Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee Working President Deborah C Marak has called on the Meghalaya government to expedite the expansion and strengthening of airport infrastructure in the State so that its dependency on Assam for air activities is substantially reduced, while questioning the government’s failure to anticipate the recent violence, ensure adequate security deployment and protect ordinary citizens and tourists.
Marak said the disruptions at key entry points, coupled with inadequate security presence, had exposed vulnerabilities in Meghalaya’s connectivity infrastructure and could adversely affect the State’s tourism-dependent economy.
The MPCC working President said the vandalism of vehicles and incidents involving innocent people and tourists were deeply concerning, while the subsequent blockade at Jorabat, one of the principal gateways to Meghalaya, further aggravated the situation and caused inconvenience to the public.
“I want to express my deep concern and anguish over the recent incidents in Meghalaya where vehicles were vandalised and innocent people and tourists were caught in the violence.The subsequent blockade at Jorabat one of the principle gateways to Meghalaya further aggravated the situation and cause inconvenience to the people,” Marak said.
“I condemned the violence and vandalism in the strongest possible terms,” she added.
“Nothing can ever justify attacking innocent people or damaging public properties,” the MPCC Working President said.
Holding the government responsible for failing to prevent the situation, Marak questioned why adequate police forces were not deployed along the rally route and at other vulnerable points despite the possibility of trouble.
“I condemn the present government for failure to prevent the situation. If the government was aware that a really was going to take plac, our very basic question must be asked to the government. Why was the adequate police force not deputed all along the rally and at other vulnerable points, proper security deployment would have help to deter unwanted incidence,” She said.
She also questioned the effectiveness of the State’s intelligence and security mechanisms and asked why the situation was not anticipated and preventive measures taken to protect citizens and tourists.
“Where are our intelligence and security mechanism, why was the situation of this magnitude not anticipated and prevented before hand and why were adequate arrangement not made to protect ordinary citizens and tourists,” the Congress leader said.
Marak said the government should have engaged with student organisations and civil society groups before tensions escalated instead of initiating negotiations only after violence had occurred,
“The Government should have discussion with our students and civil society organisations before tension hit the street. Not only after violence has already occured, the government trying to negotiate.”
She said the fallout could extend beyond law and order, warning that any prolonged disruption could hurt Meghalaya’s tourism economy, which provides livelihoods to thousands of people.
“The biggest concern impact on Meghalaya’s tourism economy. Tourism is the fast growing industry in the world, it is the bread and butter of the thousand of our people,” Marak said.
Calling for the longstanding ties between Meghalaya and Assam to be preserved, Marak urged both governments to ensure the safety and dignity of citizens travelling between the two States,
“Meghalaya and Assam share a long standing bonding of peace , cooperation and mutual respect right from inception, we must ensure that this relationship is preserved and strengthen so that it doesn’t happen in future. I, therefore appeal to both Assam and Meghalaya Governments to ensure the safety and dignity of every citizens, regardless of which state they come from,” she further said.
Marak, meanwhile, reiterated the need for Meghalaya to strengthen its own aviation infrastructure to reduce its reliance on neighbouring Assam.
“Finally the Government of Meghalaya must expedite the expansion and strengthening our Airport infrastructure so that our dependence on Assam for Air activities substantially reduced,” She added.
