SHILLONG, Sept 28: UDP leader and former minister Paul Lyngdoh on Wednesday said nobody however high or mighty can change the course of history through a few lines of speech.
He was reacting to the statement by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Madhukarrao Bhagwat that all people living in India are Hindus.
“…we have always called ourselves ki Khasi, U Khun Hynniewtrep Niawasa – that is our root and nobody however high or mighty can change the course of history through a few lines of speech,” Lyngdoh, who is also MDC from Jaiaw, told reporters.
Referring to historical facts, the UDP leader said, “We became colonized because the British could conquer India up to Myanmar for which Burmese had to sign the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826…Now the next point in when did we become Christians. A vast chunk of us became Christians in 1841- 42. In 1841 in the month of June 2, Reverend Thomas Jones arrived at Sohra. He probably took some time to learn Khasi before preaching so we presumed that the first Christian converts were in 1841 -42. Then came the presidential order of Schedule Tribes and the Khasis were named as one of the STs which means 1950. So we became colonized in 1826, we became Indian in 1947-48, before that we became Christians in 1841-42 then ST in 1950 then Meghalayan in 1970-72.”
When asked if the RSS chief’s remark would do more harm to the prospect of the BJP in 2023, Lyngdoh said, “That’s a difficult question for me to answer because I do not understand their mindset. I only know that he has made this remark four months before elections are scheduled in Meghalaya. What is the motive, what is the agenda he knows better.”
He concluded by saying “but all I can say is this time around the people of Meghalaya are craving for desirous of a huge humongous change because they could see the five years have been wasted except for a few bright spots here and there the state is not making the kind of progress it should be making.”
