Shillong: Several Rangbah Shnong of Shillong and its suburbs have decided to enable their residents to celebrate Independence Day with fervour.
This was an outcome of a meeting the Rangbah Shnong of various localities (shnong) of Shillong city had with the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills, Sanjay Goyal on July 28 last.
Speaking to this correspondent, the Vice Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian University, RG Lyngdoh said that the Rangbah Shnong of Nongrah where the University is now located had written to him telling him that the University which includes students and faculty should have at least the flag hoisting ceremony.
Rangbah Shnong of Umpling S Pyngrope said that residents are free to choose how to celebrate Independence Day.
“The Catholic Church which is also running the St Rose School within the locality is having a function for students, it might not be appropriate to have another celebration alongside. Most of the residents will be taking part in the function organised by the church,” Pyngrope said.
Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills, Goyal said since he joined as the Deputy Commissioner a couple of years ago he had been having meetings with the Rangbah Shnong to exhort them to organise some community functions in their respective localities on Independence Day and Republic Day. “Many of the Rangbah Shnong have shown enthusiasm to organise flag hoisting functions or any other programmes. They have told me that they don’t have the Indian flag so I have procured about 500 numbers and sent them to different Dorbar Shnong,” Goyal said.
For over two decades, the people of Meghalaya have never been able to celebrate the two national days (January 26 and August 15) due to the bandh calls by militant outfits. But things are changing and the public themselves have reached a point of fatigue about such diktats from amorphous groups that use the internet to call bandhs.
Young people, including college and university students, are dismayed by the frequent bandh calls. “These bandhs coming one after another send the wrong signals to investors and also inhibit entrepreneurship. We do not welcome bandhs because they achieve no purpose other than imposing a writ on us citizens,” a youth leader said.