SHILLONG : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday expressed disappointment over the Voice of the People Party’s (VPP) decision to skip the all-party meeting convened to discuss the expert committee’s report on the state reservation policy.
Addressing party workers, Sangma said the meeting had been called following demands raised by opposition parties during the Assembly session.
“As you are aware there was an expert committee that had come up with a report on the reservation issue and based on the demands given by the opposition on the floor of the House that an all-party meeting should be called to further discuss the report and deliberate on further actions that should be taken, I called a meeting yesterday of all political parties,” he said.
The Chief Minister said he was disappointed that the VPP, which had strongly projected itself as a champion of the reservation issue, chose not to attend the meeting.
“Yesterday, I was quite disappointed,” Sangma said.
“But sadly while all the other political parties attended, one political party who in the beginning had raised this issue and tried to show to the region and the people that they are very concerned about this issue and that they will fight for this issue till the last breath… yesterday I received a letter from them saying that they have other pressing issues because of which they can’t come for this particular issue,” he added.
Sangma stressed that true commitment towards the people must be reflected through action and not merely statements.
“We have to walk the talk and as I said in the beginning it is not just our words but it is our deeds that matter. If you love your people and if you love your land show it in action, show it democratically and show it constitutionally,” he said.
Highlighting the achievements of the NPP-led government over the last eight years, Sangma said several long-pending issues had finally been addressed.
“There is no one single issue that was there for the last 50 years that previous governments were not able to touch or resolve, but it is this NPP-led government that took difficult decisions and put the people first,” he said.
He cited issues such as the interstate boundary dispute, ST certificates in GHADC, the Meghalaya state anthem, state emblem, and the recognition of Khasi and Garo as official languages as major milestones achieved under his government.
Responding to questions regarding his remarks on “street politics,” the Chief Minister said India functions through parliamentary democracy and constitutional processes.
“We are a parliamentary democracy and the legislature is the highest level of democracy and it is there that we take up issues that are important to the people and the state,” he said.
Sangma emphasised that the all-party meeting was an important constitutional platform for discussing sensitive matters like the reservation policy.
“This meeting was very important because in a democratic parliamentary system these are the platforms where issues should be discussed. It is not that we go to the streets for every single issue especially when opportunities are given in a democratic and constitutional manner,” he stated.
The Chief Minister reiterated that he had fulfilled the assurance given in the Assembly by convening the all-party meeting.
“I had given a commitment and assurance to the House and I went ahead with my assurance and called all the parties. But as I said certain political parties informed me that they were not able to come as they had other important issues,” he said.
“It is sad that certain political parties though demanded it ultimately did not come and attend it,” he added.