Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 3: At a time when the entire 28th Likabali Assembly Constituency in Lower Siang district is gripped by the election fever, a sizeable number of people, mostly from Kangku circle, have threatened to boycott the bye-poll slated for December 21 next if the government fails to build proper roads to the circle.
“We have always been given lip service and hollow promises by every representative in each election. This year, we have decided on adopting the ‘No road, No Vote’ movement,”said President of Galo People’s Federation, Nyaadar Loya, who is spearheading the campaign along with the Lower Siang Elite Society and the people of Kangku circle.
In a press conference held on Sunday, the GPF president claimed that Kangku circle has been deprived of proper road connectivity for the past 28 years.
“There are 26 villages which are yet to be linked by road,” Loya said.
Loya further claimed that BJP MP-cum-MoS for Home, Kiren Rijiju, had also assured to build roads for the circle during his Lok Sabha election campaign in 2014.
“We are waiting to witness whether MoS Rijiju’s promises will turn into a reality or not,” Loya added.
Earlier, a people’s referendum rally was conducted at Kangku on November 18 under the aegis of the GPF, where representatives from 24 villages, out of the 26, took part and unanimously resolved to adopt the ‘No Road, No Vote’ movement.
The Federation informed that people have resolved not to cast their votes at the nine polling stations of the circle, namely, Kancham, Ngopi, Burajan, Holi Kampu, Bali Jori, Riche-Rite, Torajan, Sogum, and Dorpai.
The GPF had submitted the resolution of the people’s referendum rally to the Chief Minister’s office on November 20 last, informing it of the dissenting voice of the people.
On being asked whether the majority of people are with them in their campaign for development, Coordinator of the campaign, Mikjom Taso claimed that the majority of the voters have given their consensus to the movement.
“At least 90 per cent of people are supporting our movement. Moreover, we need only one polling station to draw the government’s attention, but this time the movement is bigger with nine polling stations,and would create a wider impact,” Taso asserted.
“Political leaders have been taking undue advantage of innocent voters in the Likabali Assembly Constituency, but the people have now realized that development comes first,” said Tagi Yonggam, a native of Kangku circle.
The ‘No Road, No Vote’ campaigners further made it clear that they are neither affiliated to any political party nor against any contestant in the forthcoming bye-poll, and that their prime objective is to draw the government’s attention.
