Meghalaya cries for employment opportunities, but, Meghalaya does not understand how employment opportunities are created. The collateral damages are railways, land banks, and everything else which challenges the myopic viewpoint of political parties. They cry their love and care for ‘paidbah’, and ‘ri bad jaitbynriew’, but, they have no inclination of what this love requires. It is all words and no action.
Railways
The Romans and British built their empires by leveraging on transportation. The former focused on roads and the latter on railways and navigation of the seas. It is impossible to talk about railway connectivity to Shillong when even the railway track from Tetelia (Assam) to Byrnihat has been halted since 2017-18. Meghalaya is missing out on the power of transportation to transform its economy. Railways transports goods in bulk thereby bringing down the cost and ultimately prices. It is not only about goods coming in, but, also about transportation of the local produce from Meghalaya to other states and markets for better returns.
With regards to people, railways offer comfort and ease of travel. People can disembark at their very own town/city without the hassle of getting down at Guwahati and taking a bus/sumo for onward travel. In due course of time, travel between (for example) Tura and Shillong and vice versa can be done through chair cars like the Shatabdi Express while also enjoying the stunning scenery. The numerous stations on route will provide scope for establishing of small business enterprises. Further, those who are trained in food and beverages services can find a platform for applying their trade and earn a livelihood. Through mobile apps like ‘RailYatri’ online orders can be taken and then the food/beverages can be supplied on the go at a designated station. Not to mention the chances that would open up in the formal sector as permanent workers of Indian Railways. At a time when the central government is investing in railway expansion, it is frustrating that Meghalaya does not realize the potential.
On the issue of influx, it is more about ensuring that the various arms/mechanisms already available are properly implemented in letter and spirit. There is already a trident to allay fears concerning influx, namely, land transfer protections, MRSSA, and the powers of the dorbar shnong to register genuine residents. The trident if honestly implemented will deal with the issue of influx effectively. In addition to it, if ILP does materialize then even better. What is required today is a holistic viewpoint on the matter.
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Land Banks
The land tenure system is such that no big corporate houses can come and set-up shop. There is no scope for large-scale investment. It is a catch-22 situation. Money from outside is not entertained, and on the contrary, the local population does not have enough savings and disposable income to invest for employment creation. The clans who own huge swathes of land do not have the viewpoint to use it for large-scale investment. The outcome is that Meghalaya today has a huge and ever growing population of youth who are in desperate look-out for meaningful and gainful employment.
So, why land banks? It is time to debunk the fears. Through land banks the much needed big investment will come into Meghalaya. This will create employment opportunities for the youth across all levels of the organization, right from the lowest levels to the highest. Today, there is no dearth of human resources in Meghalaya. Hence, the state government can enter into a binding agreement with the corporate houses that ‘wherever local and qualified personnel is available, priority shall be given to such applicants’. If the political parties are serious about solving the unemployment problem then the only way out is big investments.
The crux of the matter is simple – ‘big investment requires large swathes of land’. This is really critical as small and medium-sized business organizations do not have the capacity to provide large-scale employment. As such, if things are not viewed in the right perspective then the current and especially future generations of Meghalaya youth will have to resign to the fact from an early age that they would have to look for employment outside the state.
Advantage Assam 2.0
One is always stuck by the massive difference in development just by crossing from Meghalaya into Guwahati. In the span of 10 years Guwahati has grown by leaps and bounds. Just recently, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit 2025. The focus of the summit was on attracting investments for infrastructure development, growth and innovation. Assam is on the way to transformation as Meghalaya looks on. It is important to note and as pointed out by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma the transition of Assam from a state known for conflicts to stability. The summit attracted investors from over 60 countries and even if a quarter of them materialize, the outcomes for the Assamese youth will be significant.
Development has the power to result in peace. The danger with Meghalaya is that the lack of development will result in the resurgence of insurgency. The proposal of railways and land banks in Meghalaya is basically a prelude to whatever the other states like Assam is doing. Consolidate on factors of production (people and money) and then have an aggressive marketing strategy such as Invest Meghalaya. Alas, that entire plan has failed with no signs of reversal.
Consequently, it is amusing to witness the political parties talk about the issue of unemployment with such pain. It is all crocodile tears. Without concrete actions, none of the political parties have the moral authority to talk about unemployment. No political party in Meghalaya is concerned about ‘paidbah’ and ‘ri bad jaitbynriew’. All of them are just taking the masses for a ride with the sole goal of fulfilling their ulterior political agendas and motives. Shame!
(Benjamin Lyngdoh is an associate professor at NEHU, Shillong; He can be reached at blyngdoh@gmail.com)
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of 4Front Media or its members.
