SHILLONG: Amily Changmai, a native from Jorhat in neighboring Assam, is silently doing social work for the last forty five years in Laitkroh, a quiet hamlet on the way to Cherrapunjee (Sohra).
One of the most backward regions of Meghalaya it is indeed inconceivable when young Amily at the age of 16 joined Kasturba Gram Seva Centre (KGSC) in 1971 and dedicated herself for the rural populace here.
It was established in 1953 during the days of undivided Assam under Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT), which has affiliated centres all over the country.
Amily informed that Amal Prabha Das was the founder of this centre under the direct instruction of Mahatma Gandhi. “She was an MSc and spent good time of her life under the tutelage of Gandhiji,” Amily recalled. The 3-acre campus replete with dense trees, with the trademark weather of Sohra, is lying in a state of utter negligence.
The centre runs important social welfare work in the field of education, health services, women empowerment, training and weaving on Gandhi’s ideals.
Amily recollected that she was inspired by an individual from her village whom she saw was actively involved in the activities of KGNMT. Inclined to take a plunge into humanitarian works, she faced initial obstacles from her parents who wanted her to complete studies other than going to a region in those days when it was all dense jungle. However, a determined Amily headed to these hills after undergoing four months of training at the KGNMT in Kasturbagram, Indore in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
This Trust was formed with the participation of anonymous masses from all walks of life who mobilized their resources led by Mahatma Gandhi to address the issues of women in rural India set against the backdrop of the history of India’s freedom movement in 1945.
She had also undergone training at Sevagram Medical College, Maharashtra in midwifery and auxiliary nurse, such as, saline, injection, delivery and had even worked in a camp for four months at Goalpara during the Bangladesh Liberation War where seventy thousand displaced refugees were lodged.
KGSC – managed by a managing committee consists of the local dorbar and village elders and runs a free crèche for 25 underprivileged children with a weaving unit. Under Amily’s supervision, the centre is also attending maternity cases besides other healthcare issues. Her service is also often sought by the villagers of Laitkroh during medical and pregnancy cases. There are two more KGNMT affiliated centres, one each at Magupara, Dalu in Garo Hills and Tuber, Janitia Hills.
However, due to acute fund constraint the KGSC could not develop and flourish beyond its old Assam type structure. An incomplete RCC guesthouse was made possible with the generous aid of a villager and an individual from Shillong.
Amily showed the rooms of the guesthouse and said that due to lack of funds she could not paint the building and complete the other side. KGNMT provides the centre a meager affiliation fund. The state government is only providing stipend for Rs 500 to each of the four students enrolled in its weaving unit. Some of its produce is kept for sale at the guesthouse.
Amily showed a bunch of petitions and documents seeking help from the state government but received nothing in return. The crèche is managed by a teacher and helper who are paid Rs 1000 each. “They (teacher and helper) often tell me that they will leave because it is very hard to sustain with this income. I have somehow asked them to continue but don’t know for how long,” she said in a tone of despair adding that a monthly amount of Rs 1200- is provided to the twenty five students of the crèche. The Social Welfare Department of Government of Meghalaya had assured to raise the teacher’s salary to Rs 3000- and the helper to Rs 1500, which has only remained an unfulfilled promise. The department provides a yearly scant fund to the centre. It is learnt that the managing committee members too is not doing anything for the centre which is catering to the local children.
As a result of gross negligence by the state authorities, the 1953 structure is in shambles.
Amily showed the ceilings of the dilapidated structure which leaks from several places and have fitted plastic spreadsheets with wooden frames to prevent leakage of rain water to the rooms. The roof exterior is no more.
“After getting no response from the state government, we are somehow maintaining it with these plastics. But when it rains heavily the plastic cannot hold rainwater,” she said. The worst is the crèche where the poor children have to be more alert about the inclement Sohra weather since they have to leave their classroom when it starts raining heavily.
Many top officials and bureaucrats from the state government had visited the centre and talked big but remained limited in delivering services.
Amily, showed a visitor’s register, where the then Director & Joint Secretary, Community & Rural Development, Government of Meghalaya, BDR Tiwari wrote an assured note about sanctioning Rs 33.41 lakh, but later denied it on a ridiculous ground. “When we pursued further on this, we were told that since the KGSC was formed during the time of undivided Assam, grant cannot be sanctioned,” said Amily.
Tiwari was not available for comments.
There are no infrastructure facilities at the centre and moreover, there is no playground or other recreational activities for the children. The entrance, which used to be bog earlier, was later filled with earth sourced from a neighbour, at a cost, who was carrying some construction work.
“The local MLA assured us that he will make the entrance road but later detracted,” said Amily.
When contacted, the mobile phone of the local MLA, Kennedy Khyriem was found switched off. Interestingly during his visit to the centre on July, 2012 Kennedy wrote in the visitor’s register that he will “… remember for the rest of his life that in this world of war and violence, world of selfish people, still exist a place and people like you who sacrifice yourself for nothing but society of Laitkroh people …” The state government also assured them to make the crèche building but that too remained an assurance sans any ground work.
Amily said that she has to pay a monthly electricity bill of Rs 500- and sources their ration from Shillong’s traditional market, Iewduh. “We have three cows and also cultivate vegetables. This is how we are sustaining,” she said adding that RGIIM Associate Professor, Sanjeeb Kakoty helps her with a monthly monetary assistance. She retired from KGNMT two years ago but Kakoty wants her to continue as he could gauge how much the centre needs her.
