SHILLONG: Working president of UDP Bindo Lanong on Monday recalled the motto of regionalism of late president of UDP, Donkupar Roy as it was deeply rooted in both of them.
Lanong’s voice broke and he stopped speaking for some seconds as he remembered his late friend who had never lost an election and was elected for the 7th term from Shella in 2018.
Gathering composure and with tears welling up in his eyes, he said, “I was expecting…. since he has reached this far, he will come through and he will be well again.”
Stating that regionalism is deeply rooted in him as it was in late Roy, he said they were committed to strengthening regionalism although coalition is a different matter altogether. “We had not defected and had no intention to defect and never budged from our principles. We were committed to regionalism. We were like blood brothers in our service to the people,” Lanong said.
He said the party will try to translate the yearning of Roy to strengthen the regional forces into reality.
He added, “As a small state, in a vast country, we have Khasis, Jaintias and the Garos, unless we think and take care of the tribes of the state, who will?”
He said Roy aimed to see the state prosper and progress.
Lanong said his relationship with Roy started from 1987-1988 when the latter was first elected as an independent in 1988 and joined the UDP and remained with the party till his death.
“He (Roy) won elections for seven terms which shows people’s love for and confidence in him. He had exceptional qualities,” he said.
Lanong went on to say that Roy was a simple man who did not defect to any other party which catapulted him to be a leader of the state as well as lead the party.
“He was a former chief minister and held the post of Speaker. If it was not for his exceptional qualities, he would not have held such posts,” he said.
