President’s Rule the only choice left in Arunachal Pradesh

The political standoff and legal manoeuvrings of the past months have been keenly watched by the people of Arunachal Pradesh and fatigue definitely seems to be creeping in owing to its long-drawn nature of the strife. At long last, and much like an overdue after-thought, the Union cabinet recommended “President’s Rule” in the frontier state on January 24. Any sensible mind, experiencing the governance or lack of it in the sensitive state, saw it coming sooner than later.

Constitutionally, the mandated period of six months since the last sitting of the legislative Assembly ended on January 21, 2016 and the Supreme Court’s hearing that began on January 18 is likely to continue till the end of the first week of February. Therefore, the internal strife within the ruling Congress left very little choice than to impose President’s Rule to safeguard the national interests in the border state.

With media reports trickling in on Sunday morning, the pieces were falling into place – it could be the end of the road for chief minister Nabam Tuki at least till a fresh election. Finally! Tuki’s bête noire Kalikho Pul appears to be more upbeat over the fresh developments. He has been oozing confidence ever since the Guwahati High Court gave a favourable verdict which has been neither stayed nor quashed by the five-member Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. Technically speaking, Pul can be invited to form the next government, anytime.

The otherwise languid Sunday witnessed protagonists - kings, queens and pawns - reacting along expected lines. Beleaguered chief minister Tuki expressed shock over the Centre’s decision and termed it as a harsh one while the state BJP welcomed the Centre’s decision.

Interestingly, it was the spokesperson and MLA Pasang Dorjee Sona from Pul’s camp who bowled the ultimate googly by welcoming the Union cabinet's decision and throwing the bait to form the next government with the support of the BJP.

There is very little surprise element left in the “power-struggle” within the ruling Congress government that has left the people of the state gasping for a semblance of administration ever since December 16, 2015.  Not to mention, even the chief secretary and director general of police appear to have lost sight of administration, as Tuki and the “chief minister-in-waiting” Pul wrestled it out in the judiciary.

Crying foul over the recommendation of the Union cabinet, Tuki has claimed that there is no constitutional crisis in the state as recommended by the governor, and said, “Whatever crisis is there, it is his (governor's) creation."  But governor JP Rajkhowa had sounded the bugle of the constitutional crisis as early as December 17, a day after the legislative assembly complex was locked and normal functioning of the sixth session of the legislative assembly was disrupted.

In a functional democracy, political protests and posturing infuse life but laying siege to the Raj Bhavan twice in less than 30 days by political workers along with senior legislators and cabinet ministers created an atmosphere of insecurity and anarchy. Besides, the kidnapping of the nephew of a legislator by NSCN (IM) allegedly at the behest of opposing political leaders, seems to have acted as a catalyst for the Centre recommending President's Rule.

Amid this chaos and crisis, the incumbent education minister seemed to have mocked at the system and policies of governance. Under his leadership, the education department ignored the gazette notification to conduct Group A and B job through the State Public Service Commission and, thus, conducted recruitment through its own department.

In doing so, the education department violated the government’s own order dated November 24, 2015, by conducting a recruitment drive with 43 waitlisted candidates against 15 vacancies advertised for Science (TGT), 69 against 23 posts in Social Studies and 54 against 18 for Primary Teacher (TRT).

This violated the high court’s decision in the Shri Khoda Sanjoy plus one versus state of Arunachal and 18 others case in the writ petition dated January 19, 2011 that banned “wait listing” candidates.

Not that the people in positions like chief minister and chief secretary aren’t aware of such abominable violations but there has been scant regard for systems, structure, policies and laws over the last few months.

As I write this piece, sources have informed that the assent of the President of India may not come through in the next 24 hours, in view of the Republic Day celebrations. The notification may be out either late on Tuesday evening or the first half of Wednesday.

In the meantime, sources in the security forces have informed that additional paramilitary forces are likely to move in; an additional four companies of paramilitary forces have already been deployed around the capital complex. Discerning people are more concerned about the lack of governance and functional administrations across the sensitive frontier state than the law and order.