By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Dissatisfied with the resolution emerging from the all-party meet which was attended by almost all the political parties in the State, the three agitating NGOs (KSU, FKJGP and HNYF) have decided to call a 12-hour bandh on Monday from 5 am to 5 pm.
“We are calling a 12-hour bandh on Monday since the Government has not shown any seriousness in addressing any of our demands,” HNYF general secretary Sadon K Blah informed after the meeting of the NGOs here on Wednesday.
The pressure groups turned aggressive after Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma’s clarification that the enrolment process for voters cannot be stopped.
Terming the decision of the political parties to constitute a committee for examining the inappropriate instruction of the Election Commission (EC) relating to voters’ registration as ‘time buying tactics’, Blah said that the concern expressed by the NGOs over the enrolment of doubtful voters into the electoral roll requires immediate resolution.
“The fact of the matter is that the majority of those who attended the all-party meeting are ministers in the Government. This was clearly indicated by the resolution emerging from the meeting. No one was ready to take any tough decision since the most of them are a part and parcel of this Government,” the HNYF general secretary said.
While expressing their disappointment with the Chief Minister’s call to political parties to request the NGOs not to call any fresh agitation, he said that the NGOs are not agents of any political party.
“We are not the agents of political parties. We have taken up this issue on our own volition after seeing that this enrolment drive is a serious threat on the demography of the local indigenous population of the State,” Blah said while making it clear that the NGOs do not require the advice of the political parties to raise any issue.
“If the government feels the issue should be resolved once and for all, we are ready to sit and discuss across the table,” Blah said.
On Tuesday, political parties had unanimously agreed to form a committee to examine certain instructions of the Election Commission (EC) being considered as ‘unnecessary’ for Meghalaya in order to prevent enrolment of any prospective ‘dubious’ voters in the electoral rolls of the State.
“The committee would deliberate and if necessary debate on the various issues in details including those raised by the NGOs after which it would submit an appropriate report to the EC,” the Chief Minister had told news person.