Evolving turnaround in Assam

Tanuj Goswami

(The writer can be contacted at tanujuri03@gmail.com)

By dint of his talent, a young chap recently got appointed as an Assistant Engineer in an engineering department of the State Government. After the lapse of a few months, the boss of the division persuaded the greenhorn to take the charge of a lucrative worksite instead of pay-off under the table. This incident brings to the fore what is up in some important Government departments where corruption is as easy as pie and all-pervading.

From day one of its reign, the BJP-led Government in Assam has given several clarion calls to stop corruption and taken a raft of measures through online mode to control and eliminate corrupt practices in several departments. The period of only one year in office of the Government is too short a time for stock-taking about its achievements or performances, but many aspects of the governance - be it development, law and order, public trust & credibility, accountability and above all an evolving aura of ease and contentment amongst the commoners appear to be looking up in the State.

The recent recruitment of more than 23,000 persons at one go in different Government departments was no doubt an exceptional one because the entire recruitment exercise was well-planned and executed and none has so far pointed an accusing finger at the transparency and immaculateness of the selection process. This has been possible only because of the political resoluteness and firmness of the purpose of the State's leadership. The Government can well claim high accolades for the conduct of a path-breaking scam-free recruitment drive for deserving youths in the history of Assam. This should be a wake-up call to all the Government departments and institutions to follow suit.

To have acquired huge public faith and confidence is undoubtedly a wonderful achievement for the BJP-led Government, the whiff of which had never been witnessed in State politics. It is a salutary beginning and a silver lining on the distant horizon and the powers that be should sustain and capitalize on it for its own sake and the healthy future of Assam.

The Chief Minister of the State, with the right mix of intelligence, dynamism and far-sightedness, is putting requisite priorities on some developmental and economic issues - which the State craves for considering the adverse effect of the pandemic on the life and livelihood of the people. The micro-finance loan waiver to thousands of poor women is indeed a landmark decision, but without labouring the point it must be said that the Government needs to desist from such policies in future if our so-called fragile work culture and dignity of labour are to be upheld for the development of the State and its people. Assam still carries the albatross of 'bad work culture' round its neck and that has been the bane of the State's economy till now.

Of late, the drastic crackdown on large numbers of hardened criminals, drug peddlers, rapists, cattle-lifters, smugglers, and poachers is indeed a remarkable one. It raises the question as to how the offenders managed to have had field days for so long without catching the eyes of the law. Presently, the newly animated law-and-order machinery of the State is indubitably making the best of a bad job. The root cause of the upsurge of criminal activities in the State needs close observation and rapid actionable measures.

Having cleared large land from encroachment in many places, the government of the day has evinced bold initiatives and asserted its hardened stand. The prolonged and unchecked encroachment of land belonging to the Government and religious institutions calls for firm action and so also framing of necessary rules to deal with the instigators sternly and promptly. The genuine apprehension doing the rounds is that Assam will be left with no land before long given the deviant attitude and exponential growth of a particular community. This matter needs serious introspection.

Assam was not well governed for so many years that the authorities of yesteryears were unmindful of their business and miserably failed to address issues of serious concern. They were morally bankrupt and low brow, lacking in commitment, the goodness of ideas and even love for their motherland. This is one major reason why poor governance and equally poor leadership quality and rapaciousness of our authorities ramped up unbridled corruption at all levels of Government functioning, leading to a point of no return.

The State got sucked into multifarious issues like the dreaded illegal immigration, huge unemployment, insurgency, poor infrastructure & industrialization, unprecedented corrupt practices, numerous socio-economic problems, recurring floods, erosion etc., most of which were deliberately left unresolved for decades or just shelved or merely rehashed to buy more time - making the situation more complex and tough.

So now is the time for the Government to become the master of its fate. The pragmatic approach by the BJP-led Government to deal with the festering border disputes with the neighbouring sister States is a commendable beginning. Enough water has flown down the river Brahmaputra, but we failed to inch forward toward the functionality of good governance in our day-to-day conduct of the affairs of the State.

Given the gamut of intricate issues plaguing Assam for years on end, the State is fortunate to have a Chief Minister who is dynamic enough, well-read and well-versed in the nitty-gritty of governance. Of late, his encouraging speeches at different forums and a positive mindset tinged with compassion are stirring big expectations amongst the people of Assam. The indigenous people of the State have a genuine demand and claim for constitutional protection and safeguards in terms of identity (both political and social), language, culture & heritage. A small but richly-cultured dashing community endowed with the brain and brawn has to stand on its dignity and rise to the challenge.