Shillong: Thousands of supporters of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) took to the streets of Shillong on Wednesday, accusing the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government of failing to address public concerns and pursuing policies that are against the interests of indigenous communities.
The rally, which reportedly drew around 3,000 participants, began at IGP and passed around the State Secretariat before halting at the Additional Secretariat parking lot. The protesters later marched to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, where the demonstration concluded peacefully.
Speaking to reporters during the protest, VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said the party was compelled to take its protest to the streets because it had repeatedly been denied adequate opportunities to raise public issues in the Assembly.
“We are a responsible political party. We don’t believe in issuing ultimatums to the government. It is the government’s duty to listen to the people’s concerns and engage with us. The question is why we have been forced to come out on the streets. It is because we have repeatedly been ignored when we raised these issues,” Basaiawmoit said.
He added that although the party had several issues to raise in the Assembly, limited time and the manner in which proceedings were conducted had prevented meaningful discussion.
“I have listed many issues to be taken up, but time in the Assembly is limited. The way the House is being conducted is not encouraging. We have been denied the opportunity to place important issues before the House,” he said.
Basaiawmoit also criticised the recent public hearing on the proposed Shree Cement project, alleging that the government had failed to ensure a fair and transparent process.
“If the government believes it has acted fairly, it should have allowed everyone to participate in the public hearing and listened to both those who supported and those who opposed the project. It is the government’s responsibility to weigh the merits and demerits and address the concerns of the public,” he said.
He alleged that people opposed to the project were prevented from participating in the hearing and questioned the government’s handling of the process.
“We will not accept the report of that public hearing. The hearing should be declared null and void,” Basaiawmoit said.
The protest came a day after Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma held a meeting with the two deputy chief ministers and the Director General of Police to review the law and order situation ahead of the rally.
Following the meeting, Sangma said the government was open to discussions on any issue but maintained that the Assembly remained the appropriate democratic forum for raising grievances.
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