Ardent Basaiawmoit

Shillong, Nov. 2: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is in a dilemma whether to take disciplinary action against its legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit for going against the party’s stand and launching a political movement against uranium mining in Meghalaya.

After his recent visit to the uranium mining sites at Jaduguda in Jharkhand, Basaiawmoit, a first time MLA of the UDP, launched a political movement against mining.

According to Basaiawmoit, uranium mining in Jaduguda had not brought about development in the area.

UDP leader and deputy chief minister Bindo Lanong and minister John Anthony Lyngdoh from the party, have lent support to the cabinet’s decision to start pre-development projects by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited at the mining sites. Recently, Lanong said some action should be taken against the UDP legislator for taking a different view on the issue of mining and also for criticising the party leadership.

However, while Lanong and a section of UDP legislators want disciplinary action against Basaiawmoit, there are others in the party who feel that since the MLA had got public support for his stand against uranium mining, any action against him would affect the party’s image.

The party had earlier asked the government to issue a white paper on all aspects related to uranium mining.

When contacted, Basaiawmoit told The Telegraph that he was yet to get any showcause notice from the party’s leadership on his stand.

He also decided to adopt a wait and watch approach on reports of the party’s move to take disciplinary action against him.

“I am getting good support from the people as well as from the members of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council. I will go ahead with the political movement against uranium mining,” the MLA reiterated.

Basaiawmoit first launched the political movement at his constituency, Nongkrem, recently at a public meeting and asked the people to support his campaign against mining.

Later, he organised another anti-uranium public meeting at the Umdohlun village adjacent to the mining sites in the West Khasi Hills followed by another meeting at Mawkyrwat in the same district. The next meeting is scheduled at Markasa in the West Khasi Hills.

At the meetings held so far, Basaiawmoit has been vocal against his party’s double standards on mining.