Mukul Sangma changed the concept of politics in Meghalaya. In a state where governments fall like nine Mukul Sangma changed the concept of politics in Meghalaya. In a state where governments fall like nine pins, Mukul ruled for eight long years in two consecutive terms as chief minister, an all-time record in the hill state. He had his ups and downs, success and failures but he always took the challenge. When most of the stalwarts either did not contest or bit the dust in the last Assembly polls, Mukul won from two seats. CK Nayak caught up with him during his whirlwind campaign. Here are the excerpts:
ST: All along your career, you were in state politics. You headed the government as chief minister for a record eight years. What made you contest the Lok Sabha election?
Mukul Sangma: Yes. Most part of my political career I was in state politics. As you have mentioned I have been privileged to serve the people of the state in different capacities, including as chief minister. So I have gathered a certain level of experience which I feel can be useful at the national level to address the issues of the North East in general and our state in particular.
This time the responsibility is different. We have a very intolerant and polarising regime at the Centre which needs to be defeated and my party wanted senior leaders from the North East to represent the party in Parliament. So I answered the call of my party leadership to contest.
ST: You did not apply for ticket for Tura seat.
MS: Yes. I always give chance to my party colleagues. But this time the AICC wanted me to contest. First, they were sure about Congress victory if I contest and second they felt my experience would be useful at the national level.
ST: What do you think about the national mood and how do you see the same in Tura?
MS: We are at a very crucial juncture… We have the BJP at the Centre which is continuously inciting people and dividing them on religious and other lines for petty electoral gains. We have to guard against such forces. In the garb of development they want to hijack our identity. The way they wanted to push through the CAB is a good example of this danger. People have to be careful to see who are their partners and supporters. Parties like NPP partner with the NDA on every forum but to deceive people, play the politics of opportunism.
The people of Tura also sense this mood and want a strong voice in the policy making framework in Delhi.
ST: You are an experienced leader… If elected what are your plans in New Delhi?
MS: When we came to power in Meghalaya, it was a hotbed of militancy. With painstaking effort and cooperation of multiple stakeholders we could eliminate militancy from our beloved state. Many people forget that. It is from that position we built the turnaround which is the foundation for all aspirations of development of our people today. Our focus has always been development and good governance as witnessed by the state during the Congress-led government in Meghalaya.
There is a wealth of experience I gathered in my years (in politics) at the state level which can be applied in the national context. Also, I am sure I can contribute to policy-making, which is sensitive to the needs of the North East and Meghalaya in Parliament.
ST: Right now in Garo Hills, NPP has more MLAs than the Congress. How do you think you can win?
MS: If number of MLAs in the Lok Sabha segment is the barometer for votes then we would not have lost Tura seat earlier when Congress MLAs were in majority in Garo Hills. Yes, MLAs play a significant role in all elections. But each election – district councils, Assembly and Lok Sabha – is fought on many other grounds. We will win both the seats this time.
ST: What would be your plus points in the election?
MS: The developmental work during my eight-year-term as chief minister and law and order back then will speak for my work. During my regime there was no bandhs and disturbances. Look what is happening now. Curfew was imposed in Shillong for days during the riots at Harijan Colony. Till date the problem has not been solved.
Bringing back Garo Hills from the peak insurgency by finishing the GNLA was not an easy task. That time too we did not get adequate support from the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre where NPP is a partner.
On development front the Guwahati-Shillong national highway, Shillong bypass, Guwahati-Tura highways are all landmarks of my government.
Overall as I said earlier I have been privileged to lead the state and I have seen the intricacies of the state and its functioning from various dimensions… our agenda is to focus on good governance and development and we have, we can and we will deliver. People recognise and realise that.
ST: Then why did your party lose the last Assembly polls?
MS: Even after two terms in power, the Congress came out as the single largest party but was not invited to form the government. NPP, which got fewer seats, was called to form the government by the governor. If Congress would have been given the chance first then the regional parties could have supported it too.
ST: What about the NPP and regional parties fighting with the BJP candidates both in Tura and Shillong?
MS: That is only a drama. BJP is still part of the MDA ministry and not only in government. In principle, BJP should have withdrawn from the government or should have been dismissed from the ministry if NPP had followed principled politics. You cannot remain in the ministry and oppose it too. The same applies to NPP, you can’t oppose the alliance with NDA while remaining in it.
Second, on issues like ban on cow slaughter and the most recent CAB, BJP and NPP claim to be polls apart. If that is the case how can they remain in the same government?
Conrad (Chief Minster Conrad Sangma) and other regional party leaders say national parties like BJP cannot even perceive the problems of the North East.
That is again a very parochial way of looking at the things. It is the national party like Congress which first gave so much attention to the Northeast. Starting from reorganisation of states to giving special status to NE are all creation of the Congress and not of any other party. Of course NPP is partner of NDA and BJP is clear it wants to impose CAB on our people and disturb the North East. We will never let this happen.
