SHILLONG, Feb 10: Considering the developments surrounding the Congress over the past four months, former Home Minister, Robert G Lyngdoh has warned that the party will become extinct in Meghalaya if some serious measures are not taken to revamp it before next year’s Assembly elections.
“We have to remember that any party is only as good as the people in it. The party organisation in the state will have to be revamped and made ready for 2023. A lot of resources – human, financial and organisational – will have to be quickly pumped into. Otherwise, I am afraid, the party is on the verge of becoming extinct in Meghalaya,” he cautioned.
A Congress veteran, Lyngdoh had quit active politics and was on political hibernation until returning to the party last year following efforts made by Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee president Vincent H Pala.
Talking about the five Congress legislators’ decision to join the state government, he said a huge communication gap among Congress Legislature Party, MPCC and All India Congress Committee seemed to have led to the present crisis.
“This, unless resolved, will adversely affect the party even further. It is unfortunate that instead of taking advantage of the exodus of the 12 MLAs to the AITC, the situation was allowed to deteriorate,” Lyngdoh said.
He insisted that the party will now have to take some bold steps to stem the rot. Issues like authority, autonomy, discipline, line of command and the guidelines, as laid down in the party constitution, will have to be revisited and amended wherever necessary, he felt.
“It is important for the party to make itself relevant with the requirements of the times. Important issues like unemployment, support to small-scale entrepreneurs and the prevailing law and order situation have to be discussed and party policies on how to tackle them have to be framed,” he said.
He added that the issue of non-release of developmental funds, as recommended by the Opposition MLAs in the last four years, has to be flagged.
According to Lyngdoh, denial of developmental funds amounts to denying people their rights and it is illegal. It is also tantamount to blackmailing or arm-twisting by the government and should not be permitted in a democratic setup, he said.
Stating that the issues troubling the Congress workers and voters alike will have to be boldly addressed, Lyngdoh said the next line of leadership will have to be quickly identified and trained to take over the mantle.