Revisiting Golf Links
It isn’t distant; the memory of the vast green landscape crammed with people, especially on weekends, earlier when curbs were effective during Saturdays and Sundays. Yes, the place in question is the Shillong golf course, popularly known as Golf Links.
This Sunday as directives were unrolled for shops to remain shut in the city, a large number of people were seen thronging the golf course (visible in the picture above), while most of the places in Shillong remained desolate. People could be seen crowding small shops along the perimeter of the venue; whereas many were enjoying their leisure time, especially as it was a Sunday. Cars, motorcycles and scooters were parked all along the thoroughfare of the golf course.
Moreover, many people could be seen ditching their masks despite fears running amok within the state over the sudden spike in coronavirus infections
A bitter-sweet Sunday
As most of the shops in market and commercial areas remained shut, this abrupt barrenness, especially at Police Bazar and its adjoining areas, revealed stark images — dirty streets, garbage and residue lying almost all over the ground — and this is just one of the highlights of this Sunday when the wonted hustle and bustle in the city came to a standstill after the East
inscriptions, at Nongmensong,
on Thursday. (ST)
Khasi Hills district administration announced that shops would remain closed on Sunday, a move aimed to prevent a surge in the number of coronavirus infections. The SJ team entered into a candid conversation with a pedestrian, who was visiting Shillong, only to learn what this visitor felt about seeing the city in disarray.
“Wherever you walk, the streets are only filled with dirt, dogs and dog faeces. All this dirt seemed unapparent when the streets were crowded, but now there is literal dirt in most places, especially, outside the shops,” a visibly peeved observer said.
Apart from all of that, this visitor, nonetheless, explained that without the usual footfall and din of normal days, the experience of walking at Police Bazar was “therapeutic”.
“The pedestrians had the road to themselves given the absence of too many people. It was, regardless, a good experience,” the person said.
On regular days, the place is chock-o-block with people and vehicles passing through the same thoroughfare only add to one’s agony. With COVID-19 seemingly ready to strike another blow to the state, it remains to be seen what’s in store for Shillongites.