SHILLONG, Nov 10: The Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) president KP Pangniang, on Wednesday, pointed out that there is a need for the leaders and youths to relook and imbibe the love and vigour exhibited by leaders during the struggle of the Hill State Movement in the 1970s to propel the state forward at present.
“There is a need for leaders, each and every citizen and especially the youths to look at the past, learn and inculcate in them the love for our own state, culture, uniqueness, traditions so that the state will shine in near future,” said Pangniang referring to the contribution made by leaders during the struggle for statehood.
He was speaking at the celebration of the party’s 53rd foundation day, during which as many as 60 volunteers who had taken part in the statehood struggle were felicitated.
Informing that the party had decided to felicitate the surviving leaders and volunteers of the Hill State Movement, Pangniang said, “Before the state celebrates its 50th year of statehood, we as a party felt that we should not forget all those hill state leaders and volunteers of the HSPDP party who had fought tooth and nail to attain the full-fledged state of Meghalaya”.
Flipping back the pages of history, he reminisced, “In April 2, 1970, when the then Prime Minister came to Shillong to inaugurate the autonomous state, thousands of HSPDP volunteers staged a black flag demonstration from Upper Shillong helipad all along the road up to Garrison Ground to demand a full-fledged state of Meghalaya”.
“We did not accept the autonomous state of Meghalaya as per the North Eastern Assam Meghalaya Reorganization Act 1969,” he said.
Stating that more than 300 volunteers were arrested and put in jail with some of them imprisoned for 57 days and few others for up to six months, he added: “The party deeply feels that we need not forget their contribution for the state. We invited all the surviving volunteers and more than 60 came and we salute them to let them know that we have not forgotten their sacrifice and contribution made during those days”.
Pangniang further urged the citizens to not forget the sacrifice and contribution put in by various leaders and people of the state to attain statehood.
