SHILLONG: Home Minister James Sangma said on Wednesday that Meghalaya is moving towards dynastic politics, which he does not support.
James was replying to a question posed by a student of North-Eastern Hill University at Democracy Wall, a free speech on campus initiative by The Print, an online news portal.
The minister admitted that two families appear to be running the show in Meghalaya. He added that he was against such a trend and urged students to join politics to ensure new faces and leaders from different backgrounds come up.
James, who is the brother of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and MLA Agatha Sangma, was alluding to the two Sangma families, one from West Garo Hills and the other from South West Garo Hills. Their father, Purno A Sangma, was the founder of the National People’s Party.
On the other hand, CLP leader Mukul Sangma, the former chief minister, has his brother and wife in politics. He recently launched his elder daughter, Miani D Shira, in Ampati by-polls.
To a question on demand for a separate Garo state, the minister was discreet and only said giving way to their demand will also make others want to follow suit.
A student asked about educated people being engaged in serious offences to which Sangma replied that education does not stop people from committing crimes but “it is required for everyone”. “Crime emerges from the psychology of a person. There are factors which push human beings into crime. That has nothing to do with their education. But if we have an educated society, I do see a ray of hope that crime levels will go down,” he added.
When a student threw light on the plight of the third gender, Sangma said, “Everyone has equal rights, they should be protected they should feel free and secure to come up with what they want to.”
Asked on the relationship between education and democracy, Sangma said education will play an important role to break the vicious circle of corruption.
No VIP Culture
A woman drew the attention of the audience and the minister at the programme organised at NEHU multi-campus hall on Wednesday on the VIP culture in the state where “lawmakers become law breakers” when they violate traffic rules.
Stating that there were instances in which ministers bulldozed their way through heavy traffic, James said, “I apologise for that. We are public servants after all. Police escorts need to be sensitised.” James recalled an incident in which he and Conrad were stuck in traffic in Police Bazaar but the latter did not use sirens to make way. “That is a start of trying to end the VIP culture,” he said.
He added citizens can take a video or a photo if they happen to encounter an incident where ministers impose VIP culture, “which should not be tolerated”.
Free speech
Democracy Wall brought together a celebrity, politician, rapper, journalist, constitutioner and a stand-up comedian on one platform to discuss on issues plaguing democracy today. This platform uses satire effectively to get the message across to the audience.
The students took the opportunity to pose questions to Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur, editor of The Shillong Times Patricia Mukhim, Youth Ki Awaaz founder Anshul Tewari and stand-up comedian Abhineet Mishra, besides James.
Mukhim urged the young students to join the media profession as according to her, young people and vibrant minds can make a change.
She added Free speech is guarded from all kinds of undue influences but that is not possible when media is owned by politicians.
Asked on the petrol bomb incident, she said, “When we are in journalism, these are fringe benefits or non-benefits. You know you are taking a tough call every time you write a story. “These are intimidation tactics. So we fight back because we have the law with us,” she added. James Sangma asked the editor on how the print media is adapting to social media with constant news updates in social media in which she stated that she also update news on her Facebook and informed that The Shillong times is also updating news by the minute.
“We have an online web portal and not only rely on the hard copy. Social media is important. Although it can go awry sometimes,” Mukhim said. Speaking on fighting back at trolls, she said, “We are rational beings lets argue on reason and not on emotion or ideology. The least you want to argue about is ideology because ideology is toxic. It makes people who are trapped in ideologies to become so irrational.”