SHILLONG: Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said the forthcoming Assembly polls in Meghalaya is not a battle between the Congress and the BJP, but a battle of ideologies and a fight for the survival of democracy .
“Today, the country is passing through a very crucial phase because of the resurgence of Hindutva and the alarming pace at which it is gaining momentum. Hindutva is against the basic features of our Constitution – democracy and secularism. So, it is not a fight between the Congress and BJP or the regional parties; it is a fight for the survival of democracy, for the survival of secularism,” Gogoi, who is in the city to campaign for Congress candidates, told reporters on Saturday.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Gogoi said the BJP wants to impose only one culture in the country even as he added that the tribals in Meghalaya and elsewhere in the North-East are far better off, both economically and socially, than tribals in Gujarat.
BJP leader Amit Shah in his rally on Friday had said if elected, the BJP would make Meghalaya a model state.
In response, Gogoi said, “Do you want Meghalaya to go back hundreds of years? This is what Modi wants; that is what Amit Shah wants. He is talking of a model state. What about Gujarat? They couldn’t make Gujarat a model state.”
According to Gogoi, the tribals of Meghalaya are far better off socially, educationally and economically than their counterparts in other parts of the country. “They (BJP) talk about the Gujarat model, but what about their tribals and the conditions in which they live. You know how they treat the tribals in Gujarat? How are the Dalits being treated, how are the minorities treated, whether Muslims or Christians? Why do they talk of ghar wapsi?,” Gogoi asked.
India is a beautiful garden of diverse cultures while the BJP wants only the lotus to bloom, he said.
Christianity developed North-East
Gogoi further said it was a fact that Christianity developed the hill states and the rest of the North-East.
“I can say without any doubt that it is the case,” he added. The contributions of the Presbyterians, Catholics and Baptists have been noteworthy.
Besides the hill states, Christianity contributed a lot to the development of Assam and the Baptists even tried to revive the Assamese language, he said.
“The missionaries have established good schools and hospitals and even today I must openly admit that you cannot deny that fact. Others are also working, but particularly in education and healthcare the Christians have done a commendable job,” Gogoi said, adding that the BJP is not tolerant towards all religions.
“Mohan Bhagwat has openly said that all those who are born in India are Hindus,” he added.
According to Gogoi, the BJP’s election promises are false and the same thing has happened in neighbouring Assam. Instead of ensuring development Narendra Modi has snatched away all the development schemes earmarked for the North-East, he said.
The Congress leader also recalled that the government used to channel subsides through the North Eastern Industrial and Investment Promotional Policy which have now been curtailed.
“How has the BJP helped the North-East? Has any industry come to the region? But there is lot of scope,” he said.
Promising that the Congress would bounce back in the Panchayat elections in Assam, he said the Modi government is expert in salesmanship, not statesmanship.
The BJP’s promise of achche din was vapid, said Gogoi, adding that the party exists only for leaders and ministers and not for the common man.
BJP shielding Himanta
Slamming the BJP over corruption charges, he said the BJP buys voters with money and muscle power and even Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is accused in a corruption case, is being protected by the BJP.
The former chief minister recalled that the BJP had in the past criticised the Congress for shielding Himanta against whom there were corruption charges, including the Sarada scam, but the saffron party is protecting him now.
“The BJP had accused me of protecting Himanta. They had alleged that he was my right hand man. Today I throw the question back at them. Who is protecting Himanta now? The moment he joined the BJP did he become a saint, a rishi? Was he corrupt as long as he was with the Congress?” Gogoi asked trenchantly.
Accusing the RSS of polluting the minds of the youth with hatred, he recalled that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had recently spoken about the divisive agenda of the BJP at a rally in Guwahati.
Cong’s contribution
The former Assam chief minister said the Congress had worked for the welfare of the North-East. “Who gave statehood to Meghalaya? It was Indira Gandhi. Who set up hospitals like NEIGRIHMS or even the Police Academy, NIFT, IIM? It was the Congress,” Gogoi asserted.
Slamming Modi for not doing anything for the North-East, Gogoi said, “Have they announced any central schemes for the region? Modi has snatched away the special status granted to Meghalaya and Assam and the other North-Eastern states instead of offering financial assistance.”
