SHILLONG, Sep 8: Former Home Minister RG Lyngdoh, who will join the Congress soon, slammed the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government for allegedly failing on governance.
“I think they have dashed all expectations. They have proved they talk more than they act,” Lyngdoh told journalists on Wednesday.
He said it was unfortunate the MDA’s governance is more on the social media than on the ground.
Claiming that the National People’s Party (NPP), which heads the MDA, is taking the state to a wrong direction, Lyngdoh said, “As far as the regional parties are concerned, I find that they are living more in the past than the future. I doubt their abilities to deliver it to people.”
Stating that he is more comfortable with the Congress as he knows the party well, he said he suspects the BJP’s ideology and does not believe in a “uniform country”.
Lyngdoh said diversity makes a country beautiful and any attempt to remove diversity will kill the spirit of India. He said he will do whatever he can to help the Congress return to power.
Expressing the desire to see a united Congress, Lyngdoh said he has decided to return to politics as there is a need to move governance to a certain direction. “I am not looking for power or glory. I want to get into a team that can deliver according to people’s requirements and aspirations,” he said.
Lyngdoh has decided to join the Congress after being approached by the party’s state unit chief Vincent Pala. According to Lyngdoh, Pala is a “team player” who likes to consult. This, perhaps, was missing in the past, the former Minister said.
He said he still has some health issues and he is not sure if he will contest the Assembly elections or the Parliamentary elections. He is returning to the Congress after 13 years.
“We have to make the party relevant and know what the youth, farmers and people are aspiring for,” he said.
‘Emotional outburst on August 15’
Lyngdoh, credited with breaking the backbone of the HNLC while he was serving as the Home Minister, said public sloganeering in favour of the rebel outfit on August 15 was more of an emotional outburst.
“I think it was more emotional than rational,” he said.
He also felt that there is a need to address the frustration of youth. He said the incident in Shillong was the symptom of a problem which needs to be identified.
Lyngdoh categorically stated that the government has to think out of the box when a conventional strategy does not work. He recalled the insurgency situation during his time as the Home Minister was different stating that the HNLC then was socially acceptable and its members were dropouts.
Insisting that there is a need to address rural economy, he said, “We need to arrest the migration of people from rural to urban areas and cater to the needs of youth and their dreams.”
