Sir
With regards to the recent fiasco over rat-hole mining in the state, it is unacceptable that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma chooses to stay silent over the issue even after tangible proof.
It is highly problematic even from a humanitarian angle, given that Meghalaya has repeatedly been shamed on the national platform for its inhumane practice. Illegal mining is an open secret in our state today.
However, the more interesting part is that Home Minister Lakhmen Rymbui has maintained an eerie silence over the entire matter. It is highly ironical considering that the last time an illegal mining-related issue was brought up in the state, it resulted in the removal of the then minister-in-charge James Sangma. The same MDA partners, who showed discontentment with James for mishandling illegal coal transportation, are silent as of now even when people have died. Perhaps it is NPP’s tactic of maintaining the coalition they lead and UDP’s way of staying clean in the eyes of the public before the 2023 election. But if the coalition is purely of convenience, then people are the losers at the end of the day. This incident must be taken as a message by the electorate.
In fact, it is even more appalling that the MDA has not spoken about the performance of the Home Minister, given this is the second time that Rymbui has majorly failed – the first time being last year, when he tendered his resignation following the Cherishsterfield encounter incident. This is besides the fact that intelligence failures have also happened in the state, which resulted in four bomb blasts in broad daylight in less than a year.
If the MDA government fails to take action against Rymbui this time around, then it will indeed be a red flag for the state’s governance, which must be remembered next year during the elections.
Wanshan Lyngkhoi
Nongpoh