From Our Correspondent
MAWKYRWAT, Sep 29: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Friday said Voice of the People’s Party chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit’s recent statement in the Assembly that “Meghalaya is ruled by Kumars” should be taken as a challenge.
He said the various educational institutes in the state should be able to produce more IAS, IPS officers, professors, scientists, etc.
“In the Assembly recently, one member said Meghalaya is being ruled by Kumar, Bhattacharjee or anybody from outside the state. I liked this statement. We should not take it otherwise but excel. That should be our challenge,” Sangma said at a meeting at Sngap Syiem College here.
“If there were no Kumars or Bhattacharjees for many years, we would not have been here today. Who is there to replace them even today? It is a challenge for us. Therefore, it is time for our institutions to prepare our own Lyngdohs, Lapangs, Sangmas, Maraks etc., to substitute and look after our state,” he added.
During the autumn session of the Assembly, Basaiawmoit had said, “After attaining statehood, we had expectations that Lyngdohs, Sangmas, Marbaniangs and Kharkongors would govern us but we landed up being ruled by Kumars.”
Meanwhile, the education minister urged teachers to stay away from politics and not misuse the judgement of the High Court of Meghalaya that allows teachers to contest elections.
Sangma said no employees of the college holding a government sanctioned post should participate in any kind of political activity. He said not just in South West Garo Hills, he learnt that politics has entered educational institutions also in South West Khasi Hills district.
“If NPP candidates win in South West Garo Hills district, they would want all presidents and secretaries of managing committees (of educational institutes) to be from the party. It is the same if Congress candidates win,” the minister said.
“But sadly, when it comes to results, it is zero. Therefore, let’s not misuse the court order. The priority of the government is the students,” he added.
Sangma announced that the government has approved 24 new sanctioned posts of teachers for Sngap Syiem College and this will take the institute’s total number of sanctioned posts to 45.
Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton L Tongkhar, former MLA and Adviser to Education Department HM Shangpliang and Principal of Sngap Syiem College KK Nongsiej also spoke.
Some students were also felicitated for winning 6 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals and scoring 99 out of 121 points in the recently-concluded NEHU Inter College Athletics Championship, 2023 held in Shillong.