NPP-BJP trying to divide people over State Anthem: Pala

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 23, 2024

Opposition Congress chief and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala on Tuesday alleged that the issue revolving around the State Anthem is an agenda of the NPP and BJP to create confusion among the tribes and to divide people.

Speaking to reporters, Pala said, “I still suggest and request the government to rectify (the state anthem) otherwise the gap will become wider and wider between different communities. That is the agenda of the BJP and that is the agenda of NPP and BJP to create confusion among the tribes to divide the people from languages, from culture and religion.”

According to him, the government cannot mix language with the tribes, history and culture of the people. He said the government cannot deprive the people just because of official language issues.

He was referring to an issue raised on non-representation of Jaintia in the recently released State Anthem.

“It is not a question of language, it is a question of the tribes, it is a question of representation, it is a question of the representation of people of Meghalaya. Today, only because of language and you say that they are not Meghalaya, I don’t think it is so. If you see all over India, normally a language is a different thing which we use for different purposes. You should not mix and that justification is not justified actually, I think it is a deprivation by the leaders of Jaintia Hills,” he said.

He said, “We have a deputy chief minister from Jaintia Hills, we have a CM from Garo Hills and deputy CM from Khasi Hills – that itself shows they justify (the three tribes) but they don’t want to justify an anthem.”