SHILLONG, MAY 6: The National People’s Party on Thursday formally announced Khasi Authors’ Society president Dr DRL Nonglait as its official candidate for the upcoming Shillong Lok Sabha by-election, at a party meeting attended by over 10,000 people.
Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma expressed strong confidence in the party’s prospects, saying the NPP had found the “best” candidate to represent the constituency.
“I don’t think any political party can have a better than Dr DRL Nonglait,” Sangma said.
“A person who believes that it is deeds that matter more, a person who has walked the talk, a person who has proved himself and a person who believes in uniting our people and not dividing them.”
“And with him as our candidate… I believe this is our moment and I know with the hard work that each one of you will put in we will win this election. We will win this election but for us to be able to do that we cannot rest, we cannot lose a single day and each and everyone sitting here has to be a true worker of the party,” the Chief Minister said.
Welcoming Dr Nonglait to the party, Sangma said, “The National People’s Party has always believed that one must love your land with deeds and not just words.”
He credited Dr Nonglait and the KAS for their role in the recognition of Khasi and Garo as official languages.
“Thank you Dr Nonglait because of you and I repeat because of you and the Khasi Authors’ Society and Achik Society, I was made to speak in all the three official languages before I started my speech… Thank you Dr Nonglait for your effort because of which today Khasi and Garo are also official languages,” he said.
Noting the turnout, Sangma said, “I was just informed by our working president Hamletson Dohling… he said sir we had prepared this venue and arrangement for 3000 people but we have calculated that there are approximately 10,000 people who have come here today… the message that is there in the kind of support that we are seeing today for the candidature of Dr DRL Nonglait and for the NPP is truly encouraging.”
He contrasted the NPP’s approach with that of other parties.
“While there are political parties who are hell bent on dividing the state and playing divisive politics and trying to gain political mileage by creating animosity and hatred, here there is a political party that believes in humanity, that believes in loving all communities, that believes in uniting our people and taking our state forward in the path of development,” he said.
Praising Dr Nonglait’s credentials, Sangma said, “I am truly honored that today we have been able to officially welcome an individual, a human being, a man who needs no introduction, apart from being among the top ten professors among the Khasis in Meghalaya, apart from being in the Khasi Authors Society for more than 22 years for being the president for more than 12 years… Dr Nonglait in one word is a simple and a down to earth human being, who loves the people and who loves the state.”
“Dr Nonglait has set an example of commitment, of perseverance, of non-violence, and proved that if your intentions are right, if your heart is in the right place, and your determination is unshakable, we will achieve our goals one day,” he added.
“Dr Nonglait stands as an example to show that as a citizen of this country, as a citizen of the state, as a true Christian, as a true Khasi, I believe in ensuring that I follow principles… I will achieve my goal through non-violence, through democratic ways and through constitutional ways,” Sangma said.
Calling the moment “God’s plan,” he said, “What is happening today in this historic moment is nothing short of God’s plan for Shillong seat, Khasi-Jaintia region, God’s plan for our parliament, God’s plan for our state of Meghalaya and God’s plan for our family of the NPP.”
On the demand for Khasi and Garo in the Eighth Schedule, Sangma said, “I truly believe that the way Dr Nonglait has captained the ship that led to the declaration of Khasi and Garo as official languages of our state, I believe his work is only half done… it is God’s plan that it is through Dr Nonglait that we will be able to take our demands further to the next step in parliament, to be able to raise the concerns and ensure that Khasi and Garo language are brought in the Eighth Schedule list of the Indian Constitution.”
He also stressed the advantage of having an MP aligned with the ruling dispensation.
“Working along and working with a team that is in the ruling is very different from having a representative who is from the opposition… I urge the people of Khasi and Jaintia region, help us, work with us, so that we can have a stronger positioning along with our Centre government,” he said.
Reflecting on the party’s growth, Sangma said, “In the last 12-13 years, our party has grown from strength to strength not because of any individual but because in the NPP, we are a family, we are united and we ensure that we keep our people before any personal interest or action, for us it is our deeds that matters.”
He called on party workers to intensify outreach. “Urging the party workers to work tirelessly in the next 90 days or till the election is being held, he said ensure grassroot mechanism is there to ensure we move at all levels to ensure this campaign becomes a full grassroot campaign all the way to every single village and polling station.”
“There are times in a political party when we ourselves start pointing fingers at each other… Let us refrain and let us ensure every word coming from our mouth when we talk about our leaders, our colleagues, our party, our state and our government should be a positive note,” he added.
