By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 10: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Wednesday mounted a sharp attack on the government, accusing it of centralising control over public programmes and stripping traditional institutions of their role in community affairs.
VPP chief and Nongkrem MLA Ardent M. Basaiawmoit said the government had introduced a new policy under which any developmental project, regardless of constituency, would be inaugurated solely by the government.
He stated that the administration would now decide the entire conduct of such programmes from who would be invited to who would be excluded — while the Dorbar Shnong would be reduced to the role of mobilising a crowd.
Basaiawmoit said this approach had “demoralised and demeaned” the authority of the Dorbar Shnong and the Himas, and argued that the ruling dispensation was driven by an eagerness for praise rather than respect for grassroots institutions.
In a scathing analogy, he said the situation was similar to a wealthy man who donates hens to a poor family, but once the family has finished cleaning and cooking the chicken, they “don’t have the authority to eat their own dish or share it among themselves,” because the rich man reserves the right to distribute the meat and decide who receives how many pieces.
He said this comparison reflected what he described as the new policy of the MDA Government.
The VPP leader warned that such a practice not only erodes traditional authority but also sends a troubling message about the government’s intentions in community governance.
