The Voice of Shillong
If Shillong could speak what would it say?
It’d probably speak in an angelic voice with a whole lot of charm and a touch of sass.
Here’s what it might say:
Hey, you people! I’m Shillong, the ‘Scotland of the East’—though I’m more like Scotland’s cooler, quirkier cousin who plays the guitar and loves Khasi and Chinese food. I’ve been here, for ages, and I’ve got some thoughts. I’m proud of my Jadoh and Doh Sniang, but why do you tourists keep asking for ‘authentic North Indian’ cuisine? Bro, you’re in Shillong! My street food stalls are basically Michelin-star chefs in disguise. Go sample them.
Oh, and my music? Yeah, I’ve got more guitars per capita than anywhere else. My kids are out here strumming Dylan covers and Khasi folk like it’s no big deal. But can we please stop with the late-night gigs on running cars? I love a good tune, but your renditions after midnight is making me lose my sleep.
And what’s with the potholes, traffic mess and dark streets at night? Such a charming place and yet you can’t keep things in order.
The lesser said about garbage, the better. What have you done to me? My roadsides are strewn with garbage and liquor bottles, my rivers are stinking and the plastic waste is choking me. You people sitting on chairs, please do something about it.
You folks dream about making me smart. Why don’t you start with keeping me clean? And what’s with the red and white splurge on every wall and corner? Can you please stop desecrating me further? That’s all for now. Sa Iashem Biang (we’ll meet again).
A roundabout lesson
Roundabouts dot several junctions across the city, but one in particular seems to be functioning remarkably well — thanks to the dedication of a few volunteers. At Lower Mawprem, two volunteers can be seen throughout the day instructing hesitant and often careless road users to follow roundabout rules. Confronting even speeding motorists head-on, they direct them firmly to take the proper route around the circle.
Their efforts have made traffic flow smoother and more disciplined. Locals, too, are now using the roundabout more correctly than before.
However, not all roundabouts in Shillong appear to serve their intended purpose. Why, you ask? For starters, many drivers are simply unaware of how a roundabout works.
Let’s establish an understanding about roundabouts first — it is a circular intersection where multiple roads converge; vehicles move to the right around a central island; and those entering must yield to traffic already inside the circle.
But in Shillong, traffic often enters and exits as per convenience, creating a hotchpotch of movement. A telling example is the Khyndai Lad roundabout, which has its own peculiar flow — designed, admittedly, to handle the unusually high volume of vehicles converging there.
Another such roundabout at Mawkhar, just as congested as Khyndai Lad, has become something of a spectacle in itself.
If a small push can ensure order on the roads as evident in Lower Mawprem, then perhaps the city’s chaotic roundabouts are not so much a failure of design as they are of practice.