Editor,
News reporting the unsuitable nature of the Aam Aadmi Party ideology and its rejection on Meghalaya soil for fear of the loss of indigenous ideology is quite an improvident thought. Let’s put some questions to counter this argument. Has our local regional party done enough to preserve, protect and to promote the rights and duties of our people throughout these years of formation and functioning? Have they not played vote bank politics? Have they not mobilized different religious minority groups? Have they committed to the promises made to our state’s electorate? And what kind of yardstick do we have to measure the superiority of our so called local (home grown) political parties vis-à-vis the AAP in fulfilling the common man’s dreams? What’s so great about our regional political parties that people should say they don’t need the AAP here? These are some questions which we need to ask before rationalizing that we don’t need the AAP in Meghalaya. The AAP ideology is a common-man based approach, participatory and accommodative in nature and they have proved that in Delhi. AAP stepping into Meghalaya cannot be speculated to inflict a high command, centralized approach or uniform policies ignoring the regional demands. First of all, it cannot function against its own ideology even in our state without taking local advice and fulfilling those. AAP was born due to the vacuum created by both our mainstream political parties and their failures, whether its corruption, failure to protect the aam people’s rights, inflation, inflicted wounds on low income families, feudal class and promotion of the corporate culture etc which is no different in our State too.
Yours etc.,
Sonie Kharduit,
New Delhi -60
Why not AAP in Meghalaya?
Editor,
The members of the Right to Information Movement (MRTIM) namely Angela Rangad and Micheal Syiem have outrightly rejected the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Meghalaya. Do they think that Meghalaya does not need political reforms? Don’t they see that the VIP culture, and the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and technocrats is taking the State downhill very rapidly? Do they believe that social movements alone can reform those in politics and also bring in the kind of politics that is alive to the needs of the common person? They must be living in a fool’s paradise.
We cannot deceive ourselves that regional political parties, even one headed by so-called clean dictators such as the HSPDP in Meghalaya which is very personality centric, or the UDP which is not clear about its own objectives, can bring any political transformation in Meghalaya. The less we talk about the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) the better. The Party was born from the Khasi Students’ Union and promised to be a Party with a difference but its main protagonist – Paul Lyngdoh – has deserted it. It was supposed to have merged with the UDP but continues to stick out like a sore thumb. The same is the case with the HSPDP. Now the regional parties cannot even converge on a consensus candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. This unity move has evaded the regional political class because of the egotism of its leaders. This is also one reason why the Congress continues to score over the regional parties, especially in the absence of any competition from any other national party. It’s time we have AAP as the third alternative. It would teach both the Congress and the regional parties a lesson for taking us the voters for granted for far too long.
In any case why should only the MRTIM be asked to give their views on AAP? What about the large sections of the general public in Meghalaya who want to see action on coal and limestone mining, curb on corruption, the culture of toll/check gates that make politicians and personnel of the Directorate of Mineral Resources and the Transport Dept filthy rich, not be counted? The Shillong Times should do several rounds of interviews with the ordinary citizens who are frustrated and want to see political change sweep across Meghalaya. Recently we were shocked to see a police personnel, who is no other than the brother of the sitting MP, Vincent Pala being allowed out on bail for being involved in a highway robbery. We know from authentic sources that this police official has been posted in the coal belt of Jaintia Hills for a long time to manage the looting nexus. Are all these not a slap on the face of the law abiding citizen? And we have a Government that allows all this to happen under its very nose. Policemen have been known to pay for their tenures in the coal belts of Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills? How dare they be allowed such freedom to loot in uniform. We the people are watching all this perverse politics. We want an end to this culture before it consumes us. That is why we need the AAP here.
Yours etc.,
Rikordor L Nonglait,
Via email