Individual parties claim to form govt in 2018

SHILLONG: With the Congress apparently failing to protect its fortress in the State, opposition parties are preparing their moves to take advantage of the crisis in the upcoming Council by-polls and the 2018 Assembly elections.
Most of the opposition leaders that The Shillong Times spoke to agreed that their hard work and the Congress’s internal bickering would help non-Congress parties in the Council bye-elections on December 13.
Jemino Mawthoh, UDP’s working president, said, “Definitely, it is the UDP that will take the front seat. People are looking for a change and the MDC elections will be the first step.”
Mawthoh said MLAs and MDCs from different parties are awaiting a change from the Congress’s bad governance and are inclined to join the UDP.
“All is not well in the affairs of the state. Congress looks as if it is in the stage of collapse. There is infighting in the party as the Congress leaders are under pressure due to a lot of things happening and there will be mounting pressure and their reaction is going haywire,” the UDP leader said.
Welcoming an alliance, Mawthoh said, “In a democracy, all kinds of permutations and combinations are seen. If the political parties feel that they can go along with the UDP, we are open to alliance with like-minded parties who have the common objectives to save the State from further deterioration.”
Springing with confidence over the party’s victory at the Nongstoin bye-election, HSPDP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit said the party will be able to come to power in 2018. “We have worked hard and we have made a point that we will win,” he said.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making all efforts to gain foothold in Meghalaya, its state president Shibun Lyngdoh said, “In the bye-election, we don’t look at it (the Congress’s infighting) as an opportunity. But it is seen that the administration of the Autonomous District Council is not as per the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.”
Stating that some subjects of the District Council, which included primary education, has been snatched by the State government, he said, “The State government has interfered in the administration of the District Council and we want the people to know that. Strengthening the District Council in the lines of the Sixth Schedule will be included in the party’s manifesto.”
Lyngdoh added that the party will work to restore the identity of the District Council as per the Sixth Schedule.
National People’s Party’s national president Conrad Sangma said the Congress’s internal rift will have an impact on the 2018 elections. “What is happening in the Congress is sad and it is the failure of the party’s leadership in the State and it will have an impact on the upcoming 2018 elections,” he said.
However, he pointed out that people of the State have the power to elect their representatives. “It all depends on the people’s decision.”
Commenting on the party’s alliance he stated that the NPP is open to alliance with like-minded entities.

SHILLONG: After the single bench of the High Court of Meghalaya headed by Judge SR Sen had dismissed the plea to hand over the criminal aspect of the education scam case to the CBI, the intervention of the Division Bench of the Court was sought by the petitioner on Tuesday.
A writ appeal was filed by Advocate N Syngkon on behalf of the petitioner Agnes Kharshiing challenging the order of the single bench passed on October 3.
The contention of the single Judge was that the case filed in the High Court is similar to the pending case in the Supreme Court, which, however was challenged by the petitioner by stating that while the case in Apex Court is of a civil nature and the one filed before the High Court is related to the criminal angle of the case after police failed to make any headway into the probe.
The petitioner in the writ appeal filed before the division bench on Tuesday urged the court to set aside the order of the single bench.
The petitioner also wanted the court to hand over the pending Laitumkhrah PS Case No. 62(7) 2011 to the CBI with a direction to complete the investigation within a stipulated period as fixed by the court.
The stand of the petition is that the single Judge failed to appreciate that as per the normal procedure the basic requirement prescribed in the criminal procedure is FIR – investigation- charge sheet-trial and conviction.
“But there is neither an FIR which is subject matter of a case before the Supreme Court as far as the manipulation of marks pertaining to recruitment of assistant teachers in lower primary school is concerned, nor any prayer to hand over the Laitumkhrah PS case No. 62(7) of 2011 to CBI and as such the subject matter before the Supreme Court and the subject matter before the High Court is totally different from one another and on this ground alone the order dated 03.10.2016 passed by the  single Judge is liable to be set aside and quashed”, the appeal said.

SHILLONG: In an irony of sorts, the name of a deceased lawyer was mentioned in the cause list for a hearing before the High Court on Wednesday.
As per the cause list for October 26 prepared by the Registrar General, in the item number 25, the name of ODV Ladia is mentioned as the senior advocate for the petitioner in the case related to Anthonykyrshan Ripnar vs. State of Meghalaya.
In fact, Ladia passed away last December.

TURA: A group of armed GNLA militants narrowly escaped a police raid on their hideout in the Chokpot region of South Garo Hills on Monday morning, according to a police report.
As many as 11-12 GNLA rebels led by ‘area commander’ Kamdat had taken shelter in a makeshift camp outside Andamari village, not far from Sibbari, and were having an early morning meal when police commandos arrived on the scene leading to a gun fight.
The ultras abandoned their meal and fled into the forests firing sporadically to deter the security forces from pursuing them.
According to police sources, the sudden surfacing of GNLA area commander Kamdat in the Chokpot region with a posse of armed rebels has surprised police intelligence since he was last known to be operating in the East Garo Hills region under direct command of GNLA chief Sohan D Shira.
Police do not rule out the possibility of the GNLA establishing a new command in the Chokpot region to strengthen its presence since a large number of rebels from the previous command of Baichung had deserted the group with weapons and were now operating on their own.

TURA: A lower primary school in Garo Hills has become an example of sheer negligence and apathy and speaks volumes about the state of education in Meghalaya.
Borobolang Government LP School in the border region of Purakhasia in West Garo Hills has completed 51 years without basic amenities like teachers and tables.
More than its leaking roof and broken windows, truant teachers have proved to be a big blow to the school.   The headmaster and the assistant teacher, both of whom are from Tura, allegedly stay away from work for days.
“Both the teachers are irregular and hardly take classes since they remain absent for weeks and months altogether. Their presence is only during examinations,” the villagers of Borobolang and its adjoining areas alleged.
Primary schools are seen as the foundation of education all over the world with students having ample space to grow up, access to books and instruments and are guided by qualified teachers. But the school, which was established in 1965 after villagers got together and decided to spread education among their children, has done little to help the future generations.
Initially, it started as an informal school house where children could attend classes. From a trickle, the number of children soon swelled to several dozen. Twelve years later, in 1977, the government took over the village school and transformed it into Borobolang Government Lower Primary School.
But even after this, no aid came for setting up a permanent school building and classes continued in the old house. It was only in 1991 that the school was shifted to a newly constructed community hall under the guidance of the then school secretary Dingsan Sangma who constructed it from funds received from the MLA scheme.
Since there is no existence of a school building or furniture and other items, classes continue to be held with the bare infrastructure in the community hall till date.
The condition of the LP school shows why the number of SSLC pass outs is low in Meghalaya, particularly in Garo Hills, which has also recorded a rise in school dropouts. “This is the present scenario of our primary schools where our children go to study and these children are our future,” said the village elders.
Militancy and lack of infrastructure have always been the common alibi for irregular teacher attendance and poor functioning of schools. But concerned officials are failing to take action against erring teachers and the need of the hour is to empower village education committees so as to allow them to act firmly against such negligence.

SHILLONG: Ending all speculations, KHADC Chairman Manstudy Nongrem and his deputy, Donevan Kharwanlang, are set to resign from their posts on Wednesday.
The move comes in the wake of Congress MDCs being directed to withdraw support to the PDF coalition led by KHADC CEM and suspended Congress member PN Syiem.
When contacted, Nongrem confirmed that he and Kharwanlang will quit on Wednesday.
He also informed that they have intimated MPCC president DD Lapang of their decision to step down from the posts of chairman and deputy chairman of the KHADC, respectively.

TURA: Several Garo organisations have written to the GHADC chief executive member demanding a bill to end participation of non-tribals in District Council affairs.
In the joint letter to CEM Denang T Sangma, organisations like the Garo Students’ Union (GSU), AYWO, FKJGP, FAF and ADE urged the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) to take a leaf out of KHADC’s book on the issue of tribal governance. The KHADC does not have non-tribals at the helm of its affairs.
“The political will shown by the KHADC is to be appreciated and their initiative is borne not only out of necessity but also the innate need to chart their own destiny as provisioned by the spirit of the sixth schedule,” the letter stated.
The organisations demanded that a bill in this regard be placed in the next executive committee meeting of the GHADC.
Recalling their opposition to non-tribal participation in GHADC since 2008, and most recently the 2015 GHADC election that was boycotted by several Garo bodies and voters alike, these organisations have questioned the repeated assurances given by successive executive committees at the GHADC which always failed to take concrete steps.
The memorandum also mentioned about the meeting between the Garo organisations and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram in New Delhi where the former had sought implementation of the provisions of the Sixth Schedule.
“The Union minister reiterated that the Autonomous Council and the State government must make it imperative to follow the provisions of the Sixth Schedule without fail only then can the participation of tribals in the District Council can be ensured,” said the Garo organisations. The bodies warned of a series of agitation if the present EC of GHADC failed to do so.
“With greater participation of non-indigenous people in the District Council will simultaneously come the demand for accruement of greater power and benefits that rightfully belong to the indigenous people. Already there has been dilution of the protective provisions of the Sixth Schedule and we are witnessing demographic imbalance in the region where non-tribals have began to assert their bid for political dominance and power,” said the Garo organisations.

Memorial programmes held in Tura, Baghmara

TURA: Captain Williamson A Sangma, the first chief minister of Meghalaya, was on Monday remembered across Garo Hills on his 26th death anniversary.
In Tura, a commemoration programme was held at William Point in Hawakhana.
Speaking on the occasion, GHADC CEM Denang T Sangma reminded of the great contribution that Late Captain Sangma made to the State and Garo Hills in particular. He urged one and all to remember the sacrifices of Late Sangma and to honour the late leader.
West Garo Hills DC Pravin Bakshi in his address urged people to follow in the footsteps of Late Sangma.
Earlier, chief guest Denang Sangma led the dignitaries, family members and the general public in paying floral tributes to a statue of late Sangma at the commemoration venue.
A prayer meeting was also held at late Sangma’s residence and a two-minute silence was observed at the venue in respect of the departed leader.
Meanwhile, the occasion was also observed in South Garo Hills at a park constructed in his honour on the banks of River Singsang.
The occasion was marked by soulful hymns and prayers, laying of wreaths and floral tributes at the bust erected in his memory by the chief guest and local MLA Samuel M Sangma and Deputy Commissioner S.N Marak and other officials of the district administration.
Samuel Sangma recalled the contributions made by late Captain Sangma in his capacity as chief minister for the overall development of the State and for his home constituency of Baghmara in particular.
He also informed that he would extend financial help from his MLA scheme from next year to observe the death anniversary of the great leader in a more meaningful and colourful manner.

Alumni meet
Alumni members of Assam Rifles Public School, Shillong will organise the annual general meeting of the Old Laitkorians Association on November 5 in the school campus. The organisers have invited all alumni members to attend the meeting.
Past pupils’ meet
The annual meet of past pupils (Day, Evening and NIOS) of St Mary’s Mazzarello School, Jowai will be held on October 29 at 9:30 am on the school premises.
Admit cards
The Superintendent of Police, Ri Bhoi has informed candidates who have applied for the post of AB/UB group that distribution of admit cards have started with effect from October 24. Candidates can collect the same from the Police Reserve, Nongpoh by producing the temporary admit cards issued to them.
Prize distribution
The prize distribution for the of art, Rabindra and Shyama sangeet competitions held at Yogamaya Ashram, Laban will be held on the Ashram premises at 5.30 pm  on October 28. The Ashram has invited the participants and their parents to attend the programme.

SHILLONG: East Khasi Hills police is still awaiting the forensic report of the mobile phone of the Umlyngka rape and murder victim which was recovered from a pond near Umtong following the recovery of her body from Damsite.
East Khasi Hills SP M Kharkrang said though the Hyderabad-based Central Forensic Science Laboratory receives thousands of cases from different parts of the country, the State police has   requested the laboratory to accord priority to the case.
Police had dispatched the mobile phone of the victim and that of her friend Juliesa Mawlong to the FSL in Hyderabad.
According to Kharkrang, the FSL report would shed light on several things even as he added that police have made a lot of progress in the case.
Though speculations are rife about the case, new revelations are likely to be made only after the FSL report is made available to Shillong police.