No takers yet for Aam Aadmi Party in M’laya

SHILLONG: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has created a political flurry across the country after it won 28 out of 70 seats in the Delhi election held in November 2013.
In neighbouring Assam and Arunachal Pradesh the AAP has already attracted committed followers. But in Meghalaya the AAP does not seem to have struck a chord.
RTI activists in Meghalaya who used to be closely connected to Arvind Kejriwal are however not receptive to the idea of formation of the Aam Aadmi Party in the State. They feel it would be better to have a party which is organic and home grown.
“Personally, I am not in a favour of the idea for forming the AAP in the State. What we need is something which is organic and home grown,” RTI activist Angela Rangad told The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
According to Rangad, the AAP is an outcome of the peoples’ movement which has been taking up issues  concerning the common man for the past many years.
“We need to have a similar movement which is locally relevant and also pick up relevant issues and bring in meaningful changes for the benefit of the common man,” she said.
The RTI activist feels that it is not right thing to dwell on the current euphoria. “Such a thing would not sustain for long,” Rangad said.
Another RTI activist Michael Syiem is also not open to the idea of forming of the AAP in the State.
“I am of the view that we need to build a party which is localized. We would not want to emulate something which is not relevant to our needs and which is not our own,” Syiem said, adding that if AAP is formed in the State it would be like any other national party with a high command that whose views would prevail even while resolving minor issues.
Former Home Minister RG Lyngdoh currently the Vice Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU), is of the view that the AAP is an attempt to change the present system which has failed to meet the needs and expectation of  the people.
“There is need for pragmatic policies based on empirical research. For this even the existing political parties have to reinvent themselves. But does Meghalaya need another party? I would say no. Already votes are splintered among so many political parties,” Lyngdoh said.
He said that the AAP could serve as a model and its ideals should motivate the political parties here to reinvent themselves to be relevant to peoples’ needs.
Entrepreneur Larsing Ming Sawyan while commenting on the AAP  said, “I am intrigued by this whole phenomenon of the AAP. It is a defining moment for India. But while I am interested in political events I don’t think it’s the right time for me yet to enter the political fray.”
Ming, however, added that he is not averse to being part of a political think tank.