From Our Correspondent
TURA, Sep 9: Social organisations like the New Tura Development Forum (NTDF), Garo Graduates Union (GGU) and the Tura Garo Senior Citizens Forum (TGSCF), who were part of a recent meeting between various groups and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to discuss the GHADC crisis and the Tura Medical College have outright rejected the NPYF’s demand for an apology from a participating medical student, on its claim that he had disrespected the chief minister.
The demand for an apology was made by the Working President of the National People’s Youth Front (NPYF), who claimed that the youth had disrespected Chief Minister Conrad Sangma during the discussion.
The social organization, while appreciating concern for the need to have a pleasant, welcoming and positive environment like maintaining respect, dignity and adherence to the values of democratic discourse in such forums, however did not agree with the NPP youth leader and refuted his condemnation of the behavior of the Medical student. “We did not notice any signs of misbehavior displayed by the student in the course of his discussions in the meeting. He, in fact, engaged in serious discussions. He politely talked to the Chief Minister addressing with formal salutations. Whatever he talked about in the meeting was in the case of the Tura Medical College and in the interest of the community. He was only opposing the idea of running the Medical College in PPP-model after talking about pros and cons of PPP-mode,” they said, in a joint statement.
According to the statement, there was no attempt on the part of the medical student to demean the office of the Chief Minister and to insult the Senior citizens and community leaders and therefore, no apology needed to be tendered by him.
“We disapprove of the mention that the student tried to insult the Senior Citizens and community leaders. Such statements are vulnerable to create divisions among the different CSOs who are at present working in tandem on the above mentioned pressing issues,” they added.