The first look
Mr Bhishma Narian Singh, were sworn in on April 16, became the fourth regular Governor of Meghalaya. At fifty, he is said to be the youngest ever Governor in the country. Meghalaya is a young State and it is quite appropriate that her Governor too should be young. Otherwise a routine affair, the swearing in ceremony had one distinctive feature; for the first time the proceedings were conducted by a lady – the Chief Secretary, Mrs P P Trivedi. Immediately after the oath-taking ceremony, she led the new Governor in a ceremonial procession from the Durbar Hall to the lush green carpet outside, where the Meghalaya Police Battalion gave him a ceremonial salute. Later Mr Singh circulated himself among the guests and dignitaries who were entertained to tea.
Dressed in impeccable white dhoti, off – white galabandh and Gandhi cap, the slim and tall Governor found sometime to meet the press. There were a volley of questions from the mediamen, most of which he replied off the record. He left an impression of a sincere and capable person. Notable among his earlier achievements have been his induction into the central cabinet in 1980 to become the youngest Union cabinet Minister ever. He deftly handled the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio. The Asaid stadia fly-overs and chain of hotels in Delhi bear silent testimony to this ability as the Works & Housing Minister. If first impression is to be taken seriously, then Meghalaya, Assam and for that matter, the whole of North-East, should look forward to a good time under the new Governor who enjoys the reputation of being able to make a point without making an enemy; he is basically a friendly and an outgoing person, and has immense reserve of energy to work. Well then, let us keep our fingers crossed.
Changing summer
Every summer when the sun blazes, everybody seems to complain “on, Shillong is like any other town in the plains.” Indeed, there is an element of truth in it. It is not uncommon to see specks of sweat on faces when sun is up. Some years back, deep fridge or refrigerators were considered to be a luxury. Not so any longer. Shillong’s whether necessitates a cold storage facility. Ice cream was not a particularly sought after item. But not these days. People seem to enjoy ice creams like never before. No wonder there are more ice cream vendors today than ever before. Mosquitoes and house flies were never so menacing as at present. Many housewives are compelled to use mosquito nets at night to ensure a goodnights sleep. Summer in Shillong is not all that pleasant these days.
Distinctive trio
There are several instances when Meghalaya were called upon to represent the country in any international meet. But perhaps it is the only time that Meghalayans alone have had the unique distinction of representing a national team at a global congregation. This honour to our State has been brought by three young ladies of Shillong who are presently camping in London for the international gathering of Girls Guide and Girls Scout being held from April 15 to 23. We congratulate Evamary Swer, Jessica Warjri and Josephine Marbaniang for this distinction.