SHILLONG: As elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in the state draw near and political parties try to woo voters with promises for a better tomorrow, a cross-section of people believe that they are giving a go-by to the real issues while harping on those like coal mining, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and inter-state boundary dispute.
Elections to the two seats of Shillong and Tura are scheduled for April 11.
Former IAS officer and social activist Toki Blah acknowledges CAB is definitely a matter of concern for the people, but he points out that unemployment and economic downtrend are issues that really matter and yet people don’t speak about these.
CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said political parties in Meghalaya right now are concentrating only on coal, but are not telling the truth to the people.
She said that disabled children not getting their book grants for the year 2017-18 and rape victims not being compensated were issues of concern.
She lamented too, the silence on unemployment, corruption, inadequate healthcare facilities and quality education, water scarcity and erratic power supply.
Senior leader of United Democratic Party (UDP), Allan Dkhar said he fully agrees with the view that some political parties in the state are raising the issue of CAB to gain political mileage without being aware of its various provisions.
Admitting that the political parties in the state need to focus on critical issues of the state, he, however, added that these have very little to do in Parliamentary elections except for the fact that MPs will be just mediators between the state and the Central government to speed up projects and schemes.
