By Albert Thyrniang
Courtesy COVID-19 lockdown, the postponed March 26 election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat will finally take place on June 19. W R Kharlukhi, the NPP state president and consensus candidate of MDA partners will be up against Kennedy Khyriem of the Congress. Going by the unity claims of the coalition Kharlukhi is the clear favourite despite the Congress’s efforts to convince regional parties to reject Kharlukhi on grounds of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA). But the regional parties might prefer CAA to the plea of the Congress.
MDA comprises of regional parties, namely, the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), People’s Democratic Front (PDF),Khasi Hills National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and some independent legislators. The lone KHNAM MLA, Adelbert Nongrum has already decided to abstain from voting as he opposes NPP for voting in favour of CAA in parliament. But will the regional parties vote for the party that voted for this insidious legislation? The leaders of the above parties all accompanied Kharlukhi to the office of Election Commission at the time of filing of nomination. So it is taken for granted that they will cast their votes in favour of the NPP state chief on the D-day. In such an event, Agatha K Sangma might have betrayed the people of Meghalaya but the regional parties will betray the people of Khasi-Jaintia Hills or the Hynniewtrep they claim to protect and represent.
The moment the Tura MP gave that infamous speech in the Lok Sabha on the night of December 10, 2019 supporting the then Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) before actually voting for it, she and her party had to face the wrath and outrage of the people of the state. She and her party leadership were branded traitors. People’s anger, both in Shillong and in Tura was such that her effigies were burnt and her party ridiculed for betraying the state by voting for the Bill that threatens to change the demographic structure of the tiny hills state. The regional parties were unhappy with NPP’s help in turning CAB into CAA. Agatha went against the resolution of the Meghalaya delegation and shockingly and surprisingly voted for CAA that Meghalaya and the whole of NE opposed vehemently. Then why are regional parties supporting another NPP’s man to get into the Upper House? It is quite incomprehensible.
Even after the declaration of Kharlukhi as the common candidate, UDP expressed reservations in supporting an NPP candidate for the very fact that the party supported CAA. They were keen in fielding former Nongthymmai legislator and general secretary Jemino Mawthoh. News of UDP spilling the beans of differences with NPP over CAA appeared in the press. Reports said Kharlukhi was not acceptable as he not only belongs to NPP but heads the very party that embraced the contentious citizenship law. However, the UDP leaders seem to only bark but not bite. They have made clear that they are anti-CAA but will play a crucial role in electing the ‘unacceptable’ Kharlukhi as Rajya Sabha MP from the state. Why do they only make noise but do not act? By their optics they want to fool the people that they are against CAA but will still help the pro-CAA party to have its maiden member in the Rajya Sabha. The public should better see the duplicity and hypocrisy of the UDP and other regional parties.
Post Agatha’s ‘act of betrayal’ and especially post CAA this writer was pretty sure that the regional parties would walk out of the MDA in protest. It is baffling why they did not do so and why they are still part of the alliance. If they have the conviction that CAA works against the indigenous people’s interests then what is holding the ‘true leaders’ back from acting decisively? In December last I asked this bothering question to a UDP functionary from West Khasi Hills who claimed to have access to the inner working of the party. Very bluntly but anonymously he said, “Who would like to relinquish the chair?” Putting the onus of reluctance on the ministers he quipped, “If another political alignment comes about they may not be ministers anymore.” Intelligent inference seems to lead to this motive for regional parties to cling on to MDA and for them to vote for the NPP nominee in spite of CAA. This is purely safeguarding their own selfish interests rather than interest of the 1. 9 million Scheduled Tribes of the state.
Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma weathered the CAA storm and kept MDA intact pleading that the original CAB is different from CAA. He has taken pains to explain repeatedly that under CAB Meghalaya and the whole of North East was to come under its purview. But the present CAA excludes the Scheduled areas of the state and the states in the region covered by Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime and 6th Schedule. He has reminded more than once that he had championed to oppose CAB leading to its non-tabling in the Rajya Sabha in May 2019 and its subsequent lapse following the dissolution of the 16th LokSabha and the end of Modi’s NDA 1. The ‘much changed’ CAA led to the change of heart of NPP. However, the non-Scheduled areas of Shillong city are not exempted from CAA. UDP and other regional parties wanted the whole of Shillong to be away from CAA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah did not accede to this demand. Yet NPP, through its MP, voted for CAA ignoring Shillong. The only consideration for NPP was that the whole of Garo Hills was out of CAA’s bound. NPP should have instructed its MP that unless the whole of Meghalaya and North East is excluded from CAA she would vote against the Bill then. She pleaded for the provisions but voted for the Bill even when it was not granted. The regional parties did not take much offence of this serious and stunning action and kept MDA afloat. They will also make sure that Agatha is joined by another NPP member in the other House. So much for the saviours of this ‘land and its people’!
NPP’s nexus with BJP is as clear as sunlight. Conrad, whose father, PA Sangma was supported by BJP as Presidential candidate in 2012, has left no more room for any doubt. He included the two BJP MLAs (one is cabinet minister) in his government though he could afford to refuse support. But the same charge is accused of UDP and other parties. They could have stood their ground against inclusion of the communal party in the ‘secular’ coalition. They did not! Therefore, by extension they are ideologically linked to the BJP.
Conrad’s cosy relationship with BJP was on full show when he accompanied Modi and Rajnath Singh to file nomination papers in Varanasi and to visit the bishop of Lucknow before the parliamentary election 2019, respectively. Why should the public object to his closeness with the top two BJP leaders? They are only the face of the fanatical and fascist RSS and other saffron outfits. The Hindutva forces that are historically linked to Germany’s fascism have sinister motives. To a great extent, they have succeeded in saffronising and infiltrating into the whole government machinery. The only agenda left is to convert India into a “Hindu Rashtra”. CAA-NRC is a part of this grand project.
RSS has partially succeeded in saffronising North East too. The so called social organisation has presence in the ‘Abode of Clouds’ and is working hard to exert more influence in the state. Forces are certainly there who are aggrieved by the fact that non-tribals cannot buy and own land here. They might be strategically at work to see that the state and the whole of North East 6thSchedule areas become ‘free for all property.’
These forces also share a common divisive and hate ideology. The Delhi riots or pogrom happened because of this hate, exclusive and intolerant ideology. CAA-NRC is a result of a certain agenda. In Meghalaya we have witnessed the fall out of CAA. Two incidents -Ichamati violence and the Shillong stabbing case – are related to CAA. No one justifies violence but would the twin incidents occur sans CAA? Could the temperature against CAA in the state be of milder degree had NPP voted against CAA? It looks like we are going to make sure the party has one member each in both houses of the Indian parliament. We might threaten to fight against CAA tooth and nail but we don’t mind empowering the party that welcomed CAA.