Editor,
While addressing the Golden jubilee celebration of Little Flower School, Malki on November 7 last, Deputy Chief Minister and local MLA Mr B.M.Lanong is reported to have beautifully expressed his appreciation of the yeoman service contributed by the institution especially for the people of Malki and its adjoining areas in the field of education. He is also reported to have said that the compound where the school stands at present, “was a deserted plot of land before Archbishop Stephan Ferrando and the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians set up an educational institution here”(S.T Nov 8, 2012). Now I would like to make a correction to this part of his story about the beginning of the school since Mr Lanong had mistakenly stressed about that plot being a ‘deserted’ one.
The plot on which the present School stands, originally belonged to one of the respected families of the Mawroh clan of Malki. The major portion of the plot was inherited by my mother, Late Ientimai Mawroh and the adjacent smaller portion belonged to one of her cousins. It was a lively residential plot with good Assam type buildings and compound with many fruit trees and flowers. It was never a deserted plot as poorly depicted. We, my parents and her four little children were very much living there till 1959.
The fact is that Little Flower School was started much earlier at a plot of land and building at the junction of Lower Kharmalki and Chinapatty.The name of the building is lovingly retained by us as “Little Flower Cottage”. In 1959 we moved in here and the school was shifted to our ancestral place following my mother’s wholehearted willingness to part with her land to late Archbishop Stephan Ferrando who required a larger compound for the Institution. The old school compound with building was given to my mother in exchange. Many other personal reasons were also there apart from handsome monetary considerations at that point of time.
We are always happy to see the meteoric rise of the Missionary Sisters in the field of education and many mission activities and relish the idea that our loving plot of ancestral land is associated with it in some way.
Yours etc.,
Bernadette Mawroh,
Little Flower Cottage, Kharmalki
On influx
Editor,
I am glad that my article in Shillong Times “Tackle Influx ——– “ 8th Aug 2012, activated a healthy debate which brought to the surface numerous opinion and views on influx and methods to tackle the same. Expectedly some appreciated while many disagreed with my stand; but the central issue which remains unchanged is the stark reality of influx reflected in my article, which continues unabated, while the causal factors keep growing. The need of the hour is to start executing concrete measures on the ground, instead of mere rhetoric and grandiose theory, which may not translate into reality ever. The High Level Committee on influx has recommended certain measures which hopefully do not dissipate once Assembly election is over. Unfortunately, the Government did not feel it necessary to include members of the minority communities who are settled in Meghalaya and are genuine stakeholders for generations and contributed to the cause of the State in different fields; to include their representatives in the HLC to educe their views/suggestions on the issue. It is only during elections when members of the minority communities come to the mind of politicians and political parties. Vote banks and number is what only matters. It is time for introspection with polls a few months away.
Yours etc
Naba Bhattacharjee
Shillong – 4.
Ill motivated objections
Editor,
Apropos the news “Suspicious applicants a concern: NGOs (ST November 14, 2012) I would like to clarify that Mr Paul Leong (my father), Joan Leong Marbaniang (my wife) and Mr Saman Kuri (my uncle) are all Indian Citizens by birth. Having gone through the news I feel that the concerned NGOs should have first checked the facts and verify the same before terming prospective voters as be suspicious people trying to enroll themselves in the electoral roll of 33-Rambrai Jyrngam Constituency.
The fact of the matter is that the above said individuals were actually exercising their rights to get their name transferred to 33 Rambrai-Jyrngam Constituency from 18 West Shillong Constituency through Form 6 as prescribed by the Election Commission of India. In my opinion the NGOs made a Type I and Type II error. The former occurs when there is lack of knowledge or when people are wrongly motivated. The latter happens not through lack of knowledge but by a lapse in judgment.
I hope that the election machinery of the State in West Khasi Hills takes appropriate action as it deems fit and proper.
Yours etc.,
Kimfa Marbaniang,
Via email