Editor,
It was with great interest that I read the piece “Bamboo Mission Meghalaya – The Enabling Factors” (ST November 6, 2024) by the much respected Bah Toki Blah.
My interest lay heightened by a few factors – firstly, I was born in Shillong and consider it my home, irrespective of the fact that my progenitor took me away when I was just a decade old to live in the northern part of the country. Secondly, that I was a bamboo designer/entrepreneur in the past and thirdly as I was independently associated with the National Bamboo Mission, initiated at the turn of the Millennium by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.
Bah Blah’s association with agriculture and farming is well known and I more or less agree with what he writes, provided there can be the necessary synergy between the District Councils, the intermediaries and of course the farmer.
However, I have always believed that for any State Government and this holds especially true for the North East, where the majority of India’s bamboo stock grows, to develop a successful and sustainable ‘Bamboo Economy ‘ is dependent on getting the matrix of the material and it’s optimal usage absolutely spot on. So maybe one should speak about the usage part.
Village & Craft – The traditional usage of the material, from the gigantic baskets which hold betel nuts during the water soaking process in villages lower down from Pynursla, or the intricately woven shangs or the traditional rain shield (knup) or the “khoh” are ubiquitous, but care needs to be exercised that they are not pushed out of the market by much cheaper plastic alternatives. Here I need to tell a story – The United Nations Development Programme was deeply involved in The National Bamboo Mission and sometime during the first year of the Millennium, gave me, at my bidding, a design project to be executed in a few villages off Mawsynram. The skill and ability of the craftswomen to produce what I designed, led them to be associated with chain stores like Fabindia and Westside for close to seven years. But then nothing good lasts forever and the surfeit of imported fibre crafts and rising transportation costs put an end to the venture.
It might therefore be a good idea for governance to encourage and develop a base of urban and rural craft entrepreneurs who will look at developing markets beyond the tourist shops of Khyndailad or be dependent on governmental craft procuring agencies.
Industrial : Since the focus of the National Bamboo Mission was completely geared towards developing a large-scale industrial usage for bamboo, it encouraged and supported a large number of machine manufacturing entities in various parts of the country to develop an array of machines to process bamboo, which are now easily available. Such processing machines can give a whole new dimension to usage of the material ranging from knock down furniture, wall and false ceiling panelling, etc. However, the implementation of such a process will have to be well thought out either through urban entrepreneurs or rural based societies. The whole gamut of support through finance, design, marketing support, etc., will need clear thinking.
In essence, other than the ecological benefits of encouraging bamboo farming to help farmers to increase incomes, no sustainable benefits will happen unless one finds ways to sensibly use the material itself. This has been well proven by some of the leading so-called ‘Bamboo Economy Nations’ of SouthEast Asia.
Yours etc.,
Shahriyar Moin Choudhury
Camp : Pinewood Hotel,
Shillong
NEHU crisis reaches breaking point
Editor,
Several days have passed since the hunger strike and protests organized by NEHUSU and KSU against Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla. Despite numerous meetings and multiple attempts to engage with him, the issues facing the University remain unaddressed. After more than fifty hours of hunger strikes, with fasting members being hospitalized, and after the Vice Chancellor secretly attended fairs and held private press conferences, he finally managed to squeeze in a few minutes to meet with the students. However, this meeting ended in indecision yet again.
The current outcry did not stem out of nowhere but is a direct reflection of accumulated frustration over several months. The entire University has come to a standstill, with NEHU’s Non-Teaching Staff, the NEHU Teachers’ Association, and the NEHU Students’ Union all expressing their deep dissatisfaction with the Vice Chancellor’s handling—or lack thereof—of University matters. Once hailed as the pride of the North East, NEHU’s ranking has now dropped below 100.
While one of the main sources of discontent lies in the illegal appointment of the Registrar and Deputy Registrar, this letter seeks to highlight other important issues plaguing the campus, issues that further underline the Vice Chancellor’s neglect of the University. The demands of NEHUSU are not limited to the lack of transparency in administrative affairs but also address several vital concerns that hinder the student body’s ability to excel.
Students in central universities across the country, such as those in Delhi and Hyderabad, enjoy privileges and facilities that NEHU students are deprived of. Some of these facilities should not even need to be demanded; they should be provided by the University authorities as a basic standard. The demands put forth by NEHUSU include the enhancement of library facilities, the extension of library deadlines, better placement opportunities, and increased access to e-resources, among others.
If one were to walk around the NEHU campus, one would be greeted by the glaring absence of streetlights after dark and the unsightly potholes that mar the landscape. These are not minor inconveniences; they are glaring indicators of how disconnected the Vice Chancellor is from the reality of campus life. His continued refusal to engage meaningfully with students and his inability to address their concerns have reached a breaking point.
The most recent Academic Council meeting in October was disrupted by a mass walk-out by NEHUTA and NEHUSU members, a clear sign of the widespread discontent. His failure to offer solutions led to a public demand for his resignation. Yet, did the Vice Chancellor take any steps to rectify the situation? No. Instead, he continues to evade questions and ignore the concerns of students—even as they protest outside his office, starving, with their health at stake.
It is high time the Vice Chancellor shifts his focus toward the holistic development of the campus and stops trivializing the concerns of NEHUSU. His dismissive attitude and arrogance have eroded the trust of the student community. As NEHUSU General Secretary Toniho Kharsati aptly stated, “A University is nothing without its students… The time has come for the Central Government to make a choice between an incompetent Vice Chancellor and the future of the students.”
Yours etc.,
Arpita Saikia,
NEHU