Editor,
Something precious is being quietly traded away behind glossy press releases and appealing labels such as “eco-tourism.” On April 7, Meghalaya’s Forest Department discreetly awarded a Rs 23.60-crore EPC contract to E-Factor Experiences Ltd.—a company specializing in wedding and event management—to construct chalet-style resorts, glass skywalks, and even a water-sports arena inside the 29-square-kilometer Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary. Such plans threaten to transform a critical refuge for clouded leopards, Hoolock gibbons, and rufous-necked hornbills into nothing more than a boutique amusement park.
While Meghalaya undeniably needs employment and economic opportunities, livelihoods that destroy our last intact forests are merely short-lived gains. They may appear bright momentarily, but leave behind permanent ecological ruin. Alarmingly, this project has proceeded without a public hearing, a published Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), or clearance from the National Board for Wildlife. Governance now appears conducted by stealth, circumventing crucial environmental laws and democratic accountability.
Adding insult to injury, troubling questions have emerged regarding the source of funds. Initially, speculation pointed to the Meghalaya Environment Protection & Restoration Fund—Rs 1,193 crore accumulated from a 10% “polluter-pays” coal cess following the NGT mining ban. These funds were explicitly collected to rehabilitate rivers corroded by acid mine drainage, not to finance luxurious chalets and adventure parks. Misusing these resources would constitute an egregious betrayal of public trust and ecological responsibility.
Now, even darker suspicions have surfaced involving CAMPA funds. Under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) framework, companies that clear forests elsewhere deposit money specifically to restore degraded forests, reconnect wildlife corridors, and support scientific forest management. Meghalaya has accumulated hundreds of crores in CAMPA funds intended solely for ecological restoration. Imagine the betrayal if these same resources finance concrete cottages, steel-and-glass skywalks, and jet-ski facilities inside Nongkhyllem. Just last month, the Supreme Court strongly rebuked Uttarakhand’s misuse of CAMPA funds on luxury items like iPhones and furniture. Meghalaya must avoid repeating such shameful mistakes.
Unfortunately, this issue represents not an isolated lapse but a disturbing pattern under the current MDA administration. We have seen:
Illegal rat-hole mining returning unchecked, poisoning rivers and claiming lives.
Unregulated coke plants proliferating in East Jaintia, blanketing villages with sulphurous smoke.
The 2024 State Investment Promotion Act undermining environmental safeguards and sidelining traditional land custodians.
These initiatives, promoted under the guise of “development,” systematically dismantle the very ecological foundations essential for lasting prosperity. Each time citizens protest, officials chant the same mantra: “development” and “employment”. But genuine development strengthens ecosystems and communities together; it does not hollow the hills for quick revenue or hedge sanctuaries with theme‑park paraphernalia.
Nongkhyllem does not need a glass skywalk to be valuable; its value lies in being wild. The genuine value of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary lies not in ticket sales or hotel bookings but in its wild integrity—in the hornbills soaring freely above untouched rainforest canopies. Local communities in the surrounding villages have responsibly safeguarded this sanctuary for generations. They deserve improved patrol paths, transparent funding for genuine conservation efforts, and opportunities to establish modest, community-run homestays at the sanctuary’s periphery—not intrusive resorts within its heart.
Let us remember: sanctuaries exist to protect wildlife, not to host water‑skiing or interpretive centers. If Meghalaya’s government truly values ecological integrity, it will withdraw this contract, audit its environmental funds, and recommit CAMPA money to its rightful purpose: planting trees, safeguarding habitat, and nurturing the very wilderness that makes our hills worth protecting.
Therefore, we urgently call for: Immediate suspension of the E-Factor contract, pending a thorough independent review with full public disclosure of environmental assessments and funding sources.
A transparent, publicly accessible audit of all environmental funds, including the Meghalaya Environment Protection & Restoration Fund, coal-cess, and CAMPA accounts.
A legally binding moratorium on permanent tourism infrastructure within wildlife sanctuaries until independent scientists certify zero ecological harm, and local communities provide informed consent.
If the MDA government truly values “eco-tourism,” let it first respect and protect our precious ecosystems. Tourism should tread softly, following behind conservation—not bulldozers and concrete pillars. The people of Meghalaya cherish our green heritage deeply, and we will defend it vigorously—through legal recourse, democratic action, and sustained public vigilance.
The MDA government still has a chance to choose between genuine stewardship and reckless spectacle. If it chooses the latter, history—and perhaps the courts—will remember Nongkhyllem not as an eco‑tourism “success story” but as the moment we crossed the moral red line between caring for creation and cashing it in.
Yours etc.,
Khlur Basan
Shillong-5
A Radical Pontiff Who Served Suffering Humanity, Not Just Catholics
Editor:
As if 2025 were not bleak enough already, the world has just lost a great soul. A pontiff, who radicalized the papacy ever since he took charge in 2013 — infusing it with more heart than head — Pope Francis refreshed this global institution. He was more than worthy of the name he adopted from his great namesake, St. Francis of Assisi — a mystic and saint who, like all saints, touched the bright star of eternity, from within the confines of time. One of the two popes who ruled during the lifetime of St. Francis envied him, perhaps for his sanctity and closeness to Christ. This is very understandable. Even theologians feel an emptiness once they realize they are merely reading and writing recipe books, when really, they are hungry for food — meaning, they long to ascend to God. Surrounded by glitter, pomp, and authority — spiritually-minded popes, I am sure, feel this emptiness even more.
Inveighing against the excesses of capitalism, defending the refugee, the immigrant, and the impoverished, and protesting injustice (including climate change) and war everywhere, Pope Francis managed to combine his immanent (terrestrial and historical) duties with his transcendental ones. A personification of humility and modesty, he was perhaps rare among pontiffs — because he combined in himself a saint and a pope. Always choosing simplicity, he lived as he spoke. Like a monk and saint, he lived a life of rare simplicity. Refusing the grand papal palace, he lived in a humble room in the Vatican’s Santa Marta hostel. Refusing to ride limos, he preferred to walk. About religious-minded homosexuals, he said, “Who am I to judge?” A true leader, he was a humble servant of humanity — washing the feet of dispossessed refugees (including Muslims, Hindus, and Copts).
The very presence of a saint uplifts the world, mitigating its evil.The world felt safer with guardians like Pope Francis. Thanks to the holy presence of great personages, like HH the Dalai Lama, the world still feels safe. Typically, saints are born at extraordinary historical moments like this. So the world will continue to be safe, despite butchers, like Putin, who are spilling innocent blood with impunity.
After a lifetime of serving not just Christians or Catholics, but humanity as a whole — Pope Francis is now resting at the feet of Christ and Mary (whom he adored). Although I am not a Christian, I mourn his loss deeply.
May he rest in peace.
Yours, etc.,
Deepa Majumdar,
Via email