Shillong’s patriotism directly proportional to Tricolour lighting
Independence Day has come and gone, Gandhi Jayanti too, but Shillong’s patriotic spirit seems eternal. Despite the calendar moving on, the city continues to glow in saffron, white, and green, in Rhino Point and the Umiam Bridge. It all started with the tricolor at the Barik PWD complex, and just when we thought the light show would end with Gandhi Jayanti, the patriotic illumination continues. Maybe we’ve become a power surplus state without realising it or perhaps power cuts are only for us mere mortals while the Tricolour continues its reign.
If one had to guess, these lights will probably stay on until Republic Day in January, or longer. After all, why bother taking them down just to put them up again a few months later?
Why Shillong’s Literary Fest Needs More Star Power
Shillong is ready to roll out the red carpet for world-class musicians, with artists like Boney M and Bryan Adams gracing the stage, but when it comes to bringing big names to the ‘acclaimed’ literary festival, well, the effort seems a bit… underwhelming.
No one’s saying the authors lined up aren’t impressive, but isn’t there a noticeable gap between the rockstars and the writers. If we can go all out for national and international musicians, why is it that the literary scene should get the cold shoulder? Are we subtly implying that while we can splurge on famous singers, our enthusiasm for renowned authors is, lacking?
The literary fest could surely use a little more sparkle. We’re talking Booker Prize winners, internationally acclaimed authors, and the kind of names that would make book lovers camp out in front of venues.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of readers in Shillong who would love to see the same star treatment given to writers. So, here’s hoping that next year’s fest will feature more literary rockstars to match the ones on the musical stage.
Nobody’s arguing that the people here love to groove, but some love to read too!