A record number of supporters, comprising 50,000 to 55,000 people, gathered at the Dilma Apal Playground in Mendipathar to greet All India Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee ahead of her public meeting in the North Garo Hills District.
Displaying unparalleled zeal and enthusiasm, people had started arriving at the venue since morning to listen to the leaders speak about their vision for the hill state. Responding to the thunderous applause and cheers at the venue, the AITC Chairperson said, “I came here to tell you that TMC is the only party that can give you better governance and help achieve the dreams of the youth, the students, and the women. I give women Lakshmir Bhandar. Here, I will give Rs 1,000 to women in every family.”
During her last visit to the state in December, AITC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee had launched the revolutionary WE Card Scheme, promising financial assistance to the women of Meghalaya to empower them.
The scheme has garnered over 3.50 lakh registrations so far. AITC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s second visit to the hill state amid an exceptional show of strength sends an electrifying message to the NPP-led MDA government that the people have chosen the Meghalaya TMC.
The public excitement was evident when thousands on the Dilma Apal ground started chanting “We Want TMC” in unison during Wednesday’s public meeting. While listing the failures of the NPP-led MDA government, Mamata Banerjee said, “What has this government done in the past five years? We challenge them to show their report card on what they did in the past five years. Why is it that after so many years, electricity hasn’t reached Meghalaya? Why is the younger generation not getting any employment opportunities?” Highlighting the dedication of Meghalaya TMC towards the state, she urged people “to empower the people, uphold the culture, celebrate the sacred land of Meghalaya, and remove the proxy BJP government, which is corrupt and hasn’t done anything for the people.”
Thanking the people for their faith in Meghalaya TMC’s vision, AITC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: “Looking at the love, appreciation, and enthusiasm of the people, I can say that NPP will not be able to win a single assembly seat from Garo.” Addressing the sea of supporters that arrived in Mendipathar for the party’s public meeting, he added, “This meeting will be the death knell for the corrupt NPP-MDA government.”
AITC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee asserted that if voted to power, the people of the soil would run the government in Meghalaya, unlike those leaders who run governments from the ivory towers of Guwahati and Delhi. He also appealed to people to ensure that as the Sun rises in the East, the future of India should also rise from the North Eastern region.
Reaffirming the promises made by the party, Abhishek Banerjee added: “As the National General Secretary, I bow down to all of you and promise that if you give us the next 50 days of your life, I will ensure that every TMC worker and the sons of the soil, who are elected as your representatives, will give five years of their lives for your holistic development and to ensure that Meghalaya’s golden days are brought back.” The party leaders vowed that the next government in the state would be “of the people of Meghalaya, by the people of Meghalaya, and for the people of Meghalaya.”
Outlining her democratic philosophy, AITC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee said, “Why should a de-facto prime minister from Guwahati run all the North-Eastern regions? People must commit that this time, no matter what proposals come from MDA and BJP, they will not bow their heads to anyone. This time, they will restore the pride and glory for the future of the younger generation of Meghalaya, for women empowerment, for farmers, for media, and for all people irrespective of their caste, community, and creed.”
Promising to transform Meghalaya into a model state for the entire country, Meghalaya TMC State President Charles Pyngrope said, “Plagued with issues of corruption, scams, and a total collapse of governance, the people of Meghalaya are aspiring for new leadership that will bring back the lost glory of our people and the state. The pulse from every nook and corner of the state calls for a change. TMC will be the change and become the torchbearer for a progressive and transformative Meghalaya.”
Leader of Opposition Dr. Mukul Sangma highlighted the atrocities of the MDA government and their incessant failures in protecting the people of Meghalaya.“We need to defend our tribe and fight against the BJP, not with mere weapons but with the power of unity. In the border issue between Meghalaya and Assam, we have seen that the lands were given to Assam. This is because of the failure of the remote controlled government. Over 13,850 acres of land have been given to Assam and we have to retrieve it.” Dr. Sangma also called out BJP’s lies in the public meeting saying, “In 2021, BJP made tall claims that they would form the government in West Bengal decimating the TMC. But under the leadership of our beloved Didi, BJP was decimated. If TMC can decimate BJP in Bengal, the people of Meghalaya can do the same here under the banner of Trinamool.”
The Hon’ble Chairperson was accompanied by party National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, MP and Leader of AITC Parliamentary Party Derek O’Brien, Meghalaya TMC State-in-Charge Manas R Bhunia, Meghalaya TMC State President Charles Pyngrope, Leader of Opposition Dr. Mukul Sangma, and several other senior leaders of Meghalaya TMC. While the Meghalaya TMC is on a mission to reach out to every household to empower, and uplift people from different walks of life, this massive rally from Mamata Banerjee embodies a ray of hope at the end of the dark tunnel; giving confidence when the ruling dispensation trampled their vision and forsook the people of the state.