George flags danger of wrong call on reservation policy

State vice president of the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and former Umroi legislator George Lyngdoh has warned that any wrong step taken in regards to the state reservation policy would bring misunderstanding among the three major tribes – Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.

Lyngdoh said the state reservation policy is a very sensitive issue considering the fact that it relates to the aspirations and the future of the youth.

“Therefore, any wrong step in this direction being a sensitive matter would bring a different kind of emotions and misunderstanding that would be detrimental to the long historic bond and understanding between the various communities in the state, the major tribes,” he said.

“Therefore, the policymakers and the leaders have to take into consideration, the sentiments, emotions and historic aspects as well as also the need to maintain the communal peace and harmony amongst the three tribes. It should not come with any kind of thing that would only disrupt peace and harmony at the cost of the future of the youth. Any policy has to bring harmony and also equity,” the ex-MLA added.

On the implementation of the roster system, Lyngdoh questioned the state government’s decision to implement the roster system with a retrospective effect.

According to him, the court’s ruling was unclear and the order of the court has to be interpreted by the state government and in its interpretation, the state government took decision with a retrospective effect.

He said that the state government has to make the people understand why in the first place a retrospective effect was taken into consideration and not a prospective one.

When asked the court had clearly stated that these are policy matters best left to the legislature and the executive, the AITC leader said, “So the question is whether the state government hurriedly rush into the implementation of the roster without understanding the full implication of the court order. So whether that urgency was actually needed before the full understanding of the court order was actually imbibed by the policymakers and both at the executive level and also at the legislative level. So whether this actual understanding of the court order was actually discussed so whether it was left to one or two to decide with a retrospective effect.”

He alleged that some of the cabinet ministers do not even understand what a roster system is and said, “What I could hear from the discussion is that even some of the policymakers, some of the ministers being in the cabinet also could not understand what a roster system is. So now they have put themselves in a spot where now they not only have to understand the roster system, they also have to understand the retrospective and prospective effect.”

On the Voice of the People Party (VPP)’s demand review of the entire policy, Lyngdoh said if any policy is in question considering both their political aspiration and also taking the aspirations of the citizens, especially the youth into consideration, they should also come with a suggestion as to what they want adding that anybody can question a policy that is in place but the fact is it is upon the responsible leaders to suggest to what should be the next step forward.

“I would say that various political parties should come up with their own suggestions as well so that it is the collective responsibility of each and every political party and leader and in fact every citizen of the state if any policy is being questioned then we should also come with solutions as to how we will finally decide on a new policy or try to change an existing policy but at the same time maintain communal harmony and equity,” he added.

Further, Lyngdoh said for any policy matter, there will be a group that will be supporting that particular policy and there will be a group that will be opposing that particular policy.

“Therefore, if amendments have to be made to a particular policy, they have to take into consideration the aspirations as well as the current situation prevailing in the state,” he asserted.

According to him, the Constitution of the country has been amended hundreds of times because it need to take the aspirations of the people considering the historic meets where and also take futuristic requirements. Therefore amendments have to be made.

I don’t like to use and throw coalition partners: Conrad

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 6: National People’s Party (NPP) national chief and designated Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today said he does not like to use and throw coalition partners.

He was responding to a query on his decision to go for a ‘big ship’ by requesting the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) to support the NPP-led government.

“It is a matter of principle. I have been very clear that I don’t like to simply use and throw just because we have the number and we don’t require somebody today. I think it is unhealthy for the overall larger development and the trust factor goes down. That is why we had 32 numbers but I approached the UDP and PDF personally, it is not that they called me or anything,” Sangma said.

He added, “I know that the numbers are there but as a matter of principle, I would like to take everybody along as we went through thick and thin together. We had lots of challenges but yet we stuck together and I don’t forget these kinds of things. Therefore I want to show that we worked as a team in the past, and we will do it in the future also.”

The NPP-led government has the support of 45 MLAs of which 26 NPP, 11 UDP, 2 BJP, 2 HSPDP, 2 PDF and 2 Independents.

Referring to the MDA-2 as a big ship, Sangma said, “I am happy our old team is back again. It is the first positive message that we have given to everybody that we are not the kind of party or a coalition or I am not the kind of person who simply uses the people at the time they are required and not remember them at other times. I may not be able to do everything for everybody but I will ensure that we can work together as we have done many things in the past despite the challenges and I would like to work together again.”

He said there were lots of differences during the election time but it is not something that cannot be overcome.

“Therefore, let us start in a positive way. Let us overcome all of this, there is a lot of work to be done. The election is over, the mandate has been given. Let us rise above all these concerns and issues,” he added.

The Chief Minister-designate also appealed to all political parties to work together.

“I appeal to all political parties at this point in time that the election is over now and now we need to move forward with the real work that we have ahead of us,” he said.

On-demand for a Chief Minister from the Khasi Hills region, Sangma however said that the democratic process in which the leaders are elected had been done and that it is not about being from this community or that community.

“Government formation is a democratic process and hence we have followed that democratic process all the way. Of course, there are sentiments. We don’t say that it is not there,” he said.