Shillong, Sept 21: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has stressed the need for sharing of CM’s post.
The demand comes after the recent reshuffle of cabinet ministers.
HITO gave an example of PA Sangma in 1988 when he gave way for BB Lyngdoh.
HITO also expressed concern over non-representation of a woman in the cabinet after the exit of Ampareen Lyngdoh.
The open letter issued by HITO President Donbok Dkhar below
“To,
Shri Conrad K. Sangma,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya,
Subject: Open Letter
Respected Chief Minister,
At the outset, the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) acknowledges your recent cabinet reshuffle and the explanation you have provided that it is in keeping with an unwritten understanding arrived at in 2023 with coalition partners — that ministerial berths would be shared in two halves of the term to give space to different groups and communities. While this spirit of fairness and inclusivity is welcome, it is also ironic that in matriarchal Meghalaya, there is now no woman representation in the cabinet after the exit of Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh.
This inevitably raises a larger and more fundamental question. If this principle is truly to be applied in its full measure, should it not also extend to the chair of the Chief Minister itself? By the same logic that saw eight ministers asked to step aside to make way for others, should not the Chief Minister also consider relinquishing his chair in favour of another leader, even if only for the second half of the term?
The precedent exists. In 1988, the late Purno Agitok Sangma — your beloved father, a towering statesman from Meghalaya whose stature was recognised nationally and internationally — agreed to a 50:50 power-sharing arrangement with the late B.B. Lyngdoh. Despite rising to the highest offices (Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Union Cabinet Minister), P.A. Sangma remained grounded, humble and known for his great sense of humour. B.B. Lyngdoh was no less revered: a highly educated lawyer, witty yet firm, fearless in principle, and respected for his sagacity and simplicity. Together, these two giants set a historic precedent — not weakness but foresight — showing that even the Chief Minister’s chair could be shared in the interest of balance and fairness. Their act reshaped Meghalaya’s politics and stands as a model for the country, with lessons still relevant today.
Today, as things stand, leadership at the four highest constitutional positions in the state — Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition, Speaker and Deputy Speaker — rests with leaders from the Garo community, reflecting their strength and influence. Yet this also highlights the need to ensure proportionate space for the Khasi-Jaiñtia region in the spirit of balance and fairness. For the second half of the term, it would be only just and proportionate that the Chief Ministership be entrusted to a leader from the Khasi-Jaiñtia region.
You have at your disposal able and senior colleagues — Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, and UDP President Metbah Lyngdoh, who is not only the former Speaker but also a newly inducted minister. Each of them commands both experience and legitimacy. Handing over the leadership to one of them would not only reflect your declared belief that “everything must be fair,” but also stand as a statesmanlike act in the footsteps of your late father, setting a new precedent in Meghalaya’s democratic journey. Importantly, none of the outgoing ministers were accused of misconduct, corruption or inefficiency. Their removal was purely to accommodate others. By the same reasoning, fairness demands that the Chief Minister too should not be beyond the principle of rotational responsibility.
Chief Minister, you have often spoken about balance, inclusivity and fairness. Here lies the opportunity to translate those words into history. Just as the bold decision of 1988 by P.A. Sangma and B.B. Lyngdoh is remembered with reverence, so too would this act of relinquishing the chair in favour of a Khasi-Jaiñtia leader be seen as a defining moment of your political career.
We urge you to give serious thought to this. Meghalaya deserves not only a balanced cabinet but also balanced leadership at the very top.
With due respect,
Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO)
Shri. Donbok Dkhar
President
