Patricia Mukhim
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma expressed delight that the state is placed 6th on the list of the most favoured destinations in the world, by Skyscanner, a global search engine that enables people to find comparisons for flights, hotels, destinations etc. The company formed in 2001 by three British IT professionals is headquartered in the United Kingdom with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, but it has now set up shop in almost every part of the world. So when a company of that stature tells us that Meghalaya is where it is because of its Double Decker Root Living Root Bridge (DDLRB) at Nongriat we ought to be happy and proud of that rare natural endowment.
There are many living root bridges in Meghalaya. Many have walked on the one at Mawlynnong which is fairly easy to reach but the DDLRB requires that we walk down 2500 steps and climb up the same number. I did this trek in 2013 because I was persuaded by friends, two of whom came from Bangalore but were keen to take up the challenge. Dennis Ryan who runs the Cherra Resort provided us with a tour guide – a young man who has probably taken several tourists up and down and has therefore lost his verve. After sizing up the five of us he turned to me (I was the only Khasi in the group) and with a serious demeanour said, “Your lady friend (pointing to the better endowed among us) will not be able to make it.” It was almost a definitive statement. I told him that he cannot just dismiss us like that and in any case if my friend fails to make it all the way down she can wait for us half way. He said mockingly, “No it is useless, please tell her she cannot make it.” Meanwhile my friends wondered what the conversation was all about. I didn’t want to translate it for them because it would have been discourteous if they understood. I finally persuaded the guy to guide us on the route.
We walked silently, conserving every bit of our energy. In the group was a gentleman who had just had a stent inserted a few months ago after he suffered a heart attack. He decided to take the plunge and none of us were authoritative enough to dissuade him. Huffing and puffing and with sore muscles we all made it the spectacular DDLRB. It was a sight worth beholding. I asked myself why it took me so long to discover this piece of engineering marvel of our wise elders. The stream beneath the Bridge was sparkling clean. Little fish swam about merrily biting away at dead skin from our feet. It felt ticklish but that is a treat that people go all the way to Bangkok to experience. It’s called fish pedicure all available for free!
Our guide was the most insipid guy. He did not even know how to weave stories around the Bridge. While we enjoyed our tryst with this world famous natural marvel he sat nearby looking bored. He only wanted us to get back post haste so he could claim his fees (Rs 300 for five hours) and pursue his other hobbies perhaps. There are several living root bridges not far from the DDLRB but our guide was just not interested in showing those to us. Two of us broke away from the group and decide to explore some of those bridges on our own. We found two more and we could see they were unfrequented. We also photographed some rare flora and birds. Meanwhile the group missed us and waited somewhere at step number 530. When we arrived there the guide looked at us disapprovingly. I was not bothered. Rather I scolded him for not taking us to the other root bridges. He smiled sheepishly. So that’s the story of our adventure into the famous DDLRB.
We met several visitors along the way up and down. I asked them where they came from. They were from Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati and every other place in India. There were some foreigners who camped in the roughly constructed guest house a few feet away from the Bridge and some who had come to do a research. Now that’s what tourism is all about. People from across the world and the country know about the DD LR Bridge because it is packaged and sold by tour operators. Why do they do it? Because every tourist books tickets and hotels through their website and pays for that service. That’s how they earn. But what do the people of Nongriat actually get in return for putting up with the intrusion into their otherwise quiet and simple lifestyle? Not much. Except for little shops selling bottled juices and the ubiquitous Uncle Chips and its other avatars and of course betel leaf and betel nut and tea and snacks, they don’t really earn much. This is where a little creative planning to leverage from tourist destinations needs to happen. Tour operators must be willing to share their profits with the locals; otherwise a time will come when the locals will get wise and begin to realize they are being exploited.
Schemes initiated by the State Tourism Department need to look at these angles. While tour operators are important because they are the ones who blaze a trail into newer destinations, the local villagers cannot just be idle bystanders. They need to be active stakeholders. Also we need to train up a vibrant young team of tour guides from within the village. This will provide employment to youth who are from the village, have passed their high school and college but cannot find a job. The Tourism department needs to take these young men and women on exposure trips to learn how tour guides actually operate. Unlike the dour-faced young man who took us to the DD LR Bridge, a tour guide must have a pleasant disposition, a happy body language and ignite the curiousity of the tourists, challenging them to venture beyond the known treks. That way they keep the tourists happy and can earn a well deserved tip, over and above the tour guide fees. In fact, tourists will narrate their pleasant experiences and remember the journey largely because of the tourist guide who spent five hours with them. Alas! We don’t seem to understand this essential part about tourism.
I have seen tourists left to themselves in Mawlynnong and wonder why the promoters of Mawlynnong have failed to capitalize on this potential of creating a band of dedicated tourist guides. The Dorbar Shnong is only interested in collecting parking and other fees such as while climbing the tall bamboo structures leading to the Lookout Point to Bangladesh.
Some universities in this State offer Tourism as a course of study. I wonder why they have not yet been able to effect the changes needed on the ground.
Another sore point with our present tourist destinations is that they are getting over-heated. Those who have visited the DD LR Bridge in recent times have noticed that the roots of the Ficus plant used to plait together a robust bridge that the villagers use to traverse over rivers only for their livelihoods, are now frayed and worn out. There is a limit to the carrying capacity of the living root bridges. Do we want to destroy them completely in our lifetime as we are doing the other spaces that we frequent? Or shall we treat these nature’s gifts with respect. I have also noticed that Indian tourists have no sense of respect for a destination. They come in hordes, make loud noises and are there as if they are on a “Khatron Ki Khilari” kind of trip where posing for pictures is more important than the journey to the destination. Foreigners on the contrary imbibe the silence and seek it as part of a healing process. They spend both time and money meaningfully. They know what is expected of a tourist and don’t intrude into the privacy of the villagers, knowing full well that these are indigenous people with a wealth of wisdom and not just museum pieces to be stared at and photographed.
True, Meghalaya has several fascinating and exotic destinations. HH Mohrmen has mentioned several living roots bridges in Jaintia Hills as well which have not yet been explored. It would be a good practice to limit the number of tourists per day/week, so that nature gets a respite from intrusive humans. Meghalaya should not short-sell itself as a tourist destination for bag-packers. It must promote itself as a high end tourist destination a la Bhutan!