Separated by politics, united by history !
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and leader of the Opposition Conrad Sangma are now bitter political rivals but both were united by history, that too in the land of Bangaladesh when they received top honours on behalf of their parents.
Incidentally, Dr Mukul’s mother was also the teacher of Purno Sangma father of Conrad. Many years ago Mukul was mentored by Purno from the time he was in the Youth Congress until the latter left Congress to form NCP.
Bangladesh honoured the parents of both for their valued contribution to the liberation war at a critical period.
Both Mukul and Conrad traveled to Dhaka recently and jointly participated in all the related events organised by the Bangladeshi government together.
In the last week of March, Bangladesh honoured a host of Indians and Indian organisations for their contribution to the 1971 war which included, among others, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, Lt. Gen. JFR. Jacob, former ambassador Arundhati Ghose, Purno Sangma and Dr Mukul Sangma’s mother, Rawshanara Sangma.
Thieves at work in darkness
Burglaries are on the rise in Shillong. Nearly everyday news of theft is heard from some part of Shillong or the other. Bishnupur is one of the most affected localities, particularly the areas behind Sankardev College.
Here residents are spending sleepless nights as the thieves turn up without fail during the load-shedding hours. Geeta, a resident of this locality, who maintains the kitchen of a city based Institute of Culture during the day time has not been able to sleep for the last few nights as she has to maintain vigil.
Recently two thieves tried to sneak into a house near a defence quarter in the area. The nearby residents, including Geeta, came out shouting with iron rods etc to go after the thieves who managed to escaped in the darkness. The thieves it was later learnt were hiding under a culvert in the area. Similar incidents are on the rise in other localities in the city. In Madan Laban, thieves took off with loads of valuables and nearly emptied the entire house. The inmates had had gone to attend a marriage. There is now a sudden rush to buy watchdogs.
Rain creates havoc ….
In Guwahati the streets get flooded within 30 minutes of rainfall. This phenomenon was not known in Shillong until recently.
The torrential rain in the city last week which lasted for few hours has clogged locality drains and streams with plastic and garbage. In most localities drain water is flowing on to the road making it difficult for people to walk.
The condition of the road near the old GPO junction besides locality drains in Umsohsun, Wahingdoh, Rilbong and Khyndailad have become the pedestrians’ nightmare. In Khyndailad a pedestrian slipped on the slush in the newly dug area.
The sudden advent of the rainy season also resulted in an annual sport’s day of a city school to be cancelled and postponed. People were heard asking one another as to what would be the fate of their roads if plastics continued to rule their world!