SHILLONG: Former Union Minister and incumbent Tura MP from NPP, Agatha K Sangma, on Saturday gave a clarion call to women to join mainstream politics to improve its quality while asserting that the fairer sex in the North East have the potential to be the catalyst of change.
Talking to media persons here, she stressed on the need for women to join mainstream politics.
“I think North East has a good potential of ensuring women’s participation in politics,” Sangma said.
She said the NPP is a platform where women are welcome to participate while urging them to get more involved in their social and political life.
“Now it lies on us to bring about change and women play a very important role in bringing quality changes in any organisation they work in,” the lone woman MP of the NPP stated.
She said that the NPP is headed in the right direction of empowering women as was evident in her victory in the Tura Lok Sabha seat and her party colleague Farlene A Sangma winning the bye-election in Selsella constituency.
Stating that although the NPP is a small party and is at a nascent stage, she, however, added that the party is encouraging women who have a voice and want to bring a positive change.
“I hope the party will take women participation in active politics to a whole new level,” Sangma said.
She said that women in North East are more empowered compared to their compatriots elsewhere in the country, but mostly in the economic and social spheres.
“But there is still a huge vacuum in terms of political empowerment of women in the region,” she said.
She also did not attach much significance to getting cabinet berth saying a lot of work can be done even without it.
“Even as a parliamentarian one can be extremely effective. I intend to make sure that during my tenure as an MP I will be able to raise the concerns of Garo Hills which is my constituency. At the same time being the sole MP of NPP I will also raise the concerns of other Northeastern states,” she said.
Asked about the core areas which she will focus on to bring about development in Garo Hills region, Sangma said that development has to be holistic adding that the priority areas are infrastructure, horticulture, agriculture and sustainable development.
On the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Sangma said that issue will have to be addressed in the coming months.
“We have asked the NDA to ensure that there is proper consultation and any decision taken has to have the approval of the stakeholders. You cannot have a decision which is arbitrary and affects the North East adversely. Moving ahead without consultation and without taking opinion of the Northeastern states would be disastrous,” Sangma said. “As a national party we will ensure that no arbitrary decision is taken,” she said.
