First-generation Sangma brothers Dr Mukul Sangma and Zenith Sangma are once again in the spotlight as Meghalaya’s political landscape experiences a notable shift. TMC Legislature Party Leader and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma vowed to prove his brother Zenith Sangma wrong following the latter’s decision to join Congress. Speaking about Zenith’s move, Dr Mukul described it as an aspirational move. On his own plans, he added that he has already charted his path for the development of Meghalaya.
“So this is one thing which I have said. Zenith may have thought his aspirations will be fulfilled if he shifts, but he may be wrong, I am telling you, he may be wrong and he will be wrong, I will prove it,” Dr Mukul said, reflecting on the implications of his brother’s decision.
On balancing family and political responsibilities, he stated, Family remains Family if his brother Zenith mov s to Congress or elsewhere, “There are two things. One, I will not like to share my thoughts from a family perspective. Family remains family because whether he goes to Congress or anywhere else, he remains my brother. But I want to tell you one thing, rather tell everybody, I may love my brother, I may love my sister, but once I had shared this with all of you earlier, once I decided to be in public life, I do not remain the monopoly of my family members alone. That means I have hundreds of thousands of brothers, hundreds of thousands of sisters, nephews, and nieces, and that’s how I look at it, and that is the conviction with which I have been working. My work, which has spanned decades, will be a testimony to what I say. You go to Ampati, you go to Garo Hills, you see whether Dr Mukul has engaged in favoritism to enrich his own siblings and relatives. I think it has become necessary for all of us to understand why I did what I did—it was to lead by example. Maybe some other people will take cognizance of this approach and understand its value because more than silver or gold, I think one’s name and reputation carry higher value; how we want to be remembered matters most.”
On questions regarding his decision not to join Congress, Dr Mukul said, “You are talking about bitter things. Now, the interest of the people of the state supersedes everything else. It also supersedes the interest of any political party or political dispensation. It is not that I nurtured bitterness, but if I share the truth, it may seem bitter. These are not things that happened overnight. I left Congress after a very conscious decision. It is not that I just jumped out without thinking or without a plan for the future. I have a charted path for the state of Meghalaya, as someone who has had the privilege of serving the state and building it together with other leaders. I cherish that, and I still have time on my side. It is my binding responsibility to see that the state we have collectively built is protected from all perspectives, and that responsibility rests upon all the leaders. To deliver effectively, sometimes you have to take another route, and that is precisely what I have done. In Congress, similar challenges have happened before—look at Karnataka or Meghalaya in the past. How I have navigated internal challenges within the party, we have kept confidential because otherwise, it could become unpleasant. These are matters we have responsibly kept close to our chest.”
