NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Now famous Kongthong in Meghalaya, also known as whistling village worldwide, on Tuesday added another feather in its cap with a colourful website now being dedicated in its name designed by New Delhi-based ‘Centre for Study of Democracy and Culture’ headed by Rajya Sabha member Rakesh Sinha.
The website’s inaugural function at Meghalaya House followed a panel discussion graced by Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council set by the PMO, Patricia Mukhim, Editor of The Shillong Times, WR Kharlukhi, MP and president of the state NPP and others. Rothell Khongsit, Chairman, Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd, himself from the Kongthong village addressed the intellectual gathering hosted by Prof Sinha.
In his introductory speech, Prof Sinha said many unique and rich cultures like Kongthong are vanishing without any patronage. There are as many as 360 languages in India out of which many are vanishing, he lamented.
The Centre for Study of Democracy and Culture is trying to patronise and revive such unnoticed dying language, art and culture of the country, Prof Sinha said. India even after nearly 75 years of Independence is still under colonial mindset which suppressed such ancient culture for long, he said.
Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council, on the other hand, said that the entire Northeastern region has come to focus in the mainstream only after the current government came to power. “But the region is not part of the national mainstream as yet,” he said.
Debroy, a renowned economist, stressed on the need for codification of the dying arts and culture of the country including that of the Northeast. “There are many Kongthongs in the country and the basic need is to provide a stable livelihood for the 700 and odd people of this unique village,” he said.
The Shillong Times Editor Patricia Mukhim, in her keynote address, lamented that despite Meghalaya being a matrilineal society it is still deprived of Panchayati Raj System and women are not part of the traditional local bodies. The state is down in most of the human development indexes with high malnutrition, small or no landholdings and poor education system, she said. State capital Shillong, despite being cosmopolitan in nature, is faced with problems every now and then, she said.
Whereas, Rothell Khongsit profusely thanked Sinha for going out of way to adopt Kongthong village and bringing it to the world map. It has become a popular tourist destination known for the panoramic picturesque views and the unique whistling culture, locally known as “Jingrwai Iawbei”, of inhabitants, he said.
Kongthong, India’s entry for United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s World’s Best Village Contest, is also aiming for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status, he said.
