From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Sep 28: Elated at the Konghthong village being conferred the prestigious ‘Best Tourism Village (Bronze)’ award at the National Tourism Awards 2023 by the Centre, BJP MP Rakesh Sinha, who had adopted the village, on Thursday said that his next step will be to bring Bollywood to this unique destination.
Meeting a group of villagers from Kongthong at his residence Thursday morning, Sinha, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said that already three prominent Bollywood stars have been approached to become the brand ambassadors for further promotion of the village. Bringing the film world to Meghalaya will not only bring more exposure but also development as done in Kashmir, he said.
Sinha also announced that he would not adopt Swell village, which is famous for sacred grooves and a heritage site in the hill state.He will also try to bring Kongthong and the cluster of 39 villages under the co-operative movement for the overall benefit of the poor tribal people.
The MP, who is an ideologue, thanked Prime Minister Naredra Modi for mentioning Kongthong village in his famous Mann Ki Baat programme and accepted a comprehensive development report on the village presented to him earlier. The villagers also had composed an exclusive tune in the name of the Prime Minister as done in case of their children.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had shared a video featuring a special tune sung by a woman and the Prime Minister retweeted the video and expressed gratitude to the villagers. The villagers led by Rothell Khongsit, who is also Chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd, who received the award on behalf of the government, were present at Sinha’s residence.
The MP, though not hailing from the Northeast, took keen interest in the village and its dying tradition of naming children by whistling tunes and adopted Kongthong in 2019. Recalling his first visit to the village, Sinha said that he has developed some sort of attachment to the innocent villagers.
He had raised the issue of the dying culture of the whistling village in Parliament several times.
On August 14, 2019, I adopted the village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) and have been focusing on the development work there, to make it a model village in the region, he told The Shillong Times.
SAGY was launched in 2014 under which each Member of Parliament was to adopt the gram panchayat of a village. Kongthong, the enchanting whistling village nestled in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, has been honored with the award , at a glittering ceremony held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on Wednesday on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
Among the dignitaries, Minister of State of Tourism and Defence, Ajay Bhatt, Secretary (Tourism), V Vidhyavathi, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Leena Nandan, and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Rakesh Kumar Verma, were present at the occasion.
Kongthong, often referred to as the Whistling Village, boasts a unique cultural heritage that has captivated the hearts of travelers worldwide.
With a population of approximately 750 inhabitants, this Meghalayan gem has preserved a tradition known as “JingrwaiIawbei,” which translates loosely to the “song of the first clan lady.” This tradition assigns a unique tune to each child upon their birth, a melody that they carry with them throughout their lives. This cherished practice has been upheld by the people of Kongthong since time immemorial.