SHILLONG: Mawsynram MDC Pynshngain N Syiem said on Thursday the state needs the Village Administration Bill (VAB) and not CAB, or the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even as he criticised the previous Congress government for delaying the KHADC bill.
The former Congressman who was sacked from the party for alleged anti-party activities, took the opportunity to criticise the party-led MUA – II government.
Accusing the MUA-II government of plotting to delay assent to 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. Syiem, who is the NPP candidate for the Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhah seat in the upcoming KHADC election, doesn’t appear to be one to be thwarted by failure, convinced it is only a stepping stone to success. He is confident of doing well this time.
He had unsuccessfully sought re-election from Mawsynram in last year’s assembly election and then later again failed to make the cut when he contested the bye-poll to Ranikor assembly seat.
Having quit the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), he exuded confidence as he tries 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.
He pointed to the relevance of the district council and rubbished the argument of doing away with the institution after Meghalaya attained statehood.
Recalling Michael Syiem’s PIL questioning the relevance of autonomous district councils in Meghalaya, Pynshngaiñ said these have 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 the district councils should start collecting documents from owners, raids, Himas to stake claim to the boundary of the state.
“District council is very important. The shield of the indigenous community is the district council,” he said.
