SHILLONG, OCT 14: NPP leader and cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh spoke about the VPP’s plans to expand into the Garo Hills region, stressing the importance of political unity across the state. She voiced concerns over the risks of regional political isolation and divisiveness, emphasizing that such divides are not beneficial for Meghalaya.
“If you ask me what is the dynamics of this expansion of operation, I think they (VPP) would be the best people to respond,” Lyngdoh said.
She referred to an earlier incident during the MP elections, which she described as “not very healthy for the state of Meghalaya, when political parties isolate themselves regionally. We should not.”
She also drew comparisons to other political parties, highlighting the need for a more inclusive approach. “We have seen even the UDP has, from time to time, always tried to expand its operation throughout the boundaries of the state of Meghalaya. We should not isolate ourselves. Then you talk about political divide, and political divide is not a very healthy debate to have.”
Lyngdoh emphasized the importance of viewing the state as a united entity: “I, for one, would like to see that the state of Meghalaya operates as the state of Meghalaya. We should not have sides and demarcation, which are divisive in nature. Our state will not, in any way, progress by dividing the citizens of the state on a certain political favorite.”
Commenting on the right of political parties to expand their influence, she stated, “Any political party operating within the state of Meghalaya is authorized to do whatever it wants. If a party wants to expand its area of operation, nobody can stop it. It is illegal to stop anyone from expanding their area of operation.”
She welcomed political competition and reiterated the importance of allowing the people to decide: “I am happy, and in fact, the people of Meghalaya can choose – you will have a drop-down menu – which is more interesting. So let us see which direction that menu goes.”
Reflecting on the performance of her own party, the NPP, Lyngdoh said, “We are a political party that is being evaluated regularly by the people. If we have done a good job, we will get the recognition in the next election. If we have done a bad job, again, we will face the rod of the people in the next election. That is how a democracy performs, and we are open to this scrutiny.”
Lyngdoh made it clear that the NPP is committed to inclusive governance: “We will work hard, and we will prove to the people of the state that NPP is pan-Meghalaya. We will never indulge in any divisive politics, which is bad for the people of the state of Meghalaya.”
Concluding her remarks, Lyngdoh highlighted the importance of unity in Meghalaya’s political landscape: “We welcome on board anybody else who is doing the same, as at the end of the day, we represent the state of Meghalaya, not a community, not a religious identity. We are Meghalayans, we fight together for our issues, and we have a common goal – that goal being the progress of the state of Meghalaya.”