Split wide open
MBOSE turmoil exposes the inherent conflicts between regions and tribes of Meghalaya.
Sandeep Banerjee

IT In a landmark decision, Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) Government has approved in toot the State Level Committee (SLC) report on restructuring Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education (MBOSE). State Chief Minister D. D. Lapang called the committee report as positive and one of the best in the country. The Chief Minister made it clear that the State Government would soon amend Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education Act, 1973 to facilitate the restructuring. The school board will be completely reorganized and restructured and each of the four wings of the board is to be upgraded. The Shillong office of the board will be upgraded to a regional office.

The State Government formed an 11-member committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary P. J. bareley to suggest restructuring and revamping MBOSE following tremendous pressure from 21 NGO groups which includes Khasi Students¡¦ Union (KSU). The committee in its 65 page report recommendation suggested appointment of a full time executive chairman for the board, abolition of the present post of secretary and incorporating it in the post of the chairman, appointment of separate directors for different wings of the board, Tura to remain the headquarter and setting up of a regional office in Shillong with separate cells for each district headquarters. The committee prepared the report after studying the structures of CBSE, ICSE, Assam, Karnataka and West Bengal Boards of Secondary Education.

But the MBOSE turmoil has exposed the sharp fracture in the State of Meghalaya. Indeed the functioning of MBOSE needed an overhaul. A total restructuring would do a world of good to it. But the three-month-long MBOSE impasse raised issues that go far beyond mere restructuring of the secondary board. It has exposed the inherent conflicts and sharp differences between regions and tribes of the State. At first, the KSU, which is easily the most powerful and influential students¡¦ organization in the State, raised the demand for the bifurcation of the board. Its argument was that irregularities in the conduct of examination could be avoided with a Shillong headquarter of the board. But the Garo hills erupted in anger. The garos asked the Chief Minister not to relent to the pressure mounted by KSU and other groups in the Khasi Jaintia Hills. The state government¡¦s move to implement the State Level Committee (SLC) recommendations on MBOSE has received a jolt when the seven Garo Hills-based NGOs categorically rejected the Cabinet decision to accept recommendations. A meeting held in this regard at Tura was attended by the all seven NGOs ¡X GSU, Tura Government College Students¡¦ Union, Garo Post Graduate Students¡¦ Union of NEHU , AYCO, Garo Hills Primary School Teacher¡¦s Association, Garo Hills Citizens¡¦ Forum (GHCF), Federation of Achik Forum. NCP leader Mr Edmund Sangma, who attended the meeting, termed it as an informal interaction with one another on the MBOSE issue.After the interaction, the NGOs revealed that they were all against the cabinet decision on MBOSE, Mr Sangma said. ¡§On my part, I assured that the matter will be taken up in the Assembly for the interest of the people of Garo Hills,¡¨ he said adding that the NGOs decided to take up the issue of review of the Cabinet decision with the government.

Meanwhile, the vice-president of GHCF Mr Rakkan Sangma said that the NGOs would chalk out their agitational programme and submit their demands to the government in a day or two.

The NCP legislators have also urged the State Government to review the Cabinet decision on MBOSE and arrive at an amicable and acceptable solution saying that the State-level Committee (SLC) report suggests ¡§the bifurcation of the Board¡¨. Addressing a press conference, NCP leader Edmund Sangma said that the unanimous view of the NCP MLAs was that the Cabinet should review the decision to accept the recommendations of the committee in toto. Earlier during the day, the NCP MLAs met to discuss the issue. According to Mr Sangma, as per the terms of reference of the SLC, the very constitution of the Committee had been designed with a pre-conceived idea to bifurcate MBOSE by deviating from the main problem ¡X the series of lapses and errors in its functioning.

Since there were serious lapses on the part of MBOSE over the years, the Committee should have included punishment to erring officials as one of the terms of reference, he said adding, ¡§Even after the report of the committee, no official responsible for the mess in MBOSE has been punished..Mr Sangma further said that the recommendations of the committee to restructure MBOSE, which was approved by the Cabinet in toto, was not found to be acceptable to all sections of the society and that there was a scope of promoting regionalism, suspicion and misunderstanding.

The NCP leader said that the Cabinet should not have taken such a hasty decision without scrutinizing the report properly.

He was also sceptical on the powers bestowed on the MBOSE¡¦s Shillong office. ¡§The Shillong office is given independent powers equal to the office at Tura,¡¨ Mr Sangma observed. ¡§If the Cabinet invites suggestions, the party will give its views,¡¨ he added.

Mr Sangma also said that the party would meet again on September 5 in Tura to discuss the implications of the report.

In an effort to remove the apprehensions from the minds of the Garo people Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma met teachers and the heads of educational institutions in the Garo Hills to discuss the recommendations of the State Level Committee on MBOSE.The meeting took place at Tura Circuit House shortly after discussions between the minister and the NGOs came to a conclusion. Senior academicians, principals, headmasters, professors and schoolteachers sought clarification on certain points raised by the SLC in its report.

Dr Sangma said that this is an opportunity for revamping the Board in the interest of the student community. He also appealed to them to be wary of disgruntled persons who are out to make a noise on MBOSE for their own personal gain. Many of those who were present at the meeting asked for clarifications on the powers of the Regional Director at Shillong particularly in regard to correction and evaluation of answer scripts in the Shillong office.

Dr Mukul Sangma said that as per the SLC report it has clearly stated that evaluation of answer scripts of a particular subject for the entire state would be done at a single spot.Giving examples, he said that it has been standard practice for correction of answer scripts of the Science, English and a few other subjects for the entire state at Shillong since many years just as certain other subjects like Mathematics, Social Science and Health Education are being done at Tura.He pointed out that a foolproof system with the use of a software courtesy German technology would be in place to ensure errors do not occur anymore. As there was apprehension from some members over the manner of the language in the SLC report the Deputy Chief Minister reminded them that fine-tuning would be done on it by the Education Department.The filling up of new posts in the restructured Board was also raised by the educationists at the meeting.Dr Sangma said that the government would be seriou-sly looking into filling up the posts from officers within the government and in case of a shortage of manpower direct recruitment from the open market would be done.Members also wanted to know on the appointment of the 17-member Board and Dr Sangma assured them that due representation from the Garo Hills would be considered at the time of appointment of the Board members. The teaching fraternity of Garo Hills came away from the meeting with a note of optimism.

Seeing this sharp reaction, KSU was forced to tone down its demand to reorganization and restructuring of the board. But the tribal divide was thrown open. It was now turn of the politicians to enter the game and exploit this divide to further their advantage. The Chief Minister, at one point of time, decided to set up separate MBOSE secretariat at Shillong following the demand. But he had to hurriedly crop the idea following vehement opposition from the Garos.Police crackdown on KSU leaders still continues. KSU president Samuel Sywra has condemned the arrests. KSU has found strong support from the women¡¦ organizations .Sang Longkmie (mothers¡¦ union) and Seng Kynthei (a conglomerate of women organization) were the torch bearers of the agitation against MBOSE. They also strongly protested the arrests of KSU activists. The KSU agitation also got a shot in the arm when KHNAM decided to back the demands of the students¡¦ body. KHNAM is a partner in MDA alliance.

However, will the acceptance of the report by the State cabinet bring an end to all problems? As expected the Garo Hills citizens Forum has objected to the suggestion of putting a director to head the regional office of MBOSE at Shillong. KSU is in disarray at present with most of its leaders arrested or on the run.   Cracks have surfaced in the women groups. It came to the fore when Civil Society of Women Organisation (CSWO) decided to remove its vice president Lim Nongkchaw from her post. Ms. Nongkhaw is believed to have said openly to the press that the CSWO is not interested in solving the MBOSE issue. Hence, the disciplinary action followed. President of CSWO Irene P. Hujon has refused to comment on the internal differences in her organization. She, however, described the committee report as apparently good but at the same time demanded immediate release of     KSU leaders to bring the situation back to normal.

Sensing trouble Chief Minister D D Lapang said that the State Government was open for answering clarifica-tions from any quarters on the State Level report on MBOSE. ¡§The Government will enlighten any one who needs clarity on the report and we are ready to give more clarifications¡¨, Mr Lapang said.

We have an open mind and we will be free to give our views as the NGOs have every right to seek more clarification on the matter¡¨, Mr Lapang said. The Chief Minister however expressed confidence that the NGOs will co-operate with the government in the near future. ¡§Despite varied express-ions, we have got confidence that they will co-operate with the government, the Chief Minister said.

For the last three months, almost every person in Meghalaya was concerned about the MBOSE impasse. Some blamed the government while others supported the student union in their fight for the cause of the students. There are yet some who felt that both parties are to be blamed for this fiasco. But the fact remains that the turmoil and agitation that unfolded in this period made life very different for common people. At times, the State was crippled and it hit the daily labourers, small farmers, young entrepreneurs, traders and shopkeepers as well as students and financial institutions like banks, real hard. With a lasting solution on the MBOSE issue fast appearing to be a fading dream in the Garo Hills and call for a separate state getting all the more vociferous with each passing day, the Garo National Council (GNC)has suddenly upped its ante and is toying with the idea of demanding a separate Garo state.The CEC of the GNC has decided to mobilise public opinion with regard to the demand for a separate state.

The question is X wasn¡t the crisis allowed to linger for too long? Or is it that the self centric interests and too many egos at work amongst so called important persons and concerned groups, never allowed the matter to settle? The MBOSE will hopefully blow off. But the can of worms it has exposed are more dangerous. Without effective pest control body to deal with these worms, unrest may again raise its head in near future.

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