Congress legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh has criticized the state government for giving in to the demands of the Meghalaya Joint Action Committee of Commercial Vehicles (MJACCV), which inflicted a two-week transport strike that wreaked havoc on the state.
The government reduced VAT rates on fuel today, which effectively brought down the price of petrol to below Rs 90 per litre. A reduction in fuel price was a key demand of the MJACCV.
Lyngdoh said that the whole strike could have been averted had the government consulted with the commercial vehicle representatives before raising the state taxes on fuel in the first place. Such a climb-down now risks encouraging other agitating groups to hold the government to ransom on other issues.
“Whenever you need to get things done, call for a protest,” the East Shillong MLA said, adding that demands for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit or calls for the shelving of the Citizenship Amendment Act could also encourage similar action from pressure groups.
She also demanded that the government call the MJACCV to the negotiating table to resolve the transport issues once and for all. Lyngdoh said that the government’s reluctance to consult with the drivers’ representatives seems to have been because of a “personality clash”.
Meanwhile, the MLA also called on the government to revoke the cases against MJACCV leaders under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act.
Although the High Court of Meghalaya had banned calls for bandhs, hartals or strikes if there is coercion or use of force to compel adherence, Lyngdoh said that the two-day road blockade was not of this nature as the MJACCV had merely asked the public to support them rather than making threats against dissenters.
