Greeting the New Year
Though the bursts of excitement far away from the land of their origin might make Rongali Bihu seem a bit low key here, Assamese residents in Shillong are all geared up to celebrate the onset of the Assamese New Year and the arrival of Spring. Minus the ear shattering fire crackers and mind altering drinks, this New Year has its own special way of continued merriment and feasting. The kitchens of such Assamese families are turned to food processing factories churning out til-peetha, larus (traditional food made of rice and coconut) and Jolpan which gives the real essence of the season. The Asom Krishti Kendra in Dhankheti is pulsating with energy as traditional dance and music entertains visitors and spreads cheer. It’s also a time for meeting and greeting friends. The intoxication, excitement and euphoria of Spring in Assam and is heralded by the Rongali Bihu which cannot be replicated elsewhere. However, the least that the Assamese residents of Shillong could have done is to make the celebration a little more lively and inclusive. After all it’s about celebrating nature and the colours of spring.
Some floodlit glory
The last home match of the I-league season for Shillong Lajong will surely remain a memorable one for the football fans of the State who now have the luxury to watch day-night matches in their hometown. What could be better than thousand volts of electricity and an electrifying performance of both teams fighting it out in the middle to uphold their reputation? Though sloppy deductions circulate around town that the load shedding in the city and the extreme power scarcity in Garo Hills is linked to the huge demand for power to light the stadium for the entire length of the match, but sports lovers are delighted about this state of the art experience of enjoying matches after dusk. This has taken spectators to a whole new level. Interestingly, some football fans also stand in as citizen journalists and keep messaging the outcome. The SMS is truly a great invention. Well, the Reds have all the home support and the backing of the fan base here but all that remains to be seen is whether they can keep themselves away from the relegation zone and show the other states that we are no less when it comes to directing the ball to the net!
Save our indigenous fruits
Sohshang the fruit of a creeper is native to Meghalaya. The reddish fruit is sweet and sour in taste and is used by the Khasi people to make tangy pickle. Over the years the production of this fruit has decreased considerably. The fruit made it’s appearance in the second week of March and was over by the second week of April. Its appearance in the markets lasted for just about a month. The vendors in Iewduh say that the fruit has perhaps fewer and fewer growers. The State Agriculture Department has never bothered to study the reasons for the decrease in Sohshang production. The same is the case with Sohphie as well which has just made its appearance in our markets. Sohphie too makes good pickles. And what about Sohiong which was made famous by Late Captain Hunt who brewed it into wine and served it through his cosy little outlet at Mawphlang – a rendezvous that many still recall with nostalgia? Not much research has gone into these local fruits and the need to propagate them better. Why give so much importance to Strawberry only?