Shillong, Oct 13: Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy said that separatist movements did not succeed in India because majority of the people in the country want to live together.

Addressing a get-together of harmony organized by the Central Puja Committee (CPC) on Saturday evening in Shillong, Roy said, “The threat to unity in diversity runs so deeply through the people of India because in our hearts of hearts we all know that we either sink or swim together.”

Representatives of various religious organisations attended the all faith prayer meeting which was organized in the run up to the Puja celebrations.

Stating that separatist movement did not succeed in India, the Governor said, “It is because majority of the people in this country want to live together; they did not want to be separated from India. We have been like that for the last 70 years and we will continue to remain united for all times to come.”

Roy lauded the CPC for its initiative in bringing together people from different religious denominations, religious leaders and people from different ethnicities – Khasi, Garo, Bengalis, Nepalese and others – under this roof.

“The CPC has been able to bring Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims together. This itself is a great success and it reflects the greatest thing about this country which is unity in diversity,” the Governor said.

Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Mukul Sangma who spoke on the occasion, urged the people to come together and ensure that the ship (Meghalaya) does not sink but should prosper.

Meghalaya State Planning Board (MSPB) chairman, Lambor Malngiang, CPC president, Naba Bhattacharjee, and secretary, J.L. Das also spoke.