SHILLONG: Nostalgia and apprehensions about the next term marked the end of the Assembly session on Thursday.
With the MUA-II government’s five-year term ending, the last session of the ninth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly saw the young and the old recollecting the days passed by and wishing each other the best to come.
Deviating from the norm, Speaker AT Mondal allowed the MLAs to share their experiences before proroguing the Assembly.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma praised the Speaker for keeping the decorum and dignity of the House.
He also said the House would miss senior leaders like DD Lapang, RC Laloo and Roshan Warjri who had decided not to contest the polls.
Opposition Leader Donkupar Roy congratulated Mondal for creating history by becoming the first speaker of Meghalaya from the minority community.
Later, Cabinet Minister Ronnie Lyngdoh said though Mondal was from the minority community, he lived up to the expectations of the legislators and his own staff.
Roy said though there is a saying that politicians do not retire, at least three leaders, Lapang, Laloo and Warjri had decided to retire from electoral politics.
The UDP leader emphasised the need for friendship between those who are elected and those who would not be able to make it to the House in 2018.
“Whether we come back or not, we will continue to work as friends,” he said.
Lapang, the oldest member in the House, said the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly is known for decorum, dignity and high standard of debate and the legislators have lived up to it.
Laloo said while he was in active politics for 35 years, he had served as legislator for 25 years and recollected the days when he was associated with leaders like Lapang, SC Marak, Rowell Lyngdoh and later with Donkupar Roy and HDR Lyngdoh.
The MPCC chief, who has decided not to contest the upcoming polls, said, “I will see you all in the visitor’s gallery next time.”
PWD Minister MM Danggo said as he completed the current term it was nostalgia that gripped him.
Danggo recalled the contribution of leaders HS Lyngdoh and Clifford Marak who passed away before the completion of the current term.
Paul Lyngdoh said the Opposition played its role to raise relevant issues concerning the state.
“Though we may not have brought the government to its knees, but kept the government on its toes,” Lyngdoh said and added that the only parting thought was that the House should have met more regularly as the session in the current term was only for 99 days.
Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that she learned volumes of information during the tenure and added that she would try to become a more credible MLA.
She also recalled the roles played by the chief minister, the speaker and the leader of the Opposition to make the Assembly vibrant.
HSPDP member Ardent Basaiawmoit hoped that there would be a new and better government and a better opposition to wake up the government in the next term.
Rowell Lyngdoh said the speaker played a non-partisan role in the House which needed to be appreciated.
He also lauded the move of senior leaders who chose not to contest the upcoming polls.
Mondal, who was the last to speak, thanked God for guiding him in difficult times.
He said he was upset after visiting Parliament with a delegation of Meghalaya legislators as there was no decorum since the House was adjourned due to shouting and noise.
The speaker also explained the reason for the delay in the construction of the new Assembly building and short duration of the session.
