SHILLONG, 6 June 2025 — In a blistering rebuke of the Meghalaya government’s handling of the proposed railway projects in the state, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has accused the Conrad K Sangma-led administration of sidelining democratic dialogue and undermining the political process by forming a committee without first engaging with political parties. Dr Sangma reiterated that before any consultation with stakeholders or civil society groups, the government must call an all-party meeting to collectively deliberate on the implications of the railway project. Emphasising that concerns over influx and local apprehensions have long been flagged, Dr Sangma questioned the logic behind bypassing political consensus and warned that pushing discussions straight to a committee level would derail the effort to find meaningful and sustainable resolutions. He maintained that committee-level discussions could not substitute for the crucial groundwork of political consultation, which forms the backbone of any democratic decision-making process.
“Now, what was the suggestion that was given by the political parties in the August House during the last session? Call the political parties, call us. Now, has the government called us? No. Government has asked for a committee. I have asked them to call us,” Dr Sangma said.
He added, “Forming a committee and calling us and discussing is two different things. So, you have to understand what Mukul Sangma is saying? Because if the CM doesn’t understand, I think this particular view which I am articulating in front of you must be probably able to make him understand what I meant. I meant that he should call us. Let us put our heads together first.”
Sangma said the government must initiate internal discussions among political representatives before engaging other stakeholders. “Then rope in and see if there are areas of concern and all those areas of concerns — the riders with which the Civil Society Organisations have come up. For us, we know all the riders. The riders have been there all along.”
He warned that ignoring political dialogue could undermine solutions. “We already know it. Therefore, how we want to resolve? Is there a way out? So let us first discuss this. This is what with my utmost endeavours I have tried to communicate in the House.”
He criticised the idea of simply nominating members to a committee without transparency. “You cannot expect that you will form a committee and put anybody in the committee and we will go and discuss in the committee. Then we don’t even know what is the actual stand of the government? We don’t even know what exactly is the right approach, the way out.”
He further questioned the government’s strategy. “What is that committee? Why can’t you call the leaders of the party first and see? You have to understand who you are talking to. You have to understand what are the overall issues which will crop up in the course of discussion at different level.”
According to him, discussions with political parties will evolve differently from those involving civil society stakeholders. “We have to go step by step and then understand what exactly is what’s the impossible.”
Responding to the criticism, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma earlier maintained that the government was open to flexible discussions and said, “There are a lot of concerns over the railway projects and it is the responsibility of the political parties to address them.”
Despite opposition resistance, Sangma asserted that the all-party committee would continue functioning. “It is unfortunate that some political parties do not want to be a part of the committee and give their opinion on the railway projects or deliberate on how to move forward,” he said. “If you don’t even give your opinion, where is the democratic process?”
He questioned the intentions of parties like the VPP, Congress, and TMC and advocated for a balanced approach. “The concerns about influx are genuine,” the Chief Minister said, while calling for a “middle path” that addresses those concerns without stalling economic growth.
Sangma added that the government will only proceed with the railway project after taking all stakeholders on board.
