Year-long ST platinum jubilee celebrations to begin on Aug 9

SHILLONG: The Shillong Times will celebrate its 75th year of publication on the theme of clean environment.
A public function will be held on August 9 at U Soso Tham auditorium here in which Union Minister of State for DoNER Jitendra Singh and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will be present.
Addressing the press on Monday, managing director of The Shillong Times and former president of Shillong Press Club, Manas Chaudhuri, elaborated on the theme saying it is the need of the hour to rouse the conscience of the citizens of the state to prevent further damage to the environment.
Stating that the chief minister also endorsed the call to protect the environment, he said the media organisation would back the efforts of the government as the people have “waited too long for the government to deliver.”
The Editor of The Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim, informed that Afroz Shah, the man who is credited with the cleaning of the Versova beach in Mumbai and a United Nations icon, will address the inaugural function.
“Afroz Shah will be here and he will start with cleaning the dirtiest place,” she said.
He will also address students at Martin Luther Christian University and St. Anthony’s College on August 8. According to Mukhim, media houses should actively participate for a plastic-free city.
Events like sit-and- draw and essay competitions will also be held as part of the celebrations.
The year-long jubilee celebrations are proposed to be held in Tura, Guwahati and Delhi and tentative programmes may include a Run for creation of public awareness for a cleaner Shillong, an entertainment show of songs of yesteryears, giving exposure to local youths to acclaimed inspirational speakers, symposium and seminars on environmental protection besides an incisive dialogue on the changing roles of the media. The Jubilee celebrations will conclude on August 10, 2020.