Editor
Yesterday (4th June 2012) we celebrated Ri Bhoi District Day on its completion of 20 years as a District with headquarters at Nongpoh. I am not sure how my fellow Bhoi (s) celebrated it in the entire district but for someone staying far away from my beloved State I will remember this day as one of the saddest days as I revisit the events of the past 20 years. Twenty years ago I was a little boy studying in Class V and was happy to hear thunderous speeches of our leaders; MLAs, MDCs, and many more self proclaimed saviours of the District that Ri Bhoi would progress in all spheres. Yes progress and development was the UNI VOCE that echoed from their tongues. The participants on that day; the small kids like me, the youth, the elderly and not a lie to say the old ones who came to witness that ONE DAY in their lives must now be cursing our fates. Our so called leaders (MLAs, MDCs, DCs, and the whole lot of them) are nothing but mere cheats, thieves and vandals. What have we got 20 years hence? The youth then are now still taking their spades and knives and hunting for food. Many don’t even know to write A,B,K,D,… the old ones then, now in the grave lamenting because they died horrible deaths either because there are no proper hospitals to take care of them or due to lack of medicines and facilities.
After 20 we still struggle to get our children admitted to colleges and schools in East Khasi Hills District. After 20 years we have to still rush to Guwahati or Shillong for treatment in the hospitals. Yes, we still go to Guwahati or Shillong for basic commodities. After 20 years we still depend on others for our survival. After 20 years we still walk on foot for a distance of 6 to 8 hours. After 20 years we still use our kerosene lamps to light our homes and study. Twenty years have passed and we still go and draw water from the spring that has almost run dry. After 20 years we still play football on our paddy fields and during cultivation we don’t have football games. 20 years are gone and still….
Ri Bhoi District borders Guwahati. In a sense it’s so close to Guwahati. Any fool who thinks development should take place in Shillong should have first thought of developing Ri Bhoi especially the headquarter, Nongpoh because all the things showcased in Shillong be it education, shopping complexes, water systems, basic commodities, goods, materials etc pass through Nongpoh. Yet our leaders shut their eyes or wear thick sun glasses pretending not to see what is to be done to bring development and progress in the district as they had once promised 20 years ago. Look at what we are now… Nongpoh the headquarter, with the exception of few private institutions and one yet- to- be utilized shopping complex and yes of course THEIR MANSION(S) has not changed in the past 20 years. Is there any place in Ri Bhoi District which can boast of having any of the facilities promised 20 years ago? Is there at least 20 percent of development and progress visible as promised by our leaders, assuming a 1 percent a year progress? Is there any change in the villages in Ri Bhoi in these 20 years? I saw nothing. On the contrary I saw many vagabonds destroying the rich land of Ri Bhoi for personal development rather than for the whole district.
Will any Bhoi stand up and say… ‘Our leaders fulfilled our dreams. They worked from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm everyday solely for the development of our district. And hence now we are a developing district!’ Shame be upon us. Our leaders have eaten sour grapes and our teeth are now set on edge. Soon we will be developing into a prosperous district when even the land we occupied by our birth right will be taken away from us. Talk about border issues! Did any of our leaders seriously start solving the border issues with Assam? Talk about projects, what are the projects for the people? They are only building their own mansions. Talk about education and they will send their children to Delhi or to foreign countries with our money. Talk about roads and communication and they don’t see the need because they will never come to our villages. Talk about water; they have filtered water at home so why bother? Talk about basic commodities, and they have a vehicle with a siren even if there is a traffic jam. They can get everything they need from Shillong or Guwahati. We can go on…. . Thanks to our visionaries (?) we have regressed because in 20 years we have made no progress.
Yours etc..
Fr. Michael Makri sdb
(International Salesian Missionary Institute)
Via email
