It was a peculiar situation for the lone woman minister in the MDA cabinet Ampareen Lyngdoh.
In 2018, when (then) Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad addressed the Legislative Assembly in Hindi, Lyngdoh who was then a Congress MLA staged a walkout.
However, today when a similar incident occurred where Governor Phagu Chauhan addressed in Hindi, Lyngdoh who is now a minister of the NPP chose to remain a mute spectator.
However, speaking to media persons, Lyngdoh indirectly supported the objections raised by the VPP legislators against the use of Hindi by Chauhan in his address to the House. She also said that since ‘roles have changed’ she had to keep mum.
“Roles changed and just because Ampareen has gone to government it does not mean that the Opposition shall not highlight it. So we must be grateful that it was highlighted again today. Despite the fact that our roles in government have changed and it is not unusual for roles in government to change, it’s not as if I’m in the government so I should also rise. I have to maintain the protocol,” Lyngdoh explained.
Lyngdoh said that she was happy that once again the issue of Hindi speech in the House has been highlighted and the Opposition members need to be consistent about it and “remind the Government of India that the people of Meghalaya do not understand Hindi and we are a non Hindi speaking community.”
“The Government of India should take note that they should send a Governor who could speak the language that is spoken by the people,” she added.
