Editor,
For the past several days I have been receiving good news about the Monolith Festival, which concluded on 2 April 2016. Many of our friends here in Rome who took part in the November 2015 International Mei-Ramew/Indigenous Terra Madre (ITM 2015) gathering were also very happy to see how yet another large, successful event in Mawphlang has highlighted the wonders of our traditional cultural and culinary diversity. They have asked me to convey their congratulations to the event organisers.
ITM 2015 brought 606 delegates representing 62 countries and 170 indigenous communities to Meghalaya. Over sixty percent of the resources required for air fares, conference infrastructure and other event-related activities was raised from overseas and other parts of India. Eager to learn lessons from this unique gathering, foreign donors commissioned an on-site evaluation run by a US-based organisation. The evaluation team concluded that ITM 2015, while organised in a remote area of a developing country, exceeded the standards that are normally set only for similar conferences organised in the developed world. These delegates have today become ardent admirers of the people of Meghalaya and the North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS). The international and national media coverage from recognised media houses such as the BBC has been remarkable, and many outlets were thrilled with the stories of bio-cultural diversity they gathered throughout the event. The message that spread from ITM 2015 was, yes, indigenous peoples have a story to tell, and the world must listen.
The 2016 Monolith Festival, with its unique traditional games, cultural shows, diverse food stalls, clean sanitary infrastructure and good traffic management, has further strengthened this evolving reputation of Meghalaya as a state with vibrant indigenous communities from whose history and traditions India and the world have a lot to learn. As the Chief Organiser of ITM 2015, I know how complex and challenging it is to organise such massive indigenous event whose main focus is for ordinary people to rediscover their culture, local food and traditional practices. I will humbly say that I can perhaps appreciate the achievement of the organisers of the 2016 Monolith Festival more than anyone else. I would therefore like to express through this letter our congratulations to the KHADC and to Alan West and the Khasi Heritage Conservation Forum for this great achievement. NESFAS will use its wide global network of ITM 2015 to spread the achievements of the 2016 Monolith Festival with the hope that these events will ultimately improve the wellbeing of all our people and be a shining example of why the indigenous voice must be heard locally and globally.
The Government of Meghalaya, KHADC, NESFAS and the Khasi Heritage Conservation Forum have learned some very important lessons from these two mega events. NESFAS, as a platform that promotes the importance of local indigenous food systems and bio-cultural diversity for peace, resilience, good governance and sustainability will share the ITM 2015 Evaluation Report, so that collectively we can reflect on the positive and less-than-positive feedback from such events. Let us therefore work cohesively, collectively and inclusively for the good of our people and be a clear model for a fractured world.
Yours etc.,
Phrang Roy
Chairman, NESFAS
Ongoing drain construction in Laban.
Editor,
It seems the authorities have not weighed the pros and cons, feasibility and consequences arising out of construction of drains in Laban.Along the left side of the road opposite State Bank of India towards Sylhetipara, a drain already exists on the right side of that road. With drains on both sides, the road width will be reduced to 3 or 4 feet.Along the left side of the main road going up from the Red Cross bridge to connect with the drain already mentioned above along the main road on the opposite side, two drains already exist. Again with drains on both sides of the road, the main road width will be reduced to only 5 to 8 feet. In some parts even less.
Firstly, construction of these drain is unjustified and unnecessary as effluents from only a few houses require drainage on that side. This is a bad time to construct anything major especially outdoors. The Khasis and Jaintias call this season Iaiong (dark period), the month of April, a period of frequent storms. When it rains, students, pedestrians etc will have a tough time crossing and walking on these roads. As the road is already narrow, frequent traffic jams will occur. Business will also be affected – for shops along the road. Added to this will be the overflow of the dirty water and garbage from the perpetually blocked existing drains.
The big question is, after the drains have been constructed, which department will maintain and clean them? The existing drains have never been cleaned and maintained after construction. There are no grills at regular intervals along the drains, to catch the solid waste. The huge slabs covering the drains are a deterrent too for regular cleaning of the drains. Removing a slab will affect the next slab and the edge of the drain/road, some breakage will occur. Since this is the situation, it seems that the Shillong Municipality is sending a message to the PWD that since they have constructed the drains, they should maintain them, clean them.
But neither the Municipality nor the PWD will clean the drains, so they will be perpetually blocked. In fact, all the drains in Laban are never cleaned regularly. The Telecom cables are all exposed. Will shifting of the cables have any effect on them? Last month there was an explosion in the distribution boxes next to the wall. Were some cables damaged causing a short circuit? The cables and water pipes will be raised on rods at regular intervals. Will the weight and sagging of the cables have any effect on the insulation? Exposure to air and heat produced in the wires will affect the insulation and cracks may occur on the insulation in the long run. Burying the cables underground protects them and the cold earth cools them.
The next big question: Will the Chief Engineer PWD guarantee that the sides of the road won’t collapse? Since either sides of the road will have big drains of a depth of 3 to 4 feet, the sides of the road will be without support unless the drain wall on the side of the road is constructed with thick reinforced concrete or heavy stone wall. In some parts, the road width will be about 5 to 6 feet or less. Hence, the wheels of heavy vehicles will ply on the edges of the road. The constant pressure and vibration of moving vehicles will be transmitted to the sides of the road. When it is time to tar the road will the sides of the road or concrete slabs take the load of a road roller?
Other factors which will affect the sides of the road and drain is erosion, and when removing the slabs for water pipe repairs, cleaning drains, etc. Then there is the gradient and North – South direction of the road. Will the drain near the Red Cross bridge cut across the road to open into the river? If so, the slab covers have to be extra strong, or a strong culvert constructed. If the drain is connected to the one coming from above, that is, the left side going up, then water, etc will always collect there.
I would also request the PWD to rectify the drain on the right side of the road going up. The lower end of that big drain is connected to the smaller existing drain in front of Mahari outlet. By constructing these drains, Laban is not benefitted at all. We will only suffer the consequences as mentioned.
This is literally money down the drain.
Your’s etc.,
- Rangad
Via Email