By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has termed the abolition of KHNAM by Paul Lyngdoh as a blessing in disguise for the party.
Talking to media persons here recently, KHNAM candidate from North Shillong constituency, Edelbert Nongrum said, “The forceful abolition of KHNAM by Paul Lyngdoh may affect the party in a little way but the people are still with the party.”
It may be mentioned that Paul Lyngdoh, former KHNAM head merged with the United Democratic Party just a year ahead of the Assembly elections.
However, the candidate believes the party still enjoys the support of people.
The party is fielding 4 candidates for the ensuing elections.
Reacting to a query, he said that earlier party had decided to put 15 candidates but the Election Commission of India took a long time to assert whether party is still recognized after the forceful merger with UDP.
The KHNAM is also counting on the huge non-tribal votes in the constituency even as he said that the indigenous and genuine non-tribal citizens need to work together to fight the problem of influx.
“Both indigenous and genuine non tribal citizens are part of each other and both need to work to solve the issue of influx in the state which affects not only indigenous people but also genuine non tribals,” he told reporters.
According to Nongrum, a new policy needs to be worked out with genuine non tribals to detect the illegal immigrants and the strongest mechanism to check influx is to work together. The KHNAM candidate while lashing out at the successive Government for failing to address the issue of influx said that indigenous as well as genuine non tribal citizen’s people are suffering because the Government is using the illegal immigrants as their vote bank. He also criticized the Government for not solving the long pending boundary issue with Assam.
“How can I be proud to be a Meghalayan without a proper boundary of the State.