By Barnes Mawrie
Everyone knows that Meghalaya is one of the poorest states in the country in terms of state GDP. There are not many big companies, no industries and no foreign investors who could generate employment for the people here. With regards to agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, food processing and other allied economic activities, Meghalaya is way behind other states. For food grains we are entirely dependent on other states. For poultry products or even for fish we are dependent on Andhra Pradesh and other states. In short, Meghalaya is not yet self reliant as far as food supply is concerned. Even fifty years after statehood, our state is still living like a beggar. It is not surprising that youth still look for government jobs which are no longer available, because other sources of employment are absent altogether. Brain drain is a phenomenon of our State because of lack of job opportunities.
Yet we also know that our State is blessed with an incredible potential for tourism. God has blessed us with exceptional natural beauty – beautiful mountain ranges, captivating crystal clear rivers, mesmerizing natural caves, awe inspiring sacred groves, attractive lakes and of course an ever green natural cover. Unfortunately, all these potentials lie wasted and underutilized. Eco-tourism can generate diverse forms of employment and thereby bring in a lot of income for the State. But evidently the State has not fully exploited this God-given opportunity. I will name a few of such wasted assets to support my arguments.
We all agree that Umïam Lake is one of the rarest natural beauties of our State. In fact, this lake could be compared to any picturesque lakes of Switzerland. This lake is the principal source of energy for the State. However, the touristic potentials of this lake have not been fully exploited. A lake of this sort in the west or even in other parts of India would have become a major tourist attraction, but sadly this is not the case with Umïam Lake. The Chao Phraya River Cruise in Bangkok, just to name an example, generates a large amount of employment and adds hugely to the GDP of Thailand. It attracts large crowds of tourists from various parts of the world on a daily basis. Chartered Dinner Cruises are being organized by wedding parties etc. Even sea parachuting and other water adventure games could be done in our lake as is being done in different countries. Why is Umïam lake so deadly silent and not thriving with tourist activities? The lake looks even more gloomy at night as there is no lighting around it. Even the little lighting along the embankment are already damaged and not maintained. This beautiful lake is truly a wasted asset of the State. All round the clock touristic activities could easily be organized and the State would have minted money from it.
Another location of great touristic potential, is Nongkhnum River Island in West Khasi Hills. This place of beauty par excellence is a gem of West Khasi Hills. All those who have been there would not help but fall in love with this second biggest river island in Asia. This place however has remained unpopular for the sole reason that the approach road to it is in a miserable condition. The few kilometres towards this island has remained a bumpy road, slushy during summer and dusty during winter. This condition of the road has deterred nature lovers from undertaking such a journey.
Coming close to our own city of Shillong, we see a natural setting of exquisite beauty like the Golf Links losing its lustre day after day. The war trenches dug around its boundary with heaps of mud left over it betrays the callousness and the aesthetic insensitivity of those responsible for this. Today such a place of erstwhile beauty has turned into an eyesore of the city. Sohra which is world famous as a tourist destination, has not seen much development for the last few decades. Tourists who come from abroad are particularly disappointed to discover that their high expectations are not met.
Evidently, what Meghalaya lacks is not natural beauty but infrastructure. Anywhere we turn to in this State we are awed by its scenic beauty. Nature has so much to offer us in this particular part of our country. What we lack is precisely the political will to exploit this God-given gift to our advantage. Meghalaya reminds me of the sad story of a beggar who lived a miserable life begging for daily food, while all the while he was not aware that he was in fact a wealthy man for he was holding a golden bowl in his hand. Our State is endowed with so much of touristic potentials which lie untapped all these years. Tourism could be the biggest industry of our State just like it is in Italy, Switzerland, Thailand or Singapore. Eco Tourism and Cultural Tourism are state resources that are still lying underutilized as of now. However, to exploit these potentials fully, the State needs to improve infrastructure on a war footing. Road connectivity and communication need to be extended and upgraded. Tourist service facilities like hotels, restaurants, shops, tour agents, tour guides etc need to be enhanced both in quantity and quality. Next year 2022 when the State will host the National Games, it would be a golden opportunity for the tourism sector to boost its image and performance. Meghalaya is going to celebrate fifty years of statehood and the question we need to ask ourselves is: how far has our State progressed in terms of economic self sufficiency? We all know that Meghalaya till date is completely dependent on central dole. We are unfortunately still at the mercy of the central government. Perhaps it is time that the government should give greater attention to tourism as a primary source of income generation. A more effective formula of collaboration between the government and private sectors could be invented so as to reinvigorate tourism in our State.
Long live Meghalaya our beloved State!