RSS takes out maiden march in Meghalaya

The RSS on Saturday took out its maiden 'Path Sanchalan' (procession) here in the capital of Christian-majority Meghalaya.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) slammed the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government for its failure to ensure rapid development in the state and for begging for developmental funds from the central government.

In Shillong, nearly 300 RSS cadres -- mostly from the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities from across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills areas -- donning khaki shorts and white shirts and armed with sticks marched from Upper Mawprem to Balika Vidyalaya School.

RSS cadres also took out a road march in Zikzak area of South West Garo Hills district to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary.

"It is a historic moment for us (RSS) today in Meghalaya to take out Path Sanchalan in Shillong and Garo Hills to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary. We were expecting at least 500 RSS cadres to take part, since the strength of the RSS in Shillong is 800," RSS Shillong unit leader Makashang Khongshei said.

Khongshei, who has been associated with RSS since 1993, exuded confidence that more people will be joining the group in Meghalaya to protect the interests of the indigenous people.

"We are not against any person belonging to any religious faith as our base is to be a 'Rashtriya' (nationalist). In India, there are 33 crore ways of worshipping god. Therefore, it does not matter, Christian or non-Christian, but what we need is unity," he said.

Addressing the cadres, Khongshei lashed out at the failure of the government to develop the state.

"In 44 years of statehood, Meghalaya is nothing but a failed state without any hope for its people. This state has no education policy, agriculture policy and no policy for youth but only corruption. If you check the records, Meghalaya is nothing but a state still copying and pasting rules and regulations from Assam," he said.

On the influx of Bangladeshi migrants into the state, he alleged that people at the helm of affairs were "sleeping" as most of the areas in the state were being dominated by Bangladeshis.