Editor,
The on-going drama in the Congress party in Meghalaya is a source of great amusement for the public. First the Party High Command unilaterally nominated its favourite Vincent Pala as the PCC President much against the express wishes of former CM Mukul Sangma. It is the worst kept secret that Pala and Mukul have personal issues between themselves. Pala, it seems, had a clue that Mukul had recommended his trusted colleague Charles Pyngrope’s name for the big post. If that had happened, Mukul would have had his way with nomination of candidates for the next election. That would have ensured Mukul retains his hold over the party MLAs and ensured his return to power. The move was scuttled by Pala through his close connections with the Gandhi family. It is apparent that Pala wants to relocate in the State as the CM. For, in Delhi Congress has the dimmest hope of returning to power in the foreseeable future. With no hope in Delhi, he has to make a move for paving his way. What better than becoming the party president and taking control of selecting those who are close to him. No surprise that he picked former Home Minister RG Lyngdoh and ex-MLA PN Syiem who had resigned from the party hurling allegations against Mukul when he was in power. The induction of two of Mukul’s harshest critics into the party alarmed him.
First, he lost out on having his own nominee as party president and then Pala’s shrewd machinations for consolidating his own position must have pushed Mukul hard. Small wonder then, that the former Chief Minister was exploring his own political options. As always, BJP lost no time in sending feelers to Mukul for taking over the saffron party reins. The former CM is careful enough not to take the BJP bait knowing as he does the hills tribes’ discomfort with BJP’s strident Hindutva agenda. Indeed, it would be a big surprise if Mukul embraces BJP after he has been canvassing quite effectively against his primary political adversary the National People’s Party (NPP)’s proximity with the saffron party. And didn’t it pay off at the last GHADC election? Although Congress bagged the largest number of seats it is Conrad Sangma with his money power and current position of authority who managed to retain power with a slender majority. Therefore, Mukul had to try something different, including wooing TMC. But how that would have played out in Garo Hills is difficult to predict, even though it is known that the plains belt voters would have gone all out with the TMC.
In the light of these developments, Mukul can’t be blamed, especially since it is claimed he was never consulted by the Congress High Command before sending Pala as their nominee. This practice of nomination is totally undemocratic. Why couldn’t AICC hold a poll is not difficult to comprehend. Rahul-Priyanka who are calling the shots these days betray their lack of political astuteness. They are not even the shadow of their predecessors in office from the family. Nehru, Indira and Rajiv were several notches above the Gandhi siblings in all aspects. The handling of Punjab and Rajasthan’s internal bickering are cases in point. Therefore, bereft of power and powerful leadership the Congress does not inspire confidence. The decline of the grand old Party is writ large. It however remains to be seen which way the Meghalaya Congress turns before the next election. Will Pala and Mukul be able to rise above personal agenda? That’s a million-dollar question.
Yours etc.,
Pynshngain Jyrwa,
Via email
Good governance need of the hour
Editor,
Whilst browsing through the news reports in your esteemed daily recently, I couldn’t help but notice that our government’s performance is always in the news but for the wrong reasons. Be it the power scam in the Saubhaagya scheme fiasco or the smart meter scandal, there is nothing to cheer about. Ours is a small state with a lot of potential left to be unleashed, provided the reins of power were to be in the right hands but it seems like our representatives are too busy playing musical chairs for that is what politicians do best – fool the electorate. However, we as citizens must also take the blame for electing them to power.
Now some may say that I’m being too cynical about the governance in the state but if one looks beyond our borders, we can see so much development whereas we seem to be stuck in a time warp. We can no longer blame the Covid virus for the situation we’re in. Our domestic violence crime rate is one of the highest in the North East which should be a warning sign that something is amiss in spite of us being a matrilineal society. Our State Women’s Commission is still without a Chairperson since last year.
All these situations and the current restiveness of civil society because of the killing of the former HNLC leader have only added to the feeling of an uneasy calm which could boil over from the smouldering cauldron and spark unrest once again. It is therefore time for those in governance to buck up and get down to business in the literal sense of the word.
Yours etc.,
Angela Lyngdoh,
Shillong-14