By Patricia Mukhim
What delights the eye and appeals to our aesthetic sense is not necessarily worth conserving. The cryptomeria japonica lining both sides of the roads bordering the Eastern Air Command, (Indian Air Force) may not be ecologically sustainable. They were planted during the British era in the late 19th or early 20th century. This is information provided by former Chief Secretary, Barkos Warjri. He says that the whole of Upper Shillong, including the present EAC, Agriculture Farm down to the Umshyrpi bridge was a reserved forest. The army was given 101 acres by the Forest Department and that is how the word 101 Area was derived from. Cryptomeria do not support any undergrowth because the ground hardly gets any sunlight. Hence they are a monoculture species and the antithesis of biodiversity which is the essence of environmental sustainability. But they are stately and beautiful to look at especially when going for a luxury drive with loved ones. It is the most romantic part of the drive. Hence the cumulative urban ire at the tree cutting misadventure!
But let me ask those same people whose hearts wept for the cryptomeria at Upper Shillong if they have driven to Khatar-Shnong and beyond. On the way there are beautiful cryptomeria which have probably grown from seeds. But whenever a road project needs to come up the trees are felled, since, practically speaking, not every space where trees grow can be defined as a forest and the villagers living beyond the ‘civilization’ called Shillong also need roads and communication. These are not the preserve of an urban elite. Some idealists who commute daily only within the 10 sq km radius of the city have asked why there is a need for a four-laned highway in Upper Shillong. The reason is that vehicles converge at 7th Mile Upper Shillong from the Dawki-Pynursla-Sohra-Mylliem side of the divide and the Mawngap—Mawsynram – Mairang – Mawkyrwat – Nongstoin-Tura side. Because of this convergence at Upper Shillong there are daily traffic jams from morning till late evening all the way from 7th Mile Upper Shillong to the Umshyrpi Bridge in Shillong. Ask the residents of Upper Shillong how long it takes them to commute daily because of the traffic jam. There is a time loss of several hours daily for people from West and East Khasi Hills who need to sell their produce in the Shillong markets. There are white and blue collared employees too who have to spend hours on the road. And mind you the above road is also linked to the major tourist spots of Meghalaya. So yes, the four-lane road is essentially to address this daily agony of ordinary people. So apologies to the weekend, luxury drive takers. I hope this answers my question to the simplistic query of – why a four-laned road from Shillong to Upper Shillong.
The tragedy of a social-media led democracy is that people living in these areas through which the 4-lane highway will be traversing are not considered important enough to be consulted. It is the Shillongite whose agony and tears over the felled cryptomeria whose feelings must be assuaged or else the CEO of Meghalaya will lose face on Twitter. After all, Shillong is the nerve-centre of Meghalaya and it houses the intelligentsia of the state whose social media skills surpass that of the rest of the citizens of Meghalaya.
Social media is where people spend the bulk of their lock-in time. Virtual existence has replaced the real. It is easy to get the attention of the CEO of Meghalaya who has a strong Twitter presence and to get him to act. Virtual world creatures influence one another but not always in larger public interest or the common good. Like they say – if you’re not on social media you’re not a citizen. For Meghalaya it would be true to say if you are not on Twitter you don’t exist, for, the CEO responds to Twitter through the day. No politician wants to look bad on Twitter especially if he/she is tagged to a post. Remember, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a Twitter freak until the NDA Government got into a scrap with what was once the favourite news factory of the BJP managed by the suave Amit Malviya. It was when Twitter started to question the tweets of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on the fake Congress toolkit that Twitter has now become the enemy. However, Twitter is not poorer because of the divorce with BJP. Millions of users including BJP members themselves continue to favour this medium to catch the eyeballs of the Twitterati.
The point I am trying to make here is that selective heart-breaks for those “beautiful” trees that line our only boulevard in Upper Shillong and the complete apathy to the daily felling of trees from real forests across Meghalaya and their open transportation along the Shillong-Guwahati highway is pathetic. Lest we forget, Shillong is not Meghalaya. We didn’t see a Twitter storm when repeated mining accidents in East Jaintia Hills result in the deaths of poor, voiceless miners from Assam. We don’t squeak at the encroachment into forest land for mining coal and limestone because those are “private” forests. But in a modern democracy can a private act that infringes on the common good (climate and the environment) be allowed to carry on unquestioned? Just drive towards Laitlyngkot and Pynursla to see the reckless stone and sand quarrying. Or drive towards Nongtalang in West Jaintia Hills or towards Shella in East Khasi Hills, to see the environmental degradation due to limestone mining. But no, the Shillongite can’t be expected to drive to these peripheries. It’s asking too much from the urban yuppie. The drive will take them out of their virtual reverie.
The reality today is that citizens of Meghalaya are a deeply polarized lot and this polarisation is due to a variety of reasons but essentially the isolating effects of social media, the corrupting influence of easy money for those associated to politics and the emergence of special interest groups which as the name suggests only pick issues that suit their interests and are not necessarily aimed at the common good. The rest of the citizens are an exhausted majority that don’t fit in anywhere but who also are not mobilized enough to get their voices out where it matters.
There is so much distrust in Government today that conspiracy theories not only spread like wildfire but they are also the most effective community bonding mechanism. This is the paradox. Felling trees for making a road is not a conspiracy. We didn’t think it was a conspiracy or murder of the environment when thousands of trees were cut to make way for the Shillong-Jorabat highway. Why? Because we all need to use that highway. Isn’t that a selfish interest? The pandemic has created anxiety and alienation and it is normal to feel that things are spinning out of control with news coming in by the hour that a new variant of Covid -19 is upon us. It is in such times that conspiracy theories become effective emotional tools. Like someone had pointed out, for those in low status groups who feel powerless, conspiracy theories provide a sense of superiority and agency. But conspiracy theories are defeated and should be defeated by the light of reason.
To conclude, the national Shillong-Dawki highway must be built with a new alignment perhaps. However, all those who shed tears for the cryptomeria must also reserve their tears for the hundreds of pine trees that are mercilessly slaughtered daily for making charcoal and for export outside Meghalaya. If you are an environmentalist you can’t be selective and pick only sexy issues. Be out there and campaign on the ground. There are many silent conservationists that are not on social media.