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SIX CONSTITUENCIES IN A DAY

Conrad  Sangma,  spearing  the  cause  of  the National  People’s  Party  (NPP),  travelled  six  constituencies  in  the  Garo  Hills  in  a  day to fulfil the dreams  of  Purno  Agitok  Sangma. Conrad had  stressed  the  need  to  march  ahead  with  a  positive  vision   to better  the  lives  of  the  people. On the  other  hand  the  Congress  is  mainly  concerned  and  talking  about  religion in  secular  India. It  is  true that  the NPP is having  an  alliance  with  the  Bharatiya  Janata  party (BJP) in the Central level  and  also  in Manipur. Yet in Meghalaya the NPP is working alone, having no pre-poll alliance with any national or regional party. The ideologies with the different parties are different. Conrad clarified  that  the  partnership  with  the  BJP was only  to further  develop  in Meghalaya  and  the  North  Eastern  region. During the Manipur polls, the NPP  did  not enter  any  pre  poll  alliance  with  BJP, yet  later  the  NPP  came  together  with  other  non-Congress  parties in forming a post poll alliance. Will history repeat itself... is the big question mark?    

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CONJURING  MAGICAL MOMENTS 

Electioneering has reached the last lap in the state. Leaders  of  the  various  national  parties  have   thronged  Shillong  the  capital  city  and  it  was none  other  than  Rahul  Gandhi,  who  was  able  to  draw   crowds  in  the  main  thorough fares  including  Khyndailad,  the  Centre  Point.  Rahul  had  been  able  to  conjure  dreams  not  of  himself  or  his  party but  of  Prime  Minister  Narendra  Modi,  the  dreams   which  have  come  about  like  waving  a   magic  wand. Economic stability had appeared but as it jobs have disappeared. As if by  magic  income  of  farmers  and workers have disappeared and  also  the  small  and  medium   business. Crores of money had disappeared and reappeared by magic in foreign lands out of the reach of Indian laws. Rahul  had  therefore waved  the  magic  wand  of   Narendra  Modi  in  the  eyes  of  the  people. But  as  Rahul  has  already interpreted,  these  are  only  magical  dreams  which  fortunately  or  not  are  not  nightmares  as  people  woke  up in  facing  the  stark realities that the magic wand of Modi  had not yet made  democracy  disappear from India. 

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INSURGENTS BREAK THE PEACE  

Insurgents of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) had  broken the peaceful  process  of electioneering  in  the   Garo  Hills  of  Meghalaya, when  the candidate of the  Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Joanathane N. Sangma  was  brutally killed  in a  blast by  insurgents on his way back from an election campaign in the Williamnagar Constituency. It was  rather  an  irony  that  Jonathone, was accompanied by a former GNLA  militant  Nikam  Ch Momin, who had unleashed  fear  and  violence. The killer blast was of an IED. The cause behind is strongly believed to be of political rivalry. In  the  2013  elections  Jonathone, had  filed  an  FIR  against Deborah  Marak for allegedly using  the  GNLA to garner votes. Deborah had however denied the allegations against her. Though  the  case  is  still  pending police  had  evidence that Deborah had supported the GNLA demand for a separate Garoland state during the last elections.     

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SINGING AND DANCING 

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, contesting from two constituencies in Garo Hills his home Ampati and Songsak had ventured into Mawsynram, where Pynshngain N. Syiem of the Peoples Democratic Front is pitted against Hiamalaya Shangpliang of the Congress which is considered to be a prestigious contest. Mukul Sangma had landed in a helicopter at Dangar in a campaign for Himalaya Shangpliang. Mukul in a bid to attract the  crowd, had went  into  sing song, so as to woo the crowd of Dangar, bordering Bangladesh, having a mixed  population of Khasi, Garo, Bengali  and  Hindi speaking  people. The contest in Mawsynram   constituency is mainly of the PDF and the Congress. In the end of the meeting, Mukul Sangma, picked up a sword with shield and started dancing which amused the gathering, more than the speeches. This might have also amused Pynshngain Syiem who  was the Syiem of the Khasi  state  of  Hima  Mawsynram, as he could not afford to  be seen as a singing  and dancing  king.

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A  HAND BAG AND THAT JACKET

Political  personalities  running  around  the  North  Eastern  electoral states  are crying  and  preaching  for  the  cause  of  the  welfare  of  the  poor  and  the  down  trodden,  the   have-nots  in  the  society  both  in  the  rural  and  the  urban  areas. Congress  President  himself  Rahul Gandhi, visiting a musical show in Shillong, wore a fashionable  rupees 63,000  jacket,  which caught  the  attention  of  specially  the  young  crowd ,  most  of  whom  are  bound  to  be  jealous, yet  cannot  afford to own  one. Yet  it was  the  talk  of  the  town,  not  of  whom to  vote  and  support,  but  of  the  Rahul  jacket. On  the  other  hand  the  BJP  preach  that the party  is  all out  for  the  poor, Union  Minister Smriti Irani  in  an  election mission to Shillong was  seen  swinging  a Louis Vuitton  purse, worth  over  rupees one lakh. The big- wig political parties of the Nation, though high in promises, have exhibited  in fashion profile, which the common people cannot affords.

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NAPKINS FOR BABIES 

Napkins are for babies, who are still innocent, far from being  aware  of  the  electoral  noise  that is going around them, the hoarse  shouts  in  the  streets  drowning their cries.  However the elections, have brought a promise  for  the  young  ones  of  free  sanitary  napkins. The Congress has challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that it can provide napkins all over in rural and urban areas. The (AICC) Mahila President, Sushmita Dev was confident  that  free  BJP  napkins for  babies  will  not  see  the  light  of  day  and  also other  promises of the party. Sushmita said that she had already asked the government to exempt GST on sanitary napkins, so that it becomes a product that is affordable in the remotest part of the country. If babies can cast their votes, surely they would rally behind the promise of Sushmita.