Candidates from the Shillong parliamentary constituency on Monday participated at a symposium on parliamentary politics and political participation organized by the Sankardev College here.
These include Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) candidate Robertjune Kharjahrin, Voice of the People Party (VPP) candidate Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon and Independent candidate Prof Lakhon Kma. It was also participated by Congress secretary Emanuel Badwar and BJP chief spokesperson M Kharkrang.
However, sitting Congress MP Vincent H Pala and NPP candidate and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh did not attend the meeting.
Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from April 19.
In his speech, RDA candidate Robertjune Kharjahrin assured the people of Khasi-Jaintia Hills region that if elected as an MP, he would pursue the Centre for immediate implementation of the inner line permit (ILP) in Meghalaya.
He said the RDA’s principle is to protect the interest of the indigenous people and residents of the state.
“Our vision is to translate the triple Ps which is to protect, preserve and promote and to translate this into reality first of all we need to protect ourselves and that is why we would like to guarantee to you that if you choose RDA, we will impress upon the government to implement ILP in Meghalaya”
Assuring to protect secularism in the rest of India, Kharjahrin said, “We will ensure the right to worship is a fundamental right of each and every individual and that will remain in India. We will not allow anybody to infringe into this right.”
Further, he said that the RDA will also aggressively pursue with the Centre to speed up the inclusion of Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India besides resolving the long pending boundary dispute between Assam and Meghalaya and reviewing the first phase of border settlement between the two states. He said the RDA would also urge the Centre to review the boundary settlement between India and Bangladesh to protect the rights of the indigenous people.
Stating that RDA would also fight for the strengthening of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India to protect the identity and culture of the indigenous people, Kharjahrin said, “We disagree with the individual and party views that they want to do away with the Sixth Schedule.
As indigenous people, we strongly believe that we need to strengthen the Sixth Schedule, we strongly believe that if we strengthen the Sixth Schedule especially by reviewing paragraph 12 A(a) and also to ensure the district council have a similar legislative power in the light of Article 200 of the Constitution of India is our guarantee. We will also ensure direct funding into the local authorities like the dorbar shnong.”
Talking about inclusive development, the RDA candidate said he would ensure that the OM which guarantees 44% job reservation for ST in central government institutions is implemented in letter and spirit besides setting up of an economic zone and ensuring Group C & D government jobs are 100% reserved for local people.
Independent candidate Prof Lakhon Kma said he has taken a very conscious decision to contest the upcoming MP election to represent the people of the 7 districts of Khasi-Jaintia Hills in parliament.
He said that he doesn’t prescribe to the ideologies of different political parties in the state and reminded that most of the MPs from the Shillong seat were independent. He cited that GG Swell, who won four times as MP, was an independent candidate defeating the Congress and regional parties.
Slamming the Modi-led government at the centre, Prof Kma said, “I feel if they (BJP) come back to power I don’t know what kind of change they are going to bring. Don’t play around with our Constitution. As long as you respect the Constitution, we are one nation. The day you try to play around with the Constitution, because I do see that secularism is at stake in the current dispensation. I am in a university and I see what kind of people are being sent to the university, it is the same mindset that will be everywhere and I am concerned.”
“You need to send somebody who can stand on the floor of the parliament alone and tell the current dispensation please don’t play around with the constitution of India because this Constitution binds us as one country. The day you play around with the Constitution, this country is going to break into pieces and that is why they should not dare to touch this secular fabric of the country. Since 2014, I have seen a particular ideology being propagated to the extent that I am really fed up. That is why it is important to make sure that when we reach parliament, if you choose me as a candidate as your MP this is what I will do,” he added.
VPP candidate Dr Ricky AJ Syngkon expressed concern over the present condition of Meghalaya despite 52 years of statehood.
Referring to reports by different agencies, he said, “It is really sad and very depressing as Meghalaya is the poorest state. Shillong, which was once upon a time known as an educational hub, but where we are now, we are right at the bottom. Talking about health services, we are at the bottom.”
Stating that his party does have some solutions to offer, Dr Syngkon said, “We would like to engage with the government to ensure central educational institutions also cater to the needs of our people in terms of learning and employment.”
He cited that 55% of the state’s population is the youth and said, “We should prepare our youth with soft skills through different institutions keeping in mind that the working population (in other countries is on the decline).” According to him, there is a need to improve the human development index of the state.
The BJP spokesperson M Kharkrang highlighted the various schemes implemented by the central government. He also stressed that the Centre has come up with a programme, Nasha Mukht Abhiyan to fight against drug menace affecting the youth of the North East states and the nation as a whole.
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