N-E Congress(I) Committee
The one-day conference of the North-East Regional Congress(I) Coordination Committee held here on March 7 was an uneventful affair. Both in terms of glamour and material contents the conference has been quite unlike the party’s previous meets held in the region.
Notwithstanding the fact that the AICC (I) General Secretary, Mr Rajiv Gandhi, had attended the meet, it failed to create much impression on the minds of the people of Mizoram who are going to the polls within some six weeks.
Its political and economic resolutions were somewhat on the predictable lines with no new thrust nor any appeal to the partymen to take-up any pressing problems with a sense of urgency.
The only significant development has been the election of Mr Hiteshwar Saikia as the new Chairman of the Committee in place of Captain W.A. Sangma who held the post for three years since its inception. Observers here say that Mr Saikia’s election was designed to match the massive challenge the party faces in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Mr Saikia has already created an image of a go-getter by handling the complex situation in Assam in an adroit manner. On the other hand, the aging Meghalaya Chief Minister, has been relieved of the responsibility reportedly on his own request. He is said to be finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the task before the chairman.
The political resolution has made frontal attack on the original parties for their alleged connivance with the secessionist forces. The resolutions or even the deliberation lacked the punch witnessed in the earlier conferences. Perhaps, the absence of Mr C.M. Stephen, the erudite party General Secretary, was sorely missed.
It is said that one principal reason for the near wash-out of the Conference was its timing; many party leaders and elected representatives were in Delhi for the party meet held around that time. Besides, the Meghalaya leaders were busy with electioneering for the District Council.