By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 19: The State Congress on Sunday backed the environmental concerns surrounding the proposed resort project at Umiam but sharply criticised the Voice of the People Party (VPP), accusing it of “hijacking” the core issue for political mileage.
Congress leader Manuel Badwar said the debate has been deliberately distorted, asserting that “everybody seems to be missing the point” as the government’s plan to bring in a five-star resort is not the primary concern.
Clarifying the party’s stand, he said the Congress does not oppose the setting up of a resort or wellness facilities. “A spa is welcome. Many people depend on such sectors for livelihood. You cannot brand such establishments as something derogatory,” he said, pushing back against narratives that attempt to vilify the hospitality component of the project.
VPP supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit had recently warned that such initiatives could ultimately transform Shillong into a “sex city” and Meghalaya into a hub for “sex tourism”.
Badwar reiterated that a spa is welcome as long as it does not extend beyond the perimeter of the Orchid Lake Resort.
Taking a direct aim at the VPP, Badwar alleged that the issue has now been converted into a broader political movement “for a few votes,” without genuine engagement with the government.
He criticised the party for escalating tensions instead of pursuing dialogue, stating that the original environmental concern is being overshadowed.
“The whole concept has been hijacked,” he said, adding that even the government has not played a constructive role, accusing its official communication channels of wrongly projecting the agitation as being against the resort and spa altogether.
The remarks come amid the VPP’s intensified campaign over the issue, including a call for mass mobilisation at Motphran on April 22 as part of a wider agitation against the MDA 2.0 Government.
Badwar, however, questioned the need for extending the project footprint to Lumpongdeng Island, calling it unnecessary and excessive.
He said the government already has access to land for the resort and should “tone down” its approach instead of seeking additional property across the water body merely to “romanticise the entire experience.”
He warned that such insistence reflects avoidable “greed,” especially when the island in question is ecologically sensitive. Citing academic research, he noted that several studies by scholars and PhD researchers have highlighted the rich biodiversity of the area. “From a moral and environmental point of view, we are saying — don’t go overboard and don’t be so hungry,” he added.
The Congress leader reiterated that the party’s support to the protest spearheaded by the Green-Tech Foundation is strictly based on opposition to the extension of the project to Lumpongdeng Island, and not against the resort itself. He revealed that even initial discussions with the group indicated that their objection was limited to the island component.
