SHILLONG, JAN 2: NPP legislator from Sohra Gavin Miguel Mylliem on Tuesday referred the recent HNLC’s death threat against him over the move to shut down the Mawmluh Cherra Cements Limited (MCCL) as a result of some political game by vested interests.
“In view of the above facts, I was most surprised when the Press Release from the HNLC had issued threats against me personally. It was surprising because as far as my knowledge goes, it is the first time that the HNLC has issued a threat against a sitting MLA, thereby giving an impression that the
banned organisation is dabbling in the electoral politics of the State. This goes directly against all
tenets of democratic polity. It further gives rise to an impression that the threat is the result of some political game by a vested interest,” Mylliem said in a statement.
“Such a threat, against an MLA who has only the larger public interest in mind, and who has gone out of his way to help all his constituents, and especially the poor and needy, would cast a negative light on the organisation. I therefore presume that the misleading call by the HNLC has been based mainly on misinformation and lack of knowledge of the facts of the case ,and I hope that the HNLC would abstain from making such baseless statements henceforth,” he said.
On December 29, the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) had opposed the Meghalaya government’s move to shut down the MCCL and demanded the Sohra MLA to take responsibility by tender his resignation failing which action will be taken against him.
He said the recent statement by the banned militant outfit holding him accountable for the downfall of MCCL and for the government’s talk to close down MCCL and implement VRS for all the existing employees is considered totally baseless.
“Everybody would be aware that any decision taken by the Government is a collective decision and not a decision taken by an individual , for which he is to be held responsible. It is ludicrous that the HNLC would consider that I, as an individual alone should be held responsible for the decision taken by the Government,” Mylliem said.
The MLA said, “Now coming to the main issue of the HNLC demanding for my resignation, I would like to state that I have been elected by the people of 28-Sohra Constituency since 2018 onwards, and that I shall serve the people as long as the people of my constituency mandates me, as per law, to do so. The people of my constituency are fully aware that I have never backed down in trying to serve my people with utmost sincerity and diligence, something which is reflected in the development which has taken place in my constituency as a whole since I have taken over as the MLA.”
He said the MCCL company and its main area of operation is located within Shella constituency and not within Sohra constituency as presumed by many. Mylliem said, “For most ,this fact would be ample reason for the Sohra MLA not to be too concerned with matters of the MCCL, and to leave things totally to the MLA Shella. However, due to the fact that there are many workers of the company from within the territorial limits of Sohra Constituency, and in view of my concern at the state of affairs of this leading PSU in the State, and the adverse effects it would have on the economy of the area as a whole, Ihad taken an interest in trying to uplift the MCCL. My colleagues in the Assembly are also aware that on many occassions, I had raised the matter relating to the MCCL in the Assembly, urging the Government to take a practical view on the matter.”
“I personally am of the opinion that the MCCL has reached the present stage because of a variety of reasons, and holding the present MLA as responsible for the present situation, is totally without any basis. By the timel had taken over as MLA in 2018, the harm had already been done. If any questions are to be asked, and if any responsibility is to be fixed, then they should be directed against the persons who had been functioning in responsible capacities from 2007 onwards when the plant’s functioning started to deteriorate,” he said.