KOCHI: Meghalaya Governor M.M. Jacob has welcomed news reports, which speculated that he might be considered as the Congress nominee for the post of Vice-President.

"It certainly is good news. It is too premature to comment since I have not received any information. The election will be held only after a year. After all it is not me who decides the candidature. I know nothing of it. You could ask those who published the news," he said, addressing journalists here on Thursday.

On the difference between North-Eastern States and Kerala, he said that frequent walkouts and jumping into the well of the Legislative Assembly to stall proceedings, which is common in Kerala, are rather unheard of in those States. They seldom indulge in this despite having numerous political parties, he said.

To the question why groups of people leave the Congress party and then return to it, he said that there have always been different opinions within the party. "Soon after independence, there was conflict between the liberals and extremists of the Congress."

Mr. Jacob termed the Marad violence as unfortunate. "It should not have happened in Kerala."

He said that the law and order situation in the North-East was by and large peaceful. "Meghalaya and Mizoram are calm. There is some conflict in Assam and Manipur. Nagaland is peaceful, for the present. The situation in these States is containable. Tribals, who dominate the area, are very intelligent. They can be brought to the mainstream only by developing infrastructure like good roads, power supply and water. Except for temporary truce, the army and police cannot do much. The real needs of the people have to be addressed at the earliest, to bring peace."

Mr Jacob said that these States are cut off from mainland India and are encircled by three not-so-friendly countries with whom they share a 5,000-km border. Only a 30-km strip of land connects them with the mainland. The North-East has its own economic problems since the nearest harbour is Chittagong, located in Bangladesh. "Out in the North-East, we somehow survive. What about in Kerala," he asked.

"I frequently visit Kerala to speak to the younger generation. This morning, I told students of Gregorian School that instead of conflict, we should have a dialogue with others. King Ashoka had frequent dialogues with religions and sects. King Akbar had a permanent mechanism in his court to debate about issues."

Earlier, addressing students of the school, he deplored the tendency of peoples' representatives to switch political parties. To the question whether monarchy was a better system , he said that democracy had a lot of advantages, whatever be its ill-effects. Tribal people settle disputes by referring it to their chieftain. He tries to bring about a solution, he said. The others who were present at the function were Joseph Mar Gregorios, Bishop of the Cochin Diocese of the Syrian Jacobite Church, and K.V. Paulose, Principal.

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