Friday, April 4, 2025

‘Freedom’: an alien term for the have-nots

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With the mercury

dipping close to

zero these days, the frost covered city of Shillong looks beautiful in the morning hours not forgetting the chills one encounters every time December arrives, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bite at exposed hands and faces.

At a time when most of us are cuddled up warm under the blanket and probably dreaming, the distant random sound of a bamboo cane broom dragging along the coal tar road every morning goes probably unnoticed.

Braving the chill, a half masked man with a broom sweeps the roads clean-‘A sweeper on duty on a cold Shillong morning’.

There are two ways to counter the cold, a sweeper near Wards Lake said. “The first is to warm yourself up,” he said then paused and then with a smile said, “The second option is Freeze”.

This might sound humorous to some but to a homeless kid who has to sleep on the footpath with nothing but a torn, thin jacket and a single piece of cloth to cover himself, this is something which when thought about, might bring a tear.

Happily warm and out of the bed the first thing most people say, “Burrr… it’s so cold.” But has anyone ever imagined going out in the cold without complaining?

People do fail to realize the kind of life people in the streets live. A picture of the homeless children ranging between 4-16 years of age, braving the cold and chilly weather mostly at Khyndai Lad or Motphran only goes to show that there is still much left to be done to ensure that every citizen gets a house to live, food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear and education to strive forward in life.

Sunrise comes as a breather as they hustle their way towards the first rays after a long cold and cruel winter night.

The sight mostly visible in Motphran and Khyndai Lad, if noticed properly, makes one realize the hardship these kids have to undergo.

Like the saying goes, “Human wants are unlimited,” Are we to complain a lot about our life’s lot? Derecognizing the fact which darkens our sight towards the comfort we thrive on.

During the 41st Meghalaya Day celebration held on Monday, Governor RS Mooshahary rightfully said that though the state has attained its statehood 41 years ago, the state is yet to achieve complete freedom.

“We have not been able to raise the standard of livelihood”, he said adding that the state might have achieved political freedom but this is not enough to fulfill the basic needs.

“A fight for freedom from hunger and poverty should be a continuous effort not only by the government but the citizens of the State”, Mooshahary said.

These words hold meaning and we, as the privileged class, should make it a point to see our poorer counterparts through.

(By Ibankyntiew Mawrie)

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