UDP minsiter Lyngdoh said Garos are more mature than Khasis

Shillong: Meghalaya cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh, who belongs to the United Democratic Party (UDP), said on Monday that the Garos are “politically much more savvy and mature” than the Khasis of the state.

Lyngdoh’s statement comes at a time when he is criticizing the Voice of the People’s Party (VPP) for failing to support the president’s hunger strike.
The cabinet minister, who shared that he cares less for criticism, said being an elected representative is not a drama contest where there is a show of heroes and villains. As representatives, they said the focus is on governance and policy making.
“The Garos are much more politically mature and much smarter than us. We make a lot of unnecessary noise about many things. But they have shown more wisdom and maturity,” the UDP minister said.
Citing examples, he said that during the 2023 state elections, there were some rumblings about a certain Chief Minister. “There was no such clamor in the Garo Hills. But what they did was kill all hopes of a distinguished Chief Minister, ensuring that 18 of the 24 seats in the Garo Hills sector went to the NPP and they didn’t make any noise about it,” Lyngdoh said.
He added that the Khasis made all the noise and lit a spark that it would be easier for the Khasis to get a Chief Minister from their region, and accordingly they voted overwhelmingly in favor of the NPP.

Asked if revising the reservation policy would end the unemployment crisis in Meghalaya, Lyngdoh said the job policy would not end unemployment.
He explained that the state government has only 500 vacancies available in a year. He observed that the public sector is a declining sector in terms of employment.
“In the 21st century, we should talk more about sectors like tourism, weaving, village tourism, government-aided projects, many opportunities. So, I feel our sense of priorities is very wrong, said Langdoh.
The minister said that the main problems facing the state are drug addiction, single mother families, child malnutrition, child mortality rate, landlessness. “But why these issues do not attract attention is because they do not have an element of inciting hatred, and they are not populist. So, they are not popular issues,” Lyngdoh expressed.