SHILLONG, Aug 9: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has said that traditional heads should look after the interests of the villages and abstain from getting engaged in petty politics.
Tynsong said this during a foundation-laying ceremony for 1.830-km road project that connects Mawkieng to Lumsyrïong at Maweitnai.
The deputy chief minister, during the programme, expressed concern over the involvement of traditional heads while openly advocating for candidates during elections.
They (traditional heads) will not be ready to talk to the MLA if he is not the candidate whom they had supported, Tynsong rued. “I am of the view that the behaviour of the traditional heads is not right since it is the people who are losing the benefit which they are supposed to get from the MLAs,” he added.
Calling on the traditional heads to be responsible and not to have a negative mindset, the deputy chief minister said that traditional heads should accord priority to the interests of the villages and should not get engage in petty politics.
Stating that the ministers and MLAs are wrongly accused most of the time, Tynsong said there are some people who wish death upon the legislators.
“Many of them want election to be held frequently since it serves their vested interest,” the deputy chief minister said.
Taking more potshots, Tynsong said that politics among the rural populace is more prevalent when compared to the urban populace. He added that people in the rural areas will not even talk to the MLA if they had not voted him.
Stating that people in rural areas would not even talk to the MLA if they had not voted for him/her, he said, “Forget about talking to them, they would even run away if they see the MLA. However, this kind of phenomenon is not seen in urban areas.”
Meanwhile, C&RD Minister and Mylliem MLA, Hamletson Dohling, lauded Tynsong for laying the foundation stone the road project.
Tynsong also laid the foundation stone of the 18-metre bridge at Umsohkhan river.
