Politics / Meghalaya

Shillong, May 16: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang is finding it increasingly difficult to keep his flock together with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) going all out to woo the Congress? partners in the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance.

The frequency of meetings between the NCP and the constituents of the coalition, particularly the United Democratic Party, has increased over the past two days.

Even former chief minister F.A. Khonglam, who holds the revenue portfolio in the two-monthold ministry and is known to be close to Lapang, does not rule out the possibility of joining...

SHILLONG, May 15 ? The Meghalaya Police in its operation against the banned militant organiations has decided to move against those controlling their financial affairs rather than those carrying out the actual operations, reports PTI. ?We have been successful with capturing people from the armed wings of the outfits like Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) earlier and seized huge arms and ammunition. But not much impact could be made as we did not identify their sources of funding,? the superintendent of police, East Khasi Hills district, I Nongrang, told reporters Wednesday.

Earli...

SHILLONG, May 10 – Former chief minister of Meghalaya E K Mawlong has been replaced by Donkupar Roy, the Deputy Chief Minister, as the chief of United Democratic Party, the second largest constituent of the Congress-led coalition government in Meghalaya, reports PTI. Mawlong was the chief of the UDP from 1997.

Mawlong, whose coalition government fell on December 7, 2001 following alleged involvement in the controversial Meghalaya House deal in Kolkata and defeat in this year’s Assembly elections, was made an advisor to the UDP at Friday’s general council elections, party sources said. The UDP...

Shillong, May 9: The United Democratic Party (UDP) today elected Meghalaya deputy chief minister Donkupar Roy as party president, triggering strong protests from supporters of outgoing president and former chief minister, E.K. Mawlong.

Refusing to accept Roy as president, Mawlong’s supporters threatened to quit the party.

Addressing newsmen after the election, which was conducted at the fourth general council meeting of the UDP, Roy said the decision to remove Mawlong was unanimous.

“If there was any objection, it should have been raised during the election,” he said.

Ruling out the UDP’s...

SHILLONG, May 8 — Former Meghalaya Forest minister Adolf-Lu-Hitler R Marak is absconding despite repeated summons issued against him for his alleged connections with the banned Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), an insurgent outfit operating in the Garo Hills district of the state. The startling revelation was made by Chief Minister D D Lapang here Tuesday evening following persistent queries by newsmen on alleged politician-militant nexus in the state and the government’s stand on the issue.

‘Nobody, whether he is a minister or officer will be spared if he is found to have links with...

SHILLONG, May 6 — February this year witnessed the installation of a ‘Khichdi’ government cobbled together by the Congress which emerged the single largest party in the fractured verdict thrown up in the elections to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. With no clear mandate given by the electorate in successive Assembly polls, coalition politics has inevitably become the political culture of the hill State which was born in 1972.

The present coalition government led by Chief Minister D D Lapang is an amalgam of five political parties viz., the Congress, UDP, MDP, HSPDP and KHNAM besides...

SHILLONG, April 23 — Banned militant outfit of Meghalaya A’chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), demanding a separate homeland for the Garo tribes, held preliminary peace talks with the Centre Bangkok and was keen to follow up the dialogue process, ANVC general secretary Wanding K Marak said, reports PTI. He told a select group of reporters somewhere in Assam-Meghalaya boundary area that preliminary talks, brokered by Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, were held in January this year, and the ANVC was ready to follow up the dialogue process with the Centre.

Marak said the ANVC is not keen...

SOMEWHERE NEAR ASSAM-MEGHALAYA BOUNDARY, April 20 – The Garo Hills-based proscribed outfit A’chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) today ruled out announcing ceasefire at the initial stage of the possible peace-talks with the Government of India (GoI). Talking to this newspaper, the ANVC general secretary Wanding K Marak said, “Like the erstwhile Mizo National Front (MNF), we are not keen to announce a ceasefire at the initial stage of peace-talks with Government of India.”

The ANVC leader said the outfit was eagerly awaiting a positive response from the Government of India for beginning of...

TURA, April 16 – The Meghalaya Chief Minister, DD Lapang, has taken the initiative to end militancy in the Garo Hills by bringing with a him his government’s economic package to give relief to the militancy affected people of Garo Hills. Lapang made his maiden visit as Chief Minister to visit Tura and Williamnagar on April 14 and 15 where he unveiled a massive economic package for the three districts of Garo Hills. He also reminded the people that peace would be a pre-requisite for the successful implementation of the economic package. The highlight of his package is the laying of foundation...

Shillong, April 11: Former Meghalaya forest minister and NCP member Adolph Hitler Marak today claimed that the two suspected ANVC activists, arrested from a state pool car, which belonged to him, had surrendered last year before erstwhile home minister Lotsing A. Sangma.

Last week, police had seized a car belonging to Hitler Marak and had arrested two suspected ANVC members, identified as Ashabel D. Shira and Farooq R. Marak along with a resident of Mizoram, Rongsangzuala, from Weiloi in Balat under East Khasi Hills district.

Hitler Marak, who was a minister in the F.A. Khonglam government...