The Christmas stars are not twinkling, the jingle bells have fallen silent and the dearest Santa Claus is yet to come to town. Christmas this year is special in many ways. This year, the country has been divided over religion. For the first time, Shillong is feeling the heat of protests and not the warmth of Christmas hearth. This year, the city is drowning in worries and is not being carried away by the Yuletide. This is the first time that the city is witnessing the biggest festival without any mirth or merriment.
The city usually decks up in December and citizens, as well as visitors, revel in the spirit of festivity. The stars put up by houses are signs of the festive season. The missing lights this year is proof of the people’s anxiety.
Bill conundrum
The second coming of the current government at the Centre has not augured well with the citizens and there were signs of an incipient unrest from the beginning of the term. CAB, or the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, was approved as an act despite widespread agitations against it not only in Shillong and the entire North East but across the country. The protests only gained momentum with the bill becoming a law.
Donald Thabah, general secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union, smiles wryly when asked about Christmas. “We are not even thinking about the festival,” he says.
Like Thabah, many are reluctant about celebrations this year. For them, the protest against the contentious Act is more important than going out with families on a shopping spree before December 25.
SW Rangad, a senior citizen, remembers the days of struggle for Meghalaya’s statehood. “The fight for our rights is more important than celebrations because it will benefit all in the long run. I am happy that the youth of our society are sacrificing the fun and frolicking for a greater good. What is Christmas without the safety and security of our people for whom our senior leaders had sacrificed so much,” he says.
This is not the only festival that is losing its sheen amid growing tensions. The Hindu festival of Durga Puja was marred by the announcement of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a crucial process to determine one’s identity as an Indian. After lakhs of Hindus lost the right to live in the country following the publication of the final NRC list and lakhs more were pushed into darkness about their future, the Hindu festival lost the appeal.
Ramesh, a cloth vendor in the city, sounds disappointed while talking about the travails. “The business before puja was tepid for days and picked up only before the festival. Now we have this trouble before another festival. The new government (at the Centre) talks big about promoting business and vikaas. Is this what you call vikaas? Why do they have to spoil the mood and our business every time? Why do they have to bring in a law that irks every citizen,” he complains as he winds up for the day during one of the protests.
Market woes
Many shop owners, big and small, are finding their business in a doldrums before the festival season. The Christmas market, says a veteran businessman in Bara Bazar, is usually abuzz with buyers from the last week of November but “it is almost time and we have hardly any buyer this time”.
Small-time traders have to pay the price of the humongous ego of the ruling party in the country and its stubbornness to have its way with or without the people’s mandate. While the first term of the BJP government saw demonitisation and implementation of GST, the second term is marked by NRC and CAA.
As the entire country goes up in arms against the Centre’s decision to implement CAA, Meghalaya, a small consumer-based state, has been one of the worst affected. The continuous protests since the first week of December and curfews in crucial parts of the city have not only disturbed the daily life of people here but also spoiled the festive mood and market.
“This is the first time that Shillong is experiencing such a situation before Christmas,” says Ahmed Hosain, an old citizen of Shillong.
Mark Williams, a businessman, is disappointed with the footfall at his exhibition of imported decorative items and Christmas trees in the city and rues the 30-40 per cent drop in sales.
“During this time, there would be a long queue of buyers but now there are hardly 10 customers. Besides the items displayed, I have more items stocked up. I hope sales pick up in these few days,” says Williams as he looks despairingly at the handful of visitors. He has invested around Rs 10 lakh in the festival paraphernalia.
The unrest in neighbouring Assam, the gateway of the northeastern region, has directly affected traders like Williams whose consignment is stuck in Guwahati.
“My light and sound business is affected owing to cancellation of music shows,” says Williams, who is unsure about breaking even this time.
The losses incurred by the business fraternity are insurmountable and “I am not even sure how I am going to bounce back”, shoe seller SB Ali echoes every fellow trader’s distress.
As fear psychosis spread despite the ban on mobile internet and SMS services in the last few days, people chose to stay off roads after sunset. Shops lost customers and the Christmas market lost its bustle.
On the day the state’s leaders were debating in the House before passing a resolution on inner line permit, the city’s commercial hubs were dealing with another body blow. Anxious shop owners were not ready to take risk even after weeks of low sales. “With only a few days left for the festival, every hour matters now as we have lost business in the last few weeks. But I have to shut down early today as the tension is palpable and I do not want to take the risk of getting attacked,” a vendor in Police Bazar had said.
Ivorine Lyngdoh Mawlong is among the lucky ones who did not make heavy losses because of their places of business. The baker says her shop in Lawsohtun is getting orders as usual and there will be rush in the last few days.
Low spirit
The festival is not all about shopping or cakes. It is about love, hope and being together with dear ones. But the violent protests across the country and the North East’s own problems have dampened the spirit to a great extent. The carol groups which walk through localities spreading the message of Christmas are missing. People are reluctant to talk about celebrations and are keen to discuss the burning issue, the citizenship act, and its repercussions.
“Every festival has lost its sheen over the years as inflation has made life miserable. The problem that the state and the country are facing has only added to the woes of the common man,” says Lyngdoh.
Fr Michael Makri explains that Christmas is about celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth and not about the worldly pleasures. “The spirit of Christmas is not in a glamorous celebration but about the belief. There is a deeper meaning… So even with this external turmoil the spirit of Christmas remains deep in our hearts,” he says.
Christmas this year is indeed special. We are united in our fight against the evil. The faith in divinity is stronger and hope is still alive despite the darkness around. Above all, the festival this year transcends the razzle dazzle of superficial celebrations and establishes the true meaning of Christmas.
~ NM