SHILLONG: Apparently not disheartened with his two electoral losses from two different constituencies, NPP candidate Pynshngain N Syiem is eyeing Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhah constituency as he found solace in the adage, “Failure is the stepping stone to success.”
He unsuccessfully sought re-election from Mawsynram for the general election in 2018. Again, he unsuccessfully contested the bye-poll of Ranikor constituency.
Having quit the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), he exuded confidence as he try his luck at contesting the Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah seat, known to be the bastion of his former colleague in the PDF, James Ban Basaiawmoit.
“Failure is a stepping stone to success. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you come down. Conrad (Sangma) also lost from Selsella but won from Tura. When you no longer have the stamina, you should stay home,” he told reporters on Thursday at his residence.
He pointed to the relevance of the District Council and refuted the argument of doing away with the District Council after the state attained statehood.
Recalling Michael Syiem’s PIL questioning the relevance of autonomous district councils in Meghalaya, Pynshngaiñ said the District Council has a role to play in issues of dorbar shnong (village council), land issues etc.
Asserting that it is high time to approach the Supreme Court pertaining to the pending inter-state border issue, he said District Council should start collecting documents from owners, raids, Himas to stake claim of the boundary of the state.
“District Council is very important. The shield of the indigenous community is the District Council,” he said.
Speaking about KHAD (Village Administration Bill), Pynshngaiñ said, “We want VAB and not CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill).”
The former Congress man who was sacked from the party for alleged anti-party activities, took the opportunity to criticize the Congress led MUA – II government.
Accusing the MUA-II government of plotting a technique to delay the assent of the VAB, he asked “Under what provision was the VAB sent to the Home Ministry?”
“We need VAB to deal with day to day affairs of traditional institutions,” he said.