SHILLONG: Meghalaya, the abode of clouds, has turned 46. In all these years it has come a long way but the state is yet to achieve many things on several fronts.
The Shillong Times spoke to people from all walks of life and sought their views on the state’s long journey and suggestions for its progress.
Veteran politician Bindo M Lanong feels that the dreams of former leaders who fought for the statehood have not been realised till now and Meghalaya is in a pathetic condition now.
“The dream of GG Swell, BB Lyngdoh and others was to make Meghalaya a patch of beauty, grace and shining outpost in the North East. But it has shattered,” Lanong said.
Ponting at the lack of infrastructure like roads, water and electricity supply, the senior UDP leader also accused the Congress, which ruled the state for almost 40 years, of ruining the dreams of the great leaders.
Former home minister of Meghalaya RG Lyngdoh though sounded optimistic about the state’s growth denounced the current leadership.
Lyngdoh feels that Meghalaya has come a long way since 1970, be it progress or development, but “the negative point is the quality of leaders here”.
“In the past leaders were more concerned about the state and they kept the state above their own interest, which is not the case today,” Lyngdoh said.
Echoing similar views, Naba Bhattacharjee, an environmentalist and president of the Central Puja Committee, said though the state has achieved a lot it has not been up to the expected level that was envisioned by the hill state leaders.
He lamented that the states which came into existence after Meghalaya have moved ahead whereas Meghalaya is lagging behind on many fronts like GDP, health and agriculture.
“Rural Meghalaya is still backward and we could not harness its potentialities,” he said and called for introspection into the matter by the government and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Toki Blah, a retired IAS officer and
social activist, feels that the state leaders have forgotten about governance and they are now more interested in getting power without fully knowing what to do with it.
He also said the elected representatives need to learn about financial management as MLA schemes worth Rs 600 crore in five years are bringing people nothing but tea sets, bed sheets and umbrellas.
The former bureaucrat said politics now has become a business venture rather than a platform to serve the people and the society.
The official function to commemorate Meghalaya Day, which is on Sunday, will be held on Monday at U Soso Tham Auditorium.
The programme will start at 11am and will be attended by Governor Ganga Prasad.
The Horticulture Department will organise a flower show on the premises of Central Library.
There will be free entry into Ward’s Lake and Lady Hydari Park on Sunday.