From C K Nayak
NEW DELHI: Mukul M Sangma, popularly known only as “Doctor”, is an enigma in mercurial politics of Meghalaya. He took over as chief minister eight years ago when nobody was expecting it, replacing none other than five-time chief minister DD Lapang. Despite all odds he completed the remaining three years of his first term and also finished five years of full term, which is a record in the political history of the hill state. This despite countless efforts to displace him both from within and by the opposition.
Born on April 20, 1965, son of a teacher Roshanara Begum at Ampatigiri, Mukul graduated in medicine from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal in 1990, and joined Zikzak Public Health Centre as a health and medical officer in 1991. Two years later, Sangma was elected to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly from Ampatigiri constituency as an independent candidate, following which he was appointed as the Chairman of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation. He was re-elected to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013 as a representative of the Indian National Congress candidate. In 2003, he became the home and education minister in the Lapang Ministry and was also appointed as the deputy chief minister later.
In April 2010, Sangma took oath as the 11th chief minister of Meghalaya, following the resignation of DD Lapang. He was sworn in for a second straight term in March 2013 and there was no looking back.
Here is an exclusive interview of Sangma with The Shillong Times.
ST: Doctor. At last, the state police could successfully bring down the curtains on insurgency in Garo Hills by eliminating Sohan D. Shira, the much wanted, hard-core militant, in an encounter who was on the run for quite some time escaping the security forces on several occasions in the past. Your comments please.
CM: I wholeheartedly congratulate the fearless women and men of the Meghalaya police who led an untiring effort and commitment to fight and contain enemies of the State like Sohan D Shira.
Their efforts has been vindicated and they have left no stone unturned in dealing with criminals and anti-nationals to ensure sustained peace, which is a pre-requisite for growth and prosperity of our State.
The committed endeavor of the government to strengthen our internal security apparatus, with a zero-tolerance policy towards militancy has started showing positive results, especially with this latest incident. It is now time for all the people from all walks of life to come together and unequivocally pursue the common and shared objective of ensuring the complete restoration of peace in the State and then to maintain it for the kind of development in the State we all envisage and dream of.
ST: Do you still think that free, fair and peaceful universal adult franchise can be possible in Meghalaya? We are simply asking whether common voter can vote freely without facing any intimidation.
CM: If you go by the past history of Meghalaya elections, there have always been free and fair polls. The polling percentage for the 2013 Assembly elections as you will see from reports has been 89%. The lack of untoward incidents or disruptions is lower in Meghalaya and the high polling percentage indicates that voters can peacefully and freely vote without any hassles. Yes, free, fair and peaceful voting has always happened in Meghalaya and will happen this time around as well.
ST: It is a fact that whether with the efforts of your Government or Courts frequent bandhs, and blockades have become a thing of past in Meghalaya. If Congress government does not come to power do you think the situation will be back to square one?
CM: It is a known fact that any Government with a clear mandate always performs better than a coalition stitched together for post-poll gains. Law and order is a big responsibility for any Government. Maintaining the same becomes difficult when there is a coalition. I sincerely hope that all Meghalaya citizens realize the importance of a Government with a clear mandate which will help in maintaining law and order like it has done in the past.
ST: One of your party legislators is still behind bars on rape charges and your home minister’s family has been accused of running a guest house where such immoral activities were alleged to be taking place. Yours comments especially in view of the Union I & B Minister Smriti Irani’s comments that women are not safe in Meghalaya?
CM: I would like to correct you here that the person directly involved in the case is not an MLA. The case is sub-judice and it cannot be commented upon. However, I remain firm in my belief that if proved guilty, the Government will never shy away from bringing any wrongdoer to book.
Also, let me clarify something on the status of women in Meghalaya. As you know, unlike several other areas, Meghalaya is proud to have a matrilineal system where women are decision makers and owners of assets. Meghalaya has always been safe for women and will continue to be. Our women enjoy the highest respect. There are assistance schemes for everyone right from single mothers and orphaned girls to widows, women entrepreneurs and more.
I can only remind the Hon’ble Minister for I & B, Smt. Smriti Irani to compare the law & order situation with the BJP ruled States.
ST: During your tenure the off repeated Shillong-Guwahati national highway was made into four lane and the Shillong bypass was thrown open to traffic.
CM: Even I have heard about double-laning the Shillong-Guwahati national highway and Shillong bypass, before assuming office. But, now we crossed all the hurdles and did it. We have also done much major road works like Guwahati-Tura national highway and are on the job at Tura-Shillong national highway. Let me tell you, I firmly believe in the saying “a nation has good roads not because it is rich, but, it is rich because it has good roads”.
But, apart from these major infrastructure projects, my Government has undertaken many other developmental works at the grass root level like the ‘basin development project’ and ‘livelihood generation projects’. This has uplifted standard of living of thousands of poor people in the villages and small towns. It is these people who will vote for us in appreciation of our work.
ST: But the state as a whole suffered a lot when mining of open cast coal was banned. What are your comments on that?
On the mining front, we have taken all the necessary rehabilitative measures. We have repeatedly requested the BJP Government at the Centre to ensure provisions for exemption in Meghalaya for the Mines & Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act of 1957 and Coal Mines Nationalization Act. However, nothing has happened so far. We have now been trying to formalize traditional mining practices.
We have started disseminating scientific mining practices in the sector through the MMDC (Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation Limited) to ensure that maximum benefits are reaped by land owners and the implementation of a revenue sharing system which is feasible. The Centre has refused to exempt MMDC from the Central Laws which invoke sixth schedule provisions. The NGT took a long time to come around to our viewpoint. It is an ongoing process and in the meantime we are promoting horticulture in these areas to ensure an alternate income source for those affected while the issue is being sorted out.
ST: What are your party’s prospects in elections in Meghalaya? How many seats your party will win both in Garo Hills and Khasi-Jaintia hills? You have the record of completing not only one full term but also three years of the last term which by Meghalaya standard is a record. Do you think you can repeat it this time too?
CM: We are confident of returning to power with a comfortable majority.
ST: What are the highlights of the recently released Congress Manifesto and how is it different from the Manifestos of the other political Parties?
CM: The marked difference between the manifesto released by the Congress Party when compared with those of other national / regional parties, in the election fray in Meghalaya, is that the Congress Party has placed its manifesto before the electorate with all its achievements and promises for the future, while others come up with only promises which have to be taken on face value, since they are yet to establish their credibility in providing a stable government.
ST: Many of your party’s sitting Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, District Council Members, other legislators and top party functionaries have defected to other parties. Some of them have withdrawn from contesting. On what basis you think your party can come back to power?
The Congress Party is one of the biggest democratic political organizations in the country. Everybody has their own political beliefs and journeys and that has to be respected. No individual is above the Indian National Congress. There are some who have a habit of defecting from one party to another for vested gains.
Those who left the party or government without any rhyme or reason are habitual dissidents without any political principles. Those who have withdrawn from the election fray have done so, on their own for personal reasons. This they have explained in public. But, unlike the deserters they have not left the party, instead they are actively campaigning for the success of our party candidates.
ST: In case your party is not in a position to form the next Government on its own or with Independents, will you go for alliance with regional parties and even NPP to keep BJP at bay or will party rather prefer to sit in opposition.
We are confident of coming back to power with a full majority and with the blessings of the people who will give us the mandate based on the work that we have done over the years.
ST: Are you the Chief Ministerial candidate if Congress comes back to power with majority seats on its own?
The Indian National Congress is a democratic party. The elected MLAs will be deciding on their Chief Minister. There is a democratic process that will be implemented in this regard.
ST: Most of your detractors have accused you for your “dictatorial” style of functioning. Though both your terms it was a virtual one man show in Meghalaya whether it was party or Government. Yours comments please.
If the decisions that are taken for the good of the people and the State, I don’t mind being called by any name.
ST: Your party has given tickets to most of your family members. The same has been noticed in NPP too. How do you justify this?
CM: The names you have mentioned are of those, who are already elected. It is the decision of the people of that area and not mine alone. They have been chosen through a democratic process against which one can’t complain.
ST: Will not anti-incumbency affect your party despite the claim of peace and development?
People themselves know about the development we have brought about right from improved law and order to better road connectivity. The Congress Party with all its achievements in the last 5 years is not affected by any anti-incumbency. Rather, I term the situation as a pro-incumbency one.
ST: Unlike earlier occasions, the Congress is not in power at the Centre and BJP has taken one state after another even in North East including in your next door Assam. Congress is only in power in four states in the country including Meghalaya and Mizoram.
How do you see the changed situation and do you think BJP can make its presence felt in Meghalaya, the way it has done in, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh? In other NE states like Tripura the Congress has been relegated to third/fourth position?
See, this is how politics works. Nothing is permanent. Winning and losing happens naturally in a democracy. Let us not forget that the BJP which is claiming to make Bharat, Congress-Mukt, had at one time only 2 Lok Sabha seats in 1984. The BJP lost power in Punjab and barely retained in Gujarat in the recent State elections. That apart, see what happened in BJP ruled Rajasthan bye-polls, last month. Both, the Lok Sabha and the Assembly seats were won by the Indian National Congress in the said BJP ruled State.
ST: You are a Doctor by qualification and a practicing politician. You have crossed golden jubilee of your years and looking to cross silver jubilee of your political career creating and breaking many records. You held different positions in the Government and party all these years. Are you happy with the performance of your party and the Government both in the state and at the Centre?
Actually I have already crossed my silver jubilee in politics. I feel that no politician in a position of responsibility should be completely happy with what he or she has done. This will only lead to complacency. I always feel that there is so much more that I can do, learn and implement. There will always be hurdles to be overcome and challenges to be combated. A good leader is one who takes all challenges in his or her stride and yet paves the way for development, peace and prosperity. For example, our youth face several challenges. There is so much more to be done. I want to focus only on doing good work to the best of my ability.
ST: What are your plans to revitalize the youth in Meghalaya?
CM: The Congress government firmly believes that the destiny of Meghalaya is being shaped in its classrooms and hence education has been the priority of the Congress government and continues to supplement its efforts in making Meghalaya a national educational hub in the North East.
The Congress Party proposes to strengthen the entire elementary education system and ensure zero drop-out rate and thus provide universal elementary education to fulfill the Constitutional goal under the Right to Education Act.
Our flagship programme LEAP (Life Skills, Employability, Aspirations, and Purpose) aims at equipping young people with confidence, life skills and coping strategies to live wholesome, happy, and productive lives. The Congress party manifesto is a testament to the progressive pro-growth and pro-people policies of the current Congress Government. The manifesto lays special focus on youth and their employability the newly created job spaces. It promises creation of 3,00,000 jobs which have been created by the ongoing interventions in the livelihoods sector. Employability is a direct result of the foundation that has been built on quality education and skilling, that is why a huge emphasis is laid on innovative approaches in education and human capital development in the Manifesto.
We shall undertake all measures to eradicate the problem of drug abuse in the state. Youth today is falling in the trap of drugs which is the alarming situation to handle it. We commit to come up with a special youth leadership programme.
ST: AICC President Rahul Gandhi visited Meghalaya twice during the election period. He has stated that people should be alert against the spread of hatred. What is your view on this?
Indeed, we are honoured that Shri. Rahul Gandhi has been coming to our State and inspiring all of us with his ideology and principles. I agree with his philosophy that everyone in Meghalaya should be proud of their identity and should preserve their own customs, beliefs, practices and traditions.There should be peace, harmony and brotherhood above all else. The problem with the opposition is the spread of language of hatred and the imposition of their divisive communal ideology, on the people. They will not stop short of even amending the Constitution if they so desire to attain their self-serving political goals.
The politics of hate and usurping personal freedoms in the name of democracy should stop. Meghalaya has always had freedom of expression, speech, diet, lifestyles and beliefs. No one can dictate to us what to eat, drink or wear. We should not let this freedom slip out of our hands at any cost.