EDITORIAL

The War People & The Making of Khasi Identity

By Bhogtoram Mawroh When one talks about Khasi history, it feels like groups such as the Synteng and...

How Students’ Uprising is Reopening India’s Socio-political Faultlines: A Perspective

By Antriksh Kar Singh India witnessed history on the morning of July 20, when thousands of youngsters took to...

Farmers at Breaking Point

In Meghalaya farmers operate independently because the practice of Farmers’ Producers Organisations (FPO) -where prices are decided by...

Letters to the Editor

Global Economy Downturn Editor, As the excitement of the World Cup fades, we must confront the severe economic challenges directly...

Empire rattled

Empire was not shaken, but rattled. A large crowd of students converging at Jantar Mantar at the call...

Sonam Wangchuk, Cockroach Janata Party and the Politics of Paranoia

By Rajdeep Sardesai Conspiracy theories have always thrived in the power corridors of Delhi. But in today’s hyper-polarised India,...

Is India Still a Democratic Nation?

By Baiamutlang Khymdeit The Preamble to the Constitution of India proudly declares: “We, the People of India, having solemnly...

Letters to the Editor

From Cabbage to Radish: Our Farmers are Desperate - No Future without Farmers Editor, The heartbreaking scenes unfolding across Meghalaya...

Meghalaya Government’s Quiet War Against Its Own Farmers

By Napoleon S. Mawphniang There's something almost mythological about a farmer. Think about it. He is Atlas, really —...

Potential US President deserves kudos for slamming Israel like never before

By S. N. M. Abdi Rahm Emanuel, a likely Democratic candidate for the 2028 Presidency, has just taken...

Democracy Demands Respect for Dissenting Voices

The uprising by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is legitimate as it protests what is seen as a...

Letters to the Editor

Lapalang Tragedy: A Story of Bravery and Loss Editor, They had left home early that morning, but none of them...

The CM’s Silence on Nongkhlieh Speaks Volumes

By H H Mohrmen While we appreciate the government's stand on uranium mining in the state, we wonder...

Appalling condition of State Highways

By HT Wells Meghalaya has witnessed encouraging efforts in recent years to improve road connectivity through new highway...

Break your silence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earned the reputation of being an effective communicator by virtue of his ‘bhashans’...

Letters to the Editor

A Vehicle Can Protect Without Intimidating Editor, I wish to respectfully draw the attention of the Government of Meghalaya...

Economization: Parliamentary, Legislative Council, Local Bodies and Municipal Expenditures

By Melarbor Thabah India is a nation profuse with elections where billions of rupees of public money are spent...

Let’s borrow a little bit of the fire from Jantar Mantar

By Dalariti Nongpiur How can I be sitting here and not be in awe at what is happening at...

Progress of Cockroaches

The arrogance of the apex court found eloquent expression when the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made...

Letters to the Editor

Wooden Coffins, Copper Savings Editor, I wish to congratulate the MeECL on their spectacular performance in Umtangling. It takes an...

Tragedy for Some; Football Frenzy & Foreign Jaunts for Others

By Patricia Mukhim This month alone in Meghalaya, tragedy has befallen four families who lost their sons/husbands on Friday...

Going Beyond Symbolic Observances

By Shivani Pde Today on 17th July 2026, across Meghalaya, wreaths will be laid, speeches will be delivered and...

Optimism, parliament

Optimism is high as the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins on Monday, with a declaration from the government...

Letters to the Editor

Negative Consequences of Politicizing Culture on the Federation Editor, In his editorial published in The Shillong Times titled, “Inviting Assam...

Why the Invitation to Himanta Biswa Sarma was Wrong

By Bhogtoram Mawroh The invitation of Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, to the recently concluded Behdeinkhlam festival...

Byrnihat, Burnihat – The ‘y’ and ‘u’ matter…in pollution

By Banwan Lyngdoh How many of those who have travelled the Shillong–Guwahati road have noticed the names Byrnihat and...

Of Unfinished Projects

The new Meghalaya State Assembly building, officially started in 2019 at Mawdiangdiang has been waylaid by shifting deadlines....

Letters to the Editor

History Relies on Many Sources Editor, Dr. Omarlin Kyndiah's article, "Who Defines the Jaiñtia? History or Colonial Records?", is...

At the Crossroads: Envisioning the Future of Our State and Society

By Dr Donkupar Syiem We, as a State, a society, and a community, stand at a defining crossroads in...

Motorcycle/Scooty Theft in Meghalaya It’s Time to Stay One Step Ahead of Criminals

By Augusten Blah The report in The Shillong Times some days ago that nine two-wheelers were stolen across Meghalaya...

Voiceless left

The Left, which was once perceived as the voice of the poor, is a tame shadow of its...

Letters to the Editor

Coal Today, Consequences Tomorrow Editor, There is something truly inspiring about the urgency with which some groups and political voices...

Who Defines the Jaiñtia? History or Colonial Records?

Dr. Omarlin Kyndiah By reducing the history of the Jaiñtia people almost entirely to British colonial records, Bhogtoram Mawroh’s...

The Price of Neglect

By Darisuk Syiemlieh There is a quiet tragedy unfolding in Meghalaya, one so ordinary that it rarely makes headlines....

Arbitrary Actions of Dorbar Shnong

A growing debate in Meghalaya concerns whether the institution of the Dorbar Shnong has acquired powers unmatched by...

Letters to the Editor

Stop Favouritism in Textbooks Selection Editor, I write to draw public attention to worrying practices in the approval and distribution...

The Classroom That Swallows Children Whole and Calls It Education

By Napoleon S. Mawphniang Socrates once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. But what, I...

Salt and Blade: The Oath that Echoed through the Hills

By Maitphang Syiem Imagine a blade, cold and gleaming, with a few grains of salt resting upon its edge....

Population, perceptions

Another World Population Day passed on July 11, with the usual ‘programmes’ led by governments and entities like...

Letters to the Editor

Don’t Turn Sacred Festivals into Political Battlegrounds Editor, The Voice of the People Party's (VPP) protest against inviting Assam Chief...

MCA Harassment: Govt & NGOs Silent

Editor, The Under-23 Women's Cricket Team of Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) showed a kind of courage that our institutions...

Tourism Gone Berserk

News of the onrush of tourists to common destinations, turning the place into a noisy spectacle that disrupts...

Why Are Meghalaya’s Youth Getting Lost In The Career Maze

By Ibormitre Passah & Karissa Berti Khonglam Every year, nearly 70,000 young people in Meghalaya finish school or college...

New Economic Focus on Northeast in India-Japan Partnership

By Bagmita Borthakur & Bishaldeep Kakati For much of the past decade, discussions surrounding India-Japan cooperation in Northeast India...

Forget Crowing, the Hens Now Refuse to Even Squeak

By Patricia Mukhim Growing up in a Khasi matrilineal society girls are taught that silence is respectful and butting...

The Role Models Meghalaya Doesn’t Need

By Tipriti Khonglam There was a time when the Meghalaya government understood that every public decision carried a message...

Terror from Trump

Iran, obviously, is caught in its worst plight – with President Donald Trump resuming the war after a...

Why a University in Francis Xavier’s Name?

Editor, Any decision of the Government is expected to be based on authentic information, sensitivity towards all communities and...

El Nino & Lessons from the Meghalayan Age

By Bhogtoram Mawroh Recently, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, held a workshop on El Niño preparedness in...

Linguistic pejoration in Khasi society: Reclaiming our vocabulary from tribalism

By Mankular Lamin Gashnga I was reading Bhogtoram Mawroh’s article where he used the word Synteng to refer to...

A Conspiratorial Silence

Meghalaya has no dearth of pressure groups who are deferentially referred to as NGOs, although they don’t qualify...

Letters to the Editor

Misuse of Government Quarters Editor, I write this letter as a concerned citizen regarding the use of the Government...

80% Deficit Monsoons: A Looming Shadow Of An Approaching Natural Disaster ?

By Toki Blah On July 3, 2026, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated a workshop titled “Developing State...

Trapped in the Colonial Web of Knowledge

By Randolph Langstieh “If ‘cutting trees into parts’ epitomises the modernist epistemology, ‘talking with trees,’ I argue, epitomises animistic...

Myth of progress

The World Bank's designation of India as a “lower middle income” economy should drill some sense into the...

Letters to the Editor

The ILP Dilemma: Why Pre-Election Promises Must Yield to Governance Accountability Editor, Every election cycle in Meghalaya follows a predictable...

Women and Sexual Abuse

The goings-on in the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) where women players were sexually exploited by a section of...

Neolissochilus pnar: The Pride of Meghalaya

By H.H. Mohrmen Meghalaya is renowned not only for its breathtaking landscapes but also for its extraordinary underground world....

UCC Bandwagon pulls into West Bengal

By S. N. M. Abdi After Assam, West Bengal – the politically, electorally and demographically dominant state in the...

Letters to the Editor

Women’s Empowerment Editor, Women do most of the work in Indian agriculture but own almost none of the land. According...

Teesta and more

Bangladesh would not have been born but for the timely help that India provided by way of material,...

Farmers Crying Over a Loan the Government of Meghalaya Called Progress

By Napoleon S Mawphniang There's a particular kind of cruelty — quiet, bureaucratic, almost elegant in its indifference —...

Consumer Choice & Local Enterprise: Finding the Right Balance for Meghalaya

By Shakeel Rafee Swer The debate over whether quick-commerce platforms should be allowed to operate in Meghalaya extends far...

Letters to the Editor

Why Use Teachers for Election-Related Work Editor, The repeated absence of government school teachers from classrooms due to their deployment...

Beyond the Uniform: A Cry for Consideration

Editor, As I read Ludwig Van Beethoven's poem, "Whoever feels the joy of music, let him treasure it; but...

Whither Financial Literacy

The Press Information Bureau Shillong has kickstarted a heated debate on whether merely having a bank account qualifies...

Tea and Sugar: The Social Life of Red Tea in the Jaintia Hills

By Anna Notsu In Meghalaya, people receive and offer tea throughout the day. During my research in the Jaintia...

Bob’s Banter

By Robert Clements Bullied by the Bully! I remember a boy in school who strutted around as if he owned...

Behdeinkhlam: The Covenant of U Lakriah and the Four Sisters

By Dr Omarlin Kyndiah As the monsoon approaches Jowai prepares yet again to host one of its most profound...

The Decline in Solidarity Among Young People

By Pyndap Lyngdoh It is often said by leaders, elders, and public figures that youth are the future of...

Silence over Ayodhya

The Ayodhya Ram Temple funds case is getting curiouser, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the massive...

Letters to the Editor

Traffic Management or Mismanagement? A Plea for Logic at Rhino and Barik Points Editor, I am writing to express my...

Who Are the Jaintia? Colonial Records and the Question of Khasi Identity

By Bhogtoram Mawroh Ever since the state anthem was announced, there has been resistance from a section of the...

Ayodhya scandal signals systemic decay

By Jagdish Rattanani The snowballing scandal over allegations of misappropriation of donations and offerings at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple...

Is Buildings On Rivers Permitted?

Meghalaya has several regulatory authorities, but none bother to implement the rules prescribed by the Government from time...

Letters to the Editor

Tainted Men, Borrowed Power: MCA Holds Up Matriliny Mirror Editor, Your editorial of June 30 'Matriliny Brutalised', gave me a...

Geopolitics amidst a changing world order

By Toki Blah Today the term “ Geopolitics “ is often bandied around as if everyone knows what it...

The Silence of the Lungs

By Ellerine Diengdoh Disclaimer: This op-ed has been reviewed by a team of experts who have spent the last...

United opposition

Success is when adversity turns into an advantage. Consider how the splintered Opposition is uniting at the national...

Women Cricketers Deserve Justice

Editor, The Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) President’s move to dismiss and impose lifetime bans on the Head Coach and...

Ïung Blai: The Sacred Institution of the Pnar

By H.H. Mohrmen Niamtre religion is not an organized religion and does not have a place of worship like...

The Reality Behind Meghalaya’s Education Crisis

By Ibanriakor D Pakma I would like to express my agreement with Patricia Mukhim’s article, “Stop Playing the Fool...

Matriliny Brutalised

This is not the first time that Meghalaya's much-romanticised matrilineal legacy has been shown up for what it...

Justice for Women Hides Behind the Law at MCA

Editor, I write as a parent of a daughter who has represented Meghalaya in cricket - young women who...

Iran back again

The situation is back to square one. A tenuous peace pact that was supposed to halt the US-Iran...

Meghalaya’s Electoral Roll and the Politics of Disappearance

By Napoleon S Mawphniang Critical Questions on Meghalaya's Special Intensive Revision 2026 There is a myth from ancient Greece that...

Miles of Beauty, Nowhere to Stop

By Balakmen Suting I have lived near this highway most of my life. My home sits close to what...

A Woman Cricketer’s Gratitude, & Plea for Justice to Go Deeper into MCA Affairs

Editor, As a woman who has represented Meghalaya in cricket, I wish to express my sincere thanks to MCA...

Reliable Connectivity Urgently Needed in Mawlynnong

Editor, Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to...

Passport, Citizenship Conundrum

On the occasion of Passport Seva Diwas, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) created...

Mawlynnong: “Asia’s Cleanest Village” & A Diplomatic Faux Pas

By Patrick P. Sawian There are occasions in life when humiliation arrives not as an event but as a...

Hope of economic resurgence in the northeastern belt

By G N Bajpai The nation has seen much political heat in the midst of elections particularly in West...

Obsessed With the Past & With Culture but Lacking Vision for the Future

By Patricia Mukhim The Khasi people of whom I am a member actually believe we are a special species...

Indian Democracy’s Political Dance: Manufacturing Mandate and Opposition

By Antriksh Kar Singh Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky popularised the concept of manufacturing consent in their seminal...

Devotion, embezzlement

In a secular nation, it is not the government’s business to build religious institutions or temples. However, Prime...

Remembering Kong Spility Lyngdoh and her dedication

Editor, Long gone but never to be forgotten for her dedication and spirited stand against Uranium Mining in Domiasiat...

Shillong Lok Sabha By-Election: More Than a Contest between Two Teachers

By Bhogtoram Mawroh I am not really sure if this has ever happened before in the history of the...

Bob’s Banter

By Robert Clements NEET Justice and Our Mercy..! The pictures were heartbreaking. Young boys and girls stood outside NEET examination...

Meghalaya BJP Gets a Boost

Politics is a strange game where politicians claim allegiance to a political party only as long as it...

SCA’s Disgraceful Attack on a Respected Player

Editor, The news report published on June 22 regarding the Shillong Cricket Association's letter to the BCCI concerning MCA...