Shillong Jottings

Poster vandals

To the beautiful city of Shillong, where tourists flock to proclaim their love for the hill city, the Khyndai Lad Rotary is a sign of love and activism, the sign of ‘I Love Shillong’ – a beacon of validation for visitors, and posters by pressure groups voicing their various demands.
It’s like a one-stop-shop for tourists – love declaration and activism rolled into one.
Well, it does not stop there; there are bills and advertisements, as if the huge bill boards around the city were not enough.
But the rotary clearly does not draw enough attention!
The city then becomes a canvas for graffiti artists, or ‘textual vandals.’ Black spray-painted messages pop up everywhere, often sabotaging the state government’s feeble attempts at beautification.
The love for Shillong is proclaimed right at the very heart of the city, but in doing so, disdain for its visual appeal is revealed.
It’s like shouting, “I love Shillong,” with a subtle undertone of, “but not the way it is.”