National parties disrespect sentiments of NE people: CM

Sangma was addressing an election rally to drum up support for the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) candidate Jemino Mawthoh who is contesting on a United Democratic Party (UDP) symbol from Shillong parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha elections on April 11.

The rally held at 2^nd Ground, Polo was attended by UDP chief Donkupar Roy, NPP vice president Prestone Tynsong, HSPDP president KP Pangniang, PDF president I Marbaniang and leaders of different political parties supporting the MDA government.

Recalling the time when national parties would get a lot of support throughout the region, the NPP national chief however said but in the recent past we have seen many examples of how national parties will never be able to understand the sentiments of the NE people.

“We have seen many situations where we will find national parties sitting in Delhi and deciding what is good or bad for the people of our region that is unacceptable my friends,” he said.

According to him, any political party be it regional or national must realise that our country is a diverse nation and there are differences among our people, there are characteristics we have, and the ideologies that we have differs from the rest of the country.

“And we have seen national political parties many a times disrespecting those differences and our identities,” he said.

Sangma cited that the Citizenship Amendment Bill was a clear example of how the national parties will never understands the sentiments of North East people.

“The Congress party today comes up and says we were the ones who stopped the CAB from being tabled. My friends I would like to ask the Congress party please asked your MPs from Assam have they not write to the Prime Minister congratulating him and telling him that the CAB must be passed,” he said.

Asserting the importance of combining the regional forces, the chief minister said, “We must come together so that our voices can always be heard. If all 25 MPs come together Delhi is bound to listen to what we say and we saw this when the CAB came up.”

He added, “When the state individually was shouting and screaming saying we do not want this Bill Delhi did not move but the moment we decided that let us go together and unitedly fight to ensure this CAB is not place Delhi heard our voice.”

Through this rally, Sangma said we are sending the message that there is strength in unity and regional parties are ready to forget their differences and put their interest aside but will work together to protect the indigenous people.

“Therefore, I am very hopeful that in this coming election all the people will combine be it UDP, NPP, PDF, HSPDP, Independents and all political parties I am sure that not just the leaders but voters will combine, work together and win with a thumping majority,” he said.

Appealing to people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills region to vote for Mawthoh, the chief minister said, “Even if Dr Jemino Mawthoh is the candidate who is sponsored by the UDP but he is the candidate of the government and he is the candidate of the chief minister. Therefore it is responsibility of every single worker and every single leader of the NPP and all political parties in our coalition to ensure that Dr Jemino Mawthoh wins with a thumping majority in this coming election.”

Meanwhile, the NPP chief maintained that it will not make a difference for the people of the state and the North East with national parties coming and telling the people of the region to ‘look east’ or ‘act east’.

“If we want anything to move forward then it is you and I who has to act, it is you and I who has to look and it is only when you and I look and act will the NE move forward. Just by giving a statement of saying look east act east is not going to make a difference. Therefore, it is time that all of us must realise that our future lies in our hands, we cannot let our future be controlled by somebody else or by people sitting in Delhi who may not understand of our needs,” he said.

Stating that the coming election is truly goinig to be an historic election, Sangma said he is confident that the people of Khasi and Jaintia Hills region will ensure victory to Mawthoh as they know the importance of protecting their identity and ensuring the future of their children are secured.

Later while addressing the rally, Jemino Mawthoh said the regional parties will not allow the Congress to destroy the unity of the indigenous community through its political propagandas.

“The Congress is an expert in such propagandas but we will not allow it to destroy this present unity,” he said.

Mawthoh, a former Nongthymmai legislator further slammed the Congress MPs for their failures to oppose against the CAB in parliament. He assured change in the state if people vote for him and Agatha K Sangma, who is contesting from the Tura seat.

While Mawthoh seeks to unseat two-time Congress MP Vincent H Pala, Agatha, a former Tura MP is pitched against former chief minister and Congress nominee Mukul Sangma for the Tura seat.

By Our Reporter