SHILLONG: Former Home Minister and currently the Vice Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian University, RG Lyngdoh, has strongly condemned the incident of October 9 where Vikash Nadwani was set ablaze by miscreants in broad daylight.
Lyngdoh said that the police should launch a manhunt to nab the culprits so that a strong message is sent that people with criminal intent are not allowed to get scot free.
“It is not enough for the Government to assist the victims by way of health care. The Government has to show that it means business by nabbing the culprits at the earliest,” Lyngdoh stated.
It may be reminded that when RG Lyngdoh was Home Minister he had come down heavily on the HNLC and literally broken its back.
UDP, ICARE condemn violence
The UDP has expressed shock over the gruesome inhuman act perpetrated by anti-social miscreants at Motphran recently and had strongly condemned the act.
In a statement issued here on Friday, UDP Shillong City general secretary Allantry F Dkhar said that the party legislators had vociferously indicated their stand in the Assembly and had also urged upon the concerned authorities to bring the guilty to book.
ICARE president Toki Blah also expressed pain and concern over the recent spate of violence that has overtaken the city.
While upholding the right of civil society to protest and agitate against perceived grievances, Blah reminded that violence has never and will never help solve problems.
“As civil society we also wish to reiterate our concern at the apparent deadlock over the influx controversy. Any policy and legislative measures undertaken to contain influx must emanate and originate from the Floor of the Legislative Assembly,” the ICARE president said.
“As a civilized and democratic society we cannot allow such policies to be decided on the streets of the city,” he said, adding that Meghalaya needs to fight influx not by petrol bombs but through informed, conscious, reasoned and rational debates by the elected representatives.
“It is therefore regrettable that the political system and its representatives have seen fit to play political badminton with this raging controversial issue. It is not understood why they cannot climb down from their political egoistic high horses; talk to one another and come up with some relief for the common man,” Blah said.
While pointing out that the need to score political brownie points against one another has already passed, he said the need instead is for the political system to wake up to the gravity of the situation.
“The need of the hour is to rally together to save the State and its people from further deterioration and suffering. We have reached the tipping point and the common man is desperate for meaningful leadership. The issue calls for stakeholder participation and discussion. Interest groups have done enough damage. This is the time for our elected representatives to live up to their mandate,” he said.