Shillong, March 20: Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma has defended Governor Phagu Chauhan’s decision to address the Assembly in Hindi during the first day of the budget session here on Monday.
“We have had occasions in the past where the Governor had not addressed the House in English. The reason for the Governor not addressing the house in English is because of the limitations in terms of fluency of being able to speak or read,” Sangma said while reacting to the protest of the four MLAs of VPP against the Governor decision to speak in Hindi by staging a walkout.
According to him, this kind of situation is normal because India is a very diverse country.
He said that it is important to understand that Governors are sometimes from states which are more Hindi-speaking.
“The past Governors have also requested that they be allowed to speak in a language or read in the language that they are comfortable with. It is for this reason that the Governor, due to his limitations with English, requested to be allowed to read in Hindi. The English version of the governor’s address was placed in the house for the members to refer to and to read,” Chief Minister said.
Sangma said that what had happened is very sad and one should not take it in a very light manner.
“Therefore, a certain level of respect that decorum needs to be maintained in the House when a proceeding like that is taking place especially when the Governor is going through or laying out the governor’s address,” Chief Minister said.
According to him, a very wrong precedent was being set by showing disrespect to the chair of the governor when one interferes while he is speaking.
He further said that if the Governor is speaking in the house in a different language does not mean he is disrespecting the house or the local sentiments or local language.
“It is wrong to draw the conclusion that just because a person spoke in that manner or in any particular language he or she is disrespecting our people. As I said there were limitations and that’s why this happened,” Sangma said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister said that having that sense of patriotism and love for one’s own people does not get stronger just by hitting others, or by bringing down others or by bringing comments like these, that you cannot speak in this language.
“It does not strengthen your patriotism. It just creates negativity which is not healthy at all in our society. And hence loving your own people is one thing. But loving young people and heating others is again another different thing altogether.
He further asserted that this is not the kind of culture that they would like to see, especially in the Assembly.