By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 31: The United Democratic Party, which has been advocating the unification of the regional entities, wants to rekindle the fire that All Party Hill Leaders’ Conference had lit during the hill state movement five decades ago.
“We need to ignite that fire again but it depends on the leaders. Some leaders had betrayed (regionalism) by joining the national parties after winning on UDP and APHLC tickets,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said.
He said the UDP would continue to pursue the unification goal that it has been trying to achieve since the 2018 Assembly elections by forming the Regional Democratic Alliance with the Hill State People’s Democratic Party.
“We would have been happier if PDF (People’s Democratic Front) and KHNAM (Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement) had joined us in RDA. We would still like the other regional parties to join us,” Mawthoh said.
Stating that the people of Meghalaya are mostly regional minded and have not forgotten the APHLC, he said the circumstances make it important for the regional forces to come together.
He justified the unification move toward creating a larger regional force that “understands the needs and aspirations of the people of the state better than the national parties” that are bound by the central policies.
Such issues include the implementation of the inner line permit, settlement of the interstate boundary and inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, he said.
Slamming the national parties for not doing much to meet the aspirations of the people, Mawthoh said: “The Centre has been quiet on all the important issues affecting Meghalaya. This means Congress and other national parties in the state have not been articulating the people’s issues in the right perspective.”
Most of the issues remain unresolved despite the national parties ruling the state for 35-40 years, he said. This is where a strong regional force can stand up to Delhi’s diktat, he added.
Mawthoh said the UDP, an offshoot of the APHLC, had wanted to convene a meeting of all the regional parties in the Northeast but the pandemic played spoilsport.
He said the UDP will spare no effort to bring all regional stakeholders together with the objective of becoming a major player after the 2023 state polls. He hoped the celebration of 50 years of Meghalaya’s statehood in 2022 would ignite the spark of regionalism among the people.
‘UDP option for many leaders’
The merger of 12 Congress MLAs to the All India Trinamool Congress could have a cascading effect on other political parties.
Mawthoh claimed many leaders from different political parties are weighing the option of joining UDP ahead of the 2023 polls. He said the UDP has become the most sought-after party since Congress suffered a setback because of the AITC, which is “non-acceptable” to the people.
“Some MLAs have sent us feelers saying they are inclined to be a part of the UDP,” he said.
Recalling how the party started by winning six seats in the 2018 Assembly polls and went on to win the Shella, Ranikor and Mawphlang by-polls, Mathoh said the UDP’s footprint has increased in the Garo Hills region too.
“These are indications that the UDP is growing in strength and will be a major force after the 2023 elections,” he added.