SHILLONG:The Shillong Times will celebrate its 75th year of publication under the theme of ‘keeping the environment clean’. A public function will be held on August 9 to mark the beginning of the Platinum Jubilee celebration at U Soso Tham auditorium here.
Union Minister of State for DoNER, Jitendra Singh will grace the function in presence of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma besides other dignitaries.
The Shillong Times, the second oldest English Daily in the North Eastern Region, will step into its 75th year of publication on August 10 next.
Addressing the press on Monday, Managing Director of the Shillong Times (Pvt) Limited and former president of Shillong Press Club, Manas Chaudhuri said that the theme of the celebration was the need of the hour to raise the level of awareness among the people of the state on the urgent need for protection of the environment and prevention of further damage to it.
Stating that the state Chief Minister was receptive to the call to protect the environment, he said the media organization would back up the efforts of the government as the people have “waited too long for the government to deliver.”
Editor of The Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim informed that the man who cleaned the Versova beach, Mumbai and United Nations icon, Afroz Shah, would address the inaugural function of the Platinum Jubilee.
“Afroz Shah will be here and start with the cleaning the dirtiest place,” she said adding there will be sit and draw and essay competitions to mark the celebrations.
Mukhim said media houses should take active participation in the efforts to make Shillong a plastic-free city.
It may be mentioned that Afroz Shah will also address the Martin Luther Christian University and St. Anthony’s College here on August 8.