In Meghalaya, it is the Roman Catholic Church that has taken up the task of enforcingdiscipline during the forthcoming elections to the State Assembly. On December 8, the Archbishop of Shillong,Dominic Jala, unveiled the Church's 'ten-commandments' for the elections, which exhort voters to vote forcandidates who are, among other attributes, guided by societal values; protect rights as enshrined in theConstitution; are pro-poor and impartial; stand for peace and harmony; fight corruption at all levels; and are'God-fearing'.
The codes of conduct issued by the Church have generally been welcomed in the region, though there are somewho wonder why the Church has decided to enter the sensitive arena of electoral politics. The answer, however,is not difficult to find. The rapid deterioration in human values in the Northeast, the instability andineffectiveness of the region's legislative politics (legislators defect parties at the drop of a hat inStates like Manipur and Meghalaya, bringing down governments), rampant corruption and the culture of the gunare some of the issues that trouble all of civil society, and that naturally agitates the Church.