Meghalaya is often idealized by people from outside the state. People think that just because it is "matrilineal" it's some sort of utopian paradise. It's not. The state is sick, very sick.
People know it too. Especially those from the working and lower class families. They struggle to get two meals a day while around the state rich kids drive around in Mercedes Benz and attend posh schools. The inequality is glaring. The vast majority of the state is poor and in rural areas most are still carrying on subsistence farming. Those that have no land are share croppers or migrant labour. Conditions are pathetic though not as bad as many other parts of India. How did the state end up like this? With a few enclaves of Individual wealth in a sea of poverty?
Meghalaya's sad story started with the arrival of the British in the mid 19th century. Most of the state were pagans following animalistic and nature based religions. Then the Christian missionaries came. The British had been extremely hostile to the locals, treating them inhumanly, but to those families that converted to their colonizers religion they were given special privileges and powers. They were the traitors who were tasked with preventing future uprisings against the British. They used their new religion to pacify the region turning proud and brave people into willing servants.
Fast forward to World War 2 and then things changed for the worse. The demand for labour and producers for the British war effort meant that those families that were already on the good books of the British were able to open up factories and businesses and sell their products and services to aid their British overlords. These few families became obscenely wealthy. Thus when Independence happened, they were able to take full advantage of the situation. The 6th Schedule which was negotiated by these already wealthy families which gave them even more privileges, wealth and power. Over time other families as a result of patronage by the original families emerged as well. Now ofcourse they have done all they can to ensure that no one else will ever be able to climb out of poverty, atleast not without their approval or without paying of homage or subservience, like some sort of feudal system.
These wealthy families whom in my opinion cannot be differentiated from an oligarchy are a bane of the state. The state can never improve or change without outside interference. The 6th Schedule has more or less decided that. It prevents people from outside the state from coming in and displacing the oligarchy. There are always some wannabe crusader against corruption in the state but they are never successful or succumb to the corruption itself. The reason for this in my opinion is -
1. Religion is very strong. But churches depend on the oligarchs. Thus the oligarchy is able to use their influence on the church and community to control anyone who stands up against them.
2. The crusaders are from the oligarchy families or families beholden to the oligarchs. You can't fight people who control you. I know many who calls themselves an "activist" against corruption.. Ironically they live and work mostly in New Delhi or outside India and have their meals in posh cafe's while hobnobbing with the very people they claims to be against. This is an all common scenario in the state.
3. Lastly, the central government is the biggest contributor. Earlier after Independence, the central government barely paid attention to the region even when famines ravaged and killed thousands. But after numerous civil uprisings they did something even worse, they decided to just throw money at the problems in the region without supervision. No scrutiny is made on how it's spent or its effectiveness. The oligarchs, ofcourse never one to miss a free meal willingly took the money in exchange for keeping people in check and preventing civil strife. Thus the oligarchs take an active role in state politics often contesting in elections with the hope of landing political office.
So you see, Meghalaya is a sick state. No change will ever come from within the state. Outside intervention is needed but unlikely to happen. Who will save my homeland?
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