Shillong, Aug 15: “My dear fellow citizens, On the occasion of celebration of the 67th anniversary of Independence Day, I extend my heartiest greetings to the people of Meghalaya.
This is an occasion when we remind ourselves of our ‘tryst with destiny’, when the country awoke to a new life of freedom after a long and protracted struggle against colonial rule.
It is also a befitting occasion when we remember and recollect with gratitude the immense contributions made by the great sons and daughters of India like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and many others who provided the leadership that led to the birth of the world’s largest democracy.
We also recollect with pride, the personal contributions by the patriots of our own State, U Tirot Sing, U Kiang Nangbah, Pa Togan Sangma for their selflessness and steadfast devotion to the cause of freedom.
A resilient, hard working and peace loving population has always been the strength of great nations. Violence has never been an option for providing any solution to grievances. There is no issue that does not lend itself to solution through meaningful engagement and reconciliation.
On this solemn occasion, I earnestly appeal to all citizens of the State to hold steadfastly to the ideals of democracy, to progress through discussion and negotiation as we proceed onward to our developmental goals.
Sustained peace and order are the pre-requisites for any development. The law & order situation in the State has been an area of concern and has posed multiple challenges to the law enforcement machinery.
The elections to the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Councils and the general election to the Lok Sabha were conducted without any untoward incidents despite challenges. This success is largely attributable to the co-operation of the people of the State and our faith in our democratic system.(SP News)
