SHILLONG, JUNE 6: Opposition under the banner of Meghalaya People’s Forum (MPF) demanded imposition of President Rule and also resignation of chief minister Mukul Sangma over the failure of the state government to curb rising violence in Garo hills and the indiscriminate killings by militants.
The first day of the reassembled budget session on Monday was a stormy affairs as the opposition let loose volley of canons against the government over lawlessness that have gripped the entire Garo hills districts.
While opposition chief whip and NPP legislator James Sangma moved an adjournment motion demanding imposition of central rule in Meghalaya to bring back peace in the region, Opposition leader and UDP president Donkupar Roy demanded the resignation of chief minister saying that at this juncture the state needs peace more than it needs the chief minister and state government.
The adjournment motion, which was put to voice vote by speaker AT Mondal, was however defeated.
While supporting the clamour for imposition of President Rule, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh took a jibe at the government saying, “To cure a very bad and chronic ailment (militancy), you need to swallow a bitter pill and that bitter pill is imposition of President’s Rule, which he said is the best option.”
Moving the adjournment motion, James Sangma said, “We and the people of the state have lost our faith in chief minister Mukul Sangma and his government for the failure to tackle and address the deteriorating law and order situation, aspiration of the youths and delivery mechanism.”
Sangma said Garo hills has today become lawlessness, with chaos and anarchy ruling the roost and innocent people fearing for their lives because of the rising insurgent groups operating in the region.
Dishing out statistic, Sangma informed that till January 2014, about 200 civilian have been killed and 102 security personnel lost their lives in anti-insurgency operations. He said, “Kidnappings and extortions have become a daily affair wherein the insurgent groups are sparing no one – as they are serving demand notes to low labourers, school teachers, doctors, engineers to politicians.”
Describing the killing of Josbina M Sangma, a mother of four, as one of the gruesome and inhuman acts that caught national media attention, Sangma said, “This is a time when the state government needs to take pro-active measures and for the chief minister himself to visit Garo Hills and take stock of the situation to bring back confident of the people rather than coming out with empty words and promises.”
Sangma was critical of the state government giving an ex-gratia payment of only Rs one lakh to Josbina’s family. He thundered, “Is this a joke or is the state government trying to make fun of the issue. It is insulting and total carelessness of the government towards the family of the victim when it was ready to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakhs to the families of the eight labourers who were killed in Nongalbibra despite the fact that they are not from Meghalaya.”
Sangma demanded that the ex-gratia amount be raised to Rs 10 lakh to Josbina’s family, who he said was running a tea shop to support.
Supporting the adjournment motion for imposition of central rule, Donkupar Roy demanded the resignation of the chief minister saying, “Peace is more important than having a chief minister and a state government.”
Taking a dig at the chief minister Roy sarcastically said the greatest achievements of the state government led by Mukul Sangma in the last four years is “the growth of militant outfits in the state”.
During the course of the debate Roy also said there are also discussion raising question as to how will a Garo fight a Garo where a militant is a Garo, policeman is a Garo and even chief minister is a Garo. He said, “This is one of the reasons why we are not able to fight this menace because nobody will have the will to fight militant groups as he may feel how can a Garo fight a Garo.”
Roy said another aspect that makes neutralizing militancy in Garo hills difficult is the politico-militant nexus and police-militant nexus.
Taking part in the discussion Paul Lyngdoh said, “In order to bring in elements of sanity and allow the rule of law to come back in the state, let us welcome the President’s Rule in Meghalaya which will also ensure that the politico-militant nexus as well as police-militant nexus is contained.”
Lyngdoh felt that unless the centre steps in most of these actors on the stage (politician and policemen and militant) will be like the two side of the same coin and if this is not contained Meghalaya is doomed. He said, “It is only with the spell of centre rule these entire skeleton will tumble out of the cupboard.”
Putting his point across Lyngdoh said, “To cure a very bad and chronic ailment (militancy), you need to swallow a bitter pill and that bitter pill is the President’s rule, which is the best option.”
Stating that the population of Meghalaya can be compared to the size of biggest district in UP, Lyngdoh was of the opinion that the state government with all the mechanisms at its disposal failed to tackle the problem of rising militancy activities. He said, “The districts of Garo hills which have a population of only 9 lakhs, yet the government cannot established the rule of law.
The opposition also criticized the government for its offer of dialogue to the militant outfits as Roy said that most of these outfit do not have any ideology.
In his reply to the adjournment motion, the chief minister said engaging the militant groups for talks might be soft approach to the problem but the government is trying to examine the pros and cons based on the sentiments of the people – civil societies, mothers, religious organizations who had appealed to the state government the need to offer talks to such militant groups. He said, “Therefore, we needed to respond to the sentiments of the Garo hills.”
The chief minister said that while giving an opportunity to the militant groups to take advantage of the talk offer they must however adhere to the condition that they eschew violence and all criminal activities. He, however, assured that action by the security force against militant groups will continue including the groups that are under ceasefire agreement but indulging in criminal activities.
The chief minister also said that the fact the militants are approaching for dialogue with the government is a reflection that they are under pressure. So he said the government is giving a one time opportunity to these militant groups to have a dialogue with the government and eschew violence. He said if this opportunity is not used by them, then blame should not come to the state government.
The chief minister also assured the assembly that the government will continue to strengthen its internal security apparatus and promised that as the state steps into next year better things are going to take place.
Urging the mover to withdraw his motion, the chief minister said, “President’s rule is not the solution. We may face various challenges but we will fulfill our promises of bringing back peace in the state.”
However expressing disappointment over the reply of the chief minister, James K Sangma said, “Government is still in a state of denial and is not willing to accept that the situation is really bad. Despite being constructive opposition, the government has failed to rectify and come up with solution to this problem.”
Refusing to withdraw, James Sangma said, “We have lost faith in this government and we still stick to our demand for imposition of President’s Rule in the state.”
It is ridiculous on the part of some lagislators in the opposition to demand for President Rule when the government enjoys the majority in the house. The opposition is suggested to demand for terminating the officials and politicians who involved in the education scam.
President’s rule is the only solution to the present problems.