot of research and studies and I am bringing in a lot of professionals and experts who are internationally recognised in various fields such as agriculture, energy, tourism, etc. Therefore, it is going to be a professional body and we will be conducting a lot of research work and we will be coming up with feasible policies and these policies will be recommended to the government of Meghalaya. It will be up to the government of Meghalaya to accept or revoke these recommendations but we will do our part.
E. P – The biggest constraint for development in Meghalaya is the unavailability of land. For example, the Shillong bypass which has been pending for more than three decades. How are you going to solve the problem of land particularly when the people are protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India?
P. A. S– If you are talking about Shillong, there is no doubt that there are constraints where land is concerned. But why should the development of Meghalaya be Shillong centric or for that matter Tura centric? It should be spread out. Land is available in the rural areas and developmental activities must shift to the rural areas. The question of non – availability of land in the Khasi Hills is very much there but after all is said and done, the government is the government, it can do whatever it wants to do or means to do. The government can not always go by what the people want. It is the government that knows what is in the best interest of the state and the people. So even if it displaces some sections of the people, I think that for the greater welfare of the state, the government should go ahead. Which is precisely what we are going to do.
E. P – Even if it means displacing your people?
P. A. S– Of course. It has to be done.
E. P – What about the Administrative Reform Commission’s recommendation of the abolition of the District Council in Meghalaya on the grounds of duplication of administration. What is your comment on this?
P. A. S – The District Council over the years, after the implementation of the Constitution of India has almost become a traditional institution. People have a lot of sentiment attached to this institution because after independence, the traditional institutions of the tribal people in the North East were repressed. Therefore people have developed a sentimental attachment to this institution. However, the role of the District Council has to be redefined especially in the context of Panchayati Raj system not being made applicable in Meghalaya or in tribal areas with the exception of Arunachal Pradesh. I think that the District Council should assume the role of the Panchayati Raj institution, and then it will work out well. The initial concept of having an autonomous body was because we were a minority within Assam. Now we have our own state and so it is reasonable to say that the District Council has no more relevance because we now have our own state. However, I feel that total abolition will hurt the sentiments of the people and therefore the role of the District Council should jut be redefined.
E. P – You also have very strong views on the reservation policy. Since you are now in state politics, how are you going to motivate the people of the state and could you give us your insight on this policy?
P. A. S– Reservation in the area of politics is a must, this is a political right that we can not give up. I am no against reservation in educational institutions and job reservation. All I am saying is that tribals in the North East and elsewhere in the country should not be contented with reservation, they should go beyond reservation. When I was elected as the speaker of the Lok Sabha and the press asked me how I felt about being elected, I said that I was very happy to reach a position which is not reserved for the tribals. This is exactly what the tribals should aim at, they should go beyond reservation. Also, reservation has become a little irrelevant today because of the changes that have come about and the fast pace in which the world is moving at present. Technology is also advancing at a very fast pace. The jobs which are reserved are in the public sector namely the government jobs which is due to the economic reforms. Jobs are increasing in an area where there is no reservation. Therefore, tribal girls and boys should not look for government jobs anymore because these are not available and should now be looking for jobs in the private sector which is on merit and which is competitive. Therefore competition is a must. Also, within the reserved quota, there is already stiff competition. There was a time when the Nagas, the Khasis, the Manipuris, the Mizos used to dominate the service examinations such as IAS and IFS. Today this has ceased to be. This year, very few tribals from the North East have passed the IAS examinations. Therefore I am propogating that we should imbibe a spirit of competition in our children.
E. P – You are saying that very few people from the North East are passing these examinations. Is this not because we don’t have the coaching facilities which are available in the other parts of the country. Nowadays there are very good institutions that coach the youth on how to prepare for these competitive examinations.
P. A. S – The pattern of the combinations have changed, the IAS exams themselves have changed. Earlier, the IAS examination I faced was perhaps the domain of the Arts section. Today, when you look at the results, you will find that more and more professionals are passing these examinations. In the North East Region, unfortunately, the education system is such that we have neglected Science and Mathematics. When I visit the different areas of the state, I find that in many schools, there is no mathematics or science teacher. So we are studying the Arts subjects which have become irrelevant in today’s context because today’s world is more attuned to science and technology. Therefore, the students of the North East can not compete in those specialized subjects with these professionals. That is the drawback. Therefore the education policy of the state and the region as a whole has to undergo some changes. Emphasis has to be laid on science, mathematics and technology.
E. P – But sir, we lack the teachers in these fields who are up to the mark. What is being done about this?
P. A. S– Yes, we do lack quality teachers in these fields so we have to bring them from outside the region.
E. P – But won’t that create a problem with the reservation policy?
P. A. S– No, not in the area of education.
We have to go for the best of teachers. There is no question of being tribal or non – tribal in this this area. Mizoram does this. In Mizoram, you will find that 80% of the teachers are called from outside, they are always bringing in the best. In the government offices, you don’t find non – Mizos, it is only in colleges and schools that yopu find non – Mizos. This is what we should also do.
E. P - Going through your bio – data, I noticed that you have also worked for some time in journalism. In a conflict situation like the North East, what is the role of a journalist and what are the precautions that they should observe while reporting in such conflict situations?
P. A. S – Journalism should undergo change, no only in the North east but also in the entire country. Unfortunately, journalism is drawn more and more towards sensationalism which does not help the society. Today, journalism should be much more progressive and investigative, bringing out more facts and figures. Also, reporting from the rural areas is very important. Nowadays, when you read a newspaper in the morning, you will find that most of the reporting is from the urban areas. We know very little about what is happening in the rural areas. I think that journalism in India should be more rural centric now, what matters is what the common man is saying, no what P. A. Sangma is saying.
E. P – How strong is your government? Is your government cracking?
P. A. S – The government is very strong, it will remain stable for the next five years and beyond and I think that this combination is working very well and this will be reflected more, perhaps to the disappointment of our opponents in the upcoming MDC elections and upcoming Parliamentary elections. People will see how united this government is.
E. P – Thank you very much for sparing your time to talk to us.