150 years of Shillong
SHILLONG: From a village till 1864 to a thriving city now. This is the transformation of Shillong over the past 150 years.
With just two months remaining for the year to end, no State-run initiatives to commemorate the 150 years of Shillong is in sight.
There is, meanwhile, demand from several quarters to celebrate 150 years of Shillong’s existence.
When contacted, an official said that the State government is likely to chalk out a plan especially to pay a befitting tribute to the “grand old city” by the end of this year.
The nature of celebration being planned by the Government is yet to be known, but an official said that recently Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri during his meeting with the heads of several departments made a reference on the need to celebrate 150 years of Shillong.
As per folk tale, the name of Shillong was derived from ‘Shyllong’ deity.
It was in 1867 that the British shifted their headquarters from Sohra to Shillong, the ‘Scotland of East’.
As per history, till 1864 Shillong was a small village and in 1864, the city was made into a new civil station of Khasi-Jaintia Hills which remained as the summer capital of the British.
33 years later, the massive earthquake of 1897 changed the landscape of Shillong. But the city was re-built in the same old fashion.
Another mile stone was Shillong, which was undivided capital of Assam, becoming the capital of new State of Meghalaya in 1972.
However, there is a controversy over the exact day when Shillong was made a civil station though the year was 1864. For this, the Government has to go into the archives, an official said.