Purno Agitok Sangma is synonymous with the
politics of Meghalaya for decades. The humble tribal who rose from the Garo Hills to become Speaker in Lok Sabha can make or break Governments in the Hill state. He held different important positions and played varied roles both within the Government and in the parties he was part of. Now with Meghalaya going to polls this month all eyes are on this Machiavellian politician whatever might be the outcome. Purno spoke on several issues pertaining to Meghalaya during an exclusive interview with CK Nayak, special correspondent of The Shillong Times, at New Delhi.
ST: You are fighting the elections in Meghalaya almost in different platforms in each term. You were with Congress, then NCP then Trinamool Congress, again NCP and now NPP. How do you explain this?
Purno: People of Meghalaya know me and my party for my hard work and contributions for their overall development for past so many years. They very well know where I stand and for what I fight for. NPP will come with good numbers and form the next Government in Meghalaya with other parties.
ST: But your party is contesting in only 33 seats and not in alliance with any other party. How you can form the next Government?
Purno: If you go back only to the recent past the Congress secured 25 seats in the last Assembly polls. But it could not form the Government even though was given a chance by the Governor then. But our then party NCP which had second largest number could form the Government with regional parties and Independents. For the sake of Government we did not head the coalition. We gave representation to each regional party and independents in the ministry and that too in key portfolios. This time too anything can happen and Congress is in much weaker position. Wait for the results and you will see.
ST: But that coalition did not last even for a year.
Punro: You know the sequence of developments then. Even President’s Rule had to be imposed to throw out our Government which was challenged by us the Supreme Court. The rest is history.
ST: Don’t you think that people will be confused between the Book and Clock symbol since you and your MLAs left NCP only a few months ago?
Purno: No. not at all. As I have told you earlier people even in hinterlands know us in person and our party in particular.
ST: You claim that you and your party have done a lot for Meghalaya. But your bet noirie Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has said that you have not done anything major for the state not even for Garo Hills. Your comments.
Purno: If there is an iota of truth in that how I am elected nine times from the Tura parliamentary seat. And how come Dr Mukul and his brother lost to me each time they contested against me? Even in last Parliamentary polls my 26-year-old daughter contesting for the first time in elections trounced the number two in Congress party (Deobarah Marak). I am not going back to past. But just see when we were in Government in this assembly we built the Bajlek airport which was inaugurated by none less than former President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil. Let alone operationalizing that airport under Mukul’s regime Umroi, the only operational airport of Meghalaya is virtually closed since Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India withdrew its flights. The state Government remained a silent spectator. Once we come back to power we will operationalise the Baljek airport and upgrade the one at Umroi with much better facilities. Meghalaya could become the hub for connectivity in the entire region and promote tourism. Where are the big talks of massive investment, huge central fund flow biggest annual plans of Mukul? Where is the railway line which was to come to the state as claimed by the Chief Minister. Show me one big project which has taken wings in the more than four-year-old Congress rule. Big talks and empty promises cannot fool the voters. The NPP promised people to develop both agriculture and industry in the state which is most suitable to the local people under local conditions. Horticulture will be given prominence and so also handlooms and handicrafts besides other major industries.
ST: But the state Government claims of better law and order situation and peace talks with the insurgents.
Purno: There cannot be any better joke than this. Go by the records. Garo Hills is most disturbed than ever before. Even Congress men are not safe and publicly aired their fear. I do not want to comment anything more. Their own Working President was attacked by militants even in broad day light few weeks ago. There were attacks on ruling party MLAs houses. In a Congress ruled state some of its own MLAs are not safe what to talk of ordinary citizens.
ST: Will your contest in the last Presidential polls affect your prospects in these elections?
Purno: I was a common candidate of major opposition parties against a stalwart like Pranab Mukherjee who is too senior to me in politics. I was their candidate since I was representing the tribals who never occupied that highest office. The tribals all over the country and in Meghalaya know this very well.
ST: There is criticism that you are promoting your children in politics. Your comments.
Purno: My son Conard and James both won the elections, so did Agatha and who is talking that Congress! Mukul has put both his wife and brother in the assembly polls, the former is a debutant and the later a defeated person.
ST: But one of your MLAs remained in NCP and the other joined Congress.
Purno: It was not a surprise to us. Both the legislators were elected on our tickets. But they toed different lines in the past too. So we knew it. People will judge.
ST: How you see the future of Meghalaya now since you are the senior most leader in the state holding high positions both in the state and at the Centre.
Punro: I see a bright future of Meghalaya. People are fed up with all round corruption and inefficiency in every place during the four-year-old Congress rule. I hope they will bring us back to power as they did last time.