SHILLONG:
Throwing challenges at each other seems to the order of the day for politicians ahead of the 2023 assembly polls in the state.
A day after National People’s Party (NPP) leader Timothy D Shira challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of district council (MDC) from Tura, Bernard N Marak to establish he had corruption-free image during his underground days “if he can”, the latter, on June 10, invited the Assembly Deputy Speaker for a debate on Resubelpara, Shira’s constituency.
“He (Shira) is no match for me because I am the voice of thousands of frustrated youths and disappointed voters who share their issues with me, because leaders such as Shira are not there for them,” said Marak.
Advising the Deputy Assembly Speaker to focus on his “underdeveloped” constituency rather than picking on him, the MDC said, “If I go further, I would ask him, how many of his voters in Resubelpara got jobs in the past five years? None,” he said.
Marak was reacting to Shira’s recent comments in which he had launched a scathing attack on the militant-turned-politician urging the people to remember a person’s background before putting in even an iota of trust in them. “Marak will be more corrupt if he is given the chance,” Shira had said.
Informing how he pulled out 356 “frustrated” youth out of militancy to join the mainstream, Marak accused the government of not fulfilling its promise of providing rehabilitation to them.
“These youths had joined militancy due to rampant corruption and lack of opportunity. I got them to join the mainstream. But what did the government do? They even failed to provide the rehabilitation promised to them. For me, the revolution still continuous as anti-corruption campaign is gaining grounds. The BJP has become an option for the people to replace all non-performing leaders like Shira and he will not win the coming elections,” said Marak.
Recalling how the Achik National Volunteer Council – Bernard (ANVC-B) cadets suffered for 10 years after signing the ceasefire in 2004 and only inked the final agreement in 2014, after BJP came to power in the Centre, the former chairman of the militant group said that it was done because the saffron party was serious about a solution.
“For ten years we suffered under Congress and former MP late PA Sangma knew our struggle and the history of our movement. The way Timothy missed what his mentor knew, simply proves how ignorant he is,” said Marak, adding that Shira should know that North Garo Hills was created as part of the agreement signed in 2014 by ANVC and ANVC-B.