RG decries Syiem’s suspension, calls for checks and balances

SHILLONG: In the backdrop of action taken against KHADC CEM P.N Syiem by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee, former Congress leader R.G Lyngdoh, who also faced similar suspension from the party in 2008, said that consultation should have been the need of the hour instead of confrontation.
While Syiem was slapped with three years’ suspension from the party recently, Lyngdoh who was a critic of the wrongdoings of the Congress, especially those of D.D Lapang, eight years ago was placed under suspension for six years.
Lauds Syiem, urges others to raise their voice
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Lyngdoh said he admired the tenacity of the KHADC chief in holding on to his principal related to the dual posts and other issues.
The former home minister wanted others to follow the courage of conviction and stand up to raise voices of dissent at the time of crisis.  “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is what I have to say about the current state of affairs,” Lyngdoh asserted.
Syiem has been critical of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who hurriedly brought the amendment to the dual posts Act that resulted in the bye-election to seven vacant council seats after the legislators who were holding the posts resigned.
Commenting further on the action taken against Syiem, Lyngdoh said those who were at the helm of affairs were reactive rather than being pro-active.
No democracy in State Congress
“As of now, it appears that there are no checks and balances in the party and the decision is made at the dictate of one or two persons which goes against the very sprit of democracy,” Lyngdoh said.
According to Lyngdoh, nobody can assume to be a perfect leader whether it is in the government or party as only checks and balances can bring about semblance of order.
It was on June 3, 2008, that Lyngdoh, a potential chief minister, was suspended from the party for his remarks in the media that several Congress leaders were “power hungry and greedy” as he had differences with several senior state Congress leaders, including  Lapang and some AICC functionaries.
Though the party had served show-cause notice to Lyngdoh, he refused to reply resulting in six years’ suspension imposed on him by the party.