Shillong, October 6: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday termed the intervention of external agencies in matters concerning laws enacted by Indian legislatures “very, very inappropriate”, arguing that such intervention raises questions of national sovereignty and the country’s authority to frame and regulate its own laws. His remarks came in response to the recent statement by Congress MP from Tura Parliamentary constituency Saleng A Sangma on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and related concerns involving Christian institutions.
“The entire step that was taken was not appropriate at all. It is very, very inappropriate because we are talking about the sovereignty of our nation,” Sangma said.
He said laws were enacted by Indian legislatures for the people of the country and argued that intervention by external agencies went beyond the country’s sovereignty and its power to make its own laws.
Reacting to Saleng Sangma’s statement, the Chief Minister said the issue concerned the regulation of contributions under the FCRA and stressed that the focus should now be on addressing the underlying concerns rather than criticising individuals.
“It is absolutely inappropriate. It is not appropriate to look into this, and here the case is about the FCRA itself,” Sangma said.
Sangma said the action by the MP was inappropriate and described it as a mistake, but urged political leaders and elected representatives to work together on the issue. He said the matter affected everyone and should not be used to gain political mileage.
“What is important right now is to understand the concerns. Look at the issues that are there,” Sangma said.
He said it was necessary to examine what the Government of India was seeking to achieve and how its measures were affecting Christian institutions, particularly to ensure that the concerns of both the government and the institutions were addressed without compromising the interests or safety of the people.
“What is important is to see how we can ensure that the concerns of the Government of India are addressed, at the same time the concerns of our institutes also are not compromised,” Sangma said.
Sangma urged political leaders to rise above party affiliations and work collectively to find a solution, saying the issue could be addressed only through dialogue and representation.
“Let us work together as a community and let us try to find a real solution to this because there are problems,” Sangma said.
He appealed to political leaders and elected representatives to put their political interests aside and work together in the interest of the people.
“I hope that all political leaders, elected representatives, will put their political interests behind, come together as a community and see what we can do to work together to help our people,” Sangma said.
