SHILLONG, Oct 24: Youth volunteers of Hill State Movement under the banner of Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA) were felicitated during a programme in the city on Monday.
It is pertinent to note that NVDA, which was formed on March 31, 1963, comprised youths who were directly involved in the Hill State Movement.
The family of (L) Eric Bremley Lyngdoh, who was also one of the leaders of the Hill State Movement, with the support of Chief Minister’s Office, folk-fusion band Summersalt and Meghalaya Model United Nations (MMUN) felicitated the NVDA volunteers, viz. AS Mawlong, Sharai Nongbri, True Man Lyngdoh and Augustin Marbaniang in the presence of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Frederick R Kharkongor.
This programme was organised as part of 50th Statehood Day celebrations and to observe the 77th anniversary of the United Nations on the theme ‘Non-Violence and Food Security’.
Speaking on the occasion, Kharkongor said the NVDA volunteers, led by (L) Eric Bremly Lyngdoh, was not a political group but a group of citizens who joined hands during the Hill State Movement.
According to the CEO, the NVDA volunteers, through its leaders, had written songs and poetry to motivate those who took part in the Hill State Movement.
It may be mentioned that on September 10, 1968, (L) Eric Bremley Lyngdoh had peacefully led his Mawkhar circle of NVDA volunteers to picket the Assam Secretariat.
As the general secretary of the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) for Khasi Hills district and the chief organiser of the NVDA volunteers of Mawkhar Circle, Lyngdoh had also composed a famous Khasi song seeking support from the womenfolk.
It was this event that changed the course of the Hill State Movement.
Apart from the felicitation during the programme here, songs of the Hill State Movement and songs connected to Meghalaya’s vision were also performed by various artistes led by Summersalt.
