SHILLONG: It was a function with a difference where 82 year old Flora Hek the chief guest spoke just one sentence. She blessed the new market and also all those who would be using the premises.
The plush three storied building at Golf Links just across the Golf Club is constructed by the Dorbar Shnong Pynthorumkhrah, Golf Links at a cost of Rs 3.2 crore, where the ground floor is set to accommodate 30 hawkers, while the upper floors would be used for the Dorbar Office was inaugurated by Flora Hek, the mother of local MLA AL Hek on May 2. The day also happened to be AL Hek’s birthday.
The place where the present building is located was meant to be a market earlier on but it did not work out because of technical errors. Now the building has been constructed with due diligence to accommodate the hawkers who were otherwise crowding the road towards Golf Links and had often got into altercation with the traffic police and the PWD officials.
The first speaker at the function Gita Nongkynrih a local vendor who is also a beneficiary of the new market complex expressed her gratitude to the Dorbar Shnong and local MLA for accommodating her and other hawkers and giving them a permanent place from where they would be saved from inclement weather and would not have to be at loggerheads with the law.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissiober East Khasi Hills, PS Dkhar lauded the effort of the Dorbar Shnong Pynthorumkhrah Golf Links for its vision to help out the hawkers who were otherwise always on the wrong side of the law and accused of encroaching on public roads.
Dkhar however urged the hawkers to develop a sense of ownership and keep the market clean. “Where and how to dispose garbage and working in tandem with the Dorbar Shnong without any belligerence by hawkers will make this a model market,” Dkhar said adding that such initiatives are commendable as they enable better governance and a non-confrontational atmosphere.
AL Hek while addressing the gathering said he was one of those young men from the locality who swept the area every morning at 4.30 am as it used to be an open market earlier and generated a lot of garbage.
He also named many others from the locality who also swept the place.
They were all acknowledged for their work.
All the Rangbah Shnong of Pynthorumkhrah including those who had served during the time of the communal riots were felicitated on the occasion.
Several elderly ladies cutting across all communities were also acknowledged for their contributions and given a token gift.
JB Lyngdoh the Rangbah Shnong of the locality said he was once a sweeper along with AL Hek and they were all part of the FKJGP but now they have gone up in their station through sheer hard work and were ‘suited and booted.’
Amongst those present at the gathering were former MLA, JA Lyngdoh, former President FKJGP SS Cajee, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ronnie Wahlang, PWD Engineer Kharmudai and SP Traffic East Khasi Hills, Nangkiew Syiem.
Dr Jacob Myrten, Secretary, Dorbar Shnong, Pynthorumkhrah Golf Links announced that a multipurpose community hall and sports complex is coming up soon in the area at a cost of Rs 3.8 crore. The complex would also have swimming pool he informed.
Later speaking to this correspondent, many of those who attended the function shared their memories of the flash floods in Polo area in 2001, when the Wah Umkhrah had breached its banks and AL Hek, the local MLA then had jumped into the swirling waters along with others to rescue the men, women and children. “We can never forget that spontaneous help from our local MLA who put himself at risk to rescue us,” said a lady who attended the function.
Hek was then with the BJP and a minister in the regional party led Government.
