JOWAI/ SHILLONG: NPP national president Conrad K Sangma took another dig at the Congress asserting that “winds of change” were blowing in Meghalaya and that the ruling party would no longer have a place in the state.
“The Congress has lost almost in every state in India and it will lose another one, Meghalaya,” Conrad said at the general meeting of the party at Iawpynsin, Wahiajer in West Jaintia Hills on Monday.
However, he added that the upcoming election is more about the people of the state and their development than any party or candidate.
The party will release its Mission Plan Document soon where the NGT ban on coal mining will be one of the major issues, he said.
“We have created a future document be it for mining industries, agriculture, tourism and for all kinds of sustainable livelihood and we hope that you are with us so that we can achieve success in creating a new Meghalaya,” Conrad said at the rally to drum up support for Sniawbhalang Dhar.
Taking potshots at Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Conrad said, “The NGT ban on coal mining has adversely affected the livelihoods of people and such a situation had arisen because of the chief minister who never took the matter seriously.”
“Sangma, you have coal, the livelihood of the people and the future of our children. But we will never let you take away our land,” he thundered amid applause.
Taunting the government’s decision to engage MMDC in mining, Conrad said Sangma could involve the corporation but not the public.
The NPP leader observed that not only the electorate have lost faith in the Congress but its leaders, including veterans like DD Lapang, are also staying away from the race.
Prestone Tynsong, who recently joined NPP, seconded Sangma. “The reason we left the Congress is nothing but due to Mukul Sangma’s policies.”
Tynsong, who was earlier the forest and environment minister, said the NGT has put a blanket ban on coal mining because Mukul Sangma has no interest in constituting a special committee or preparation of a state mining plan according to the directive of the tribunal.
“Despite revenue of around Rs 800 crore generated annually from coal mining in the state, Dr Mukul took the NGT ban very lightly because he has something beyond for his vested interest,” he alleged.
The NPP general meeting was also attended by state president, WR Kharlukhi, former MLAs Tynsong, Rowell Lyngdoh, Hopeful Bamon and Stephanson Mukhim besides former JHADC chiefs, Thombor Shiwat and MB Rymbai, NPP advisor, Phidalia Toi, headmen of various villages under Nartiang constituency and others.
Impressive turnout
The Nartiang Block NPP meeting attracted a crowd between 17,000 and 20,000.
Impressed by the turnout, Nongkrem MDC HS Shylla said the presence of a huge crowd in the party meeting at Nartiang should set a trend in other constituencies of the state as well.
“The people of Nartiang are very intelligent and I hope they can bring a change and make Meghalaya a better state in the region,” Shylla said.
‘Fooling’ people
The NPP leaders also alleged that the chief minister was “fooling” the people of the state with financial inclusion schemes for women.
Citing the 2013 election in Meghalaya, where Sangma promised Rs 5,000 to the women of Selsella constituency, which was transferred to their accounts, Conrad said, “After the election, the money was deducted from their daily wage earning from MGNREGA, which was a loan given to the women from the bank.”
Dhar said in a lighter vein that his family was for the people and there were four members in the field, and if they were elected, the people in all the four constituencies, “will have one MLA and three other MLAs for free”.
“Buy one, get three free’ as we are four from the same family contesting in the coming election and we are sure to win,” Dhar said.
Sangma said NPP would not only be the single largest party but also the simple majority in the 2018 election.
