SHILLONG: Prof Rakesh Sinha MP, Rajya Sabha addresses the villagers of Kongthong village on R-Day. Sinha had adopted Kongthong since August this year and has since been working towards providing whatever personal assistance he could.
Prof Sinha said he would pursue with UNESCO to grant world heritage status to Kongthong because of its culture of mothers naming each child with a unique tune called Jingrwai Iawbei or the song of mothers. Because of this Kongthong is called the whistling village.
The Rajya Sabha MP prevailed upon CM Conrad Sangma to assist Kongthong with Rs one crore for a community hall which the CM has committed. Kongthong has no health centre but only a small dispensary served by nurses. Sinha has got a firm commitment from Health Minister AL Hek to upscale the dispensary and ensure that once a week doctors are present to serve the people of Kongthong and surrounding areas known as Khar-ar shnong or 12 villages.
Tito’s W Chyne the MDC of the area and CEM of the KHADC while speaking at the R-Day celebration at Kongthong said he was grateful to Prof Rakesh Sinha for visiting this village on two occasions and for adopting the village for development purposes.
He said Meghalaya has two MPs but neither the Shillong MP nor the Rajya Sabha MP has ever visited the village even once although the Shillong MP Vincent Pala represents Kongthong also..” It took an MP from Delhi to show solidarity with the people of these places which have not seen development..” the KHADC, CEM observed..