SHILLONG: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar has called on the Voice of the People Party (VPP) to prioritize direct engagement with the state government rather than proceeding with its planned march to the Secretariat on August 6.
In response to the VPP’s upcoming agitation, Dhar emphasized the administration’s commitment to resolving public grievances through open dialogue, rather than through street demonstrations that disrupt daily life.
Dhar reiterated that the government maintains an open-door policy, with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma available at all times to address critical state issues.
He noted that elected representatives are specifically chosen to advocate for their constituents and argued that mobilizing large crowds to storm administrative headquarters for every grievance undermines effective leadership.
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Drawing from his own experience as the MLA for Nartiang, Dhar shared that he addresses local challenges by arranging meetings with the Chief Minister for small delegations of key community leaders—a standard and effective political practice.
While clarifying that the government has no objection to VPP leaders meeting the Chief Minister on any scheduled date, Dhar cautioned that repeatedly bringing the public to the Secretariat wastes valuable time and severely disrupts traffic and public movement. He warned that resorting to public rallies for every issue could signal a lack of leadership readiness, reminding political leaders that their role is to serve and represent citizens, not cause them distress.
Reaffirming the government’s receptiveness to all 60 MLAs and openness to discussing any genuine concern, Dhar appealed to all political parties to favor constructive dialogue over unnecessary public agitation.
(4FrontMedia news)
