Editor,
After visiting some tourist spots across the country and seeing the chaos there, I wonder if it’s really wise for us to invest so heavily in tourism in our state. It’s not just about the number of visitors but also about the problems that come with them — noise, a lack of respect for others, reckless driving of self-driven vehicles, loud music, littering, and poor hygiene.
Are we ready to deal with tourists wandering around late at night, dressed for a holiday, and looking for food in the nook and corners of the city? The Government has already started promoting tourism through festivals, ropeways, skywalks and other attractions — but have we thought about what this means for our infrastructure and for people’s everyday lives?
Take the ropeway project, for example. Can the roads in Kenches Trace, Lawsohtun, or Lumparing really take on that kind of traffic and parking pressure? What happens at General’s Point if crowds start increasing, not touching the deforestation which will invariably happen? We already know how a small event like a football match, a music show, or a project launch throws the city out of gear. Imagine that on a much bigger and more permanent scale.
Another point is how we, as a community, will respond. So far, people here have been welcoming and open-minded. But how long will that last if the number of visitors doubles and becomes constant? Even now, we hear complaints when tourists from Assam come in over the weekends and crowd the city with commercial vehicles. Some say we should discourage domestic tourists (the monkey-cap cladded ones) and target only “high-end” tourists, but realistically, we don’t yet have the infrastructure, training, or services for that. Moreover, there are many more destinations with better infrastructure to attract the high-end ones. It will be the general masses who will continue to come, and we will have to live with that.
This is why I feel the Government shouldn’t focus only on tourism. Other sectors need just as much, if not more, attention. We still depend heavily on other states for almost everything — food, poultry, dairy, vegetables, fruits, vehicles, electronics, IT services. At the same time, our own resources — coal, limestone, forests — are being taken out of the state without much benefit coming back. Apart from a few cement plants, which mostly bring pollution and environmental damage, there hasn’t been much development of local industries based on local resources.
Even in the IT sector we are still struggling because of poor connectivity, both in terms of roads and poor network. Instead of jumping headlong into tourism, wouldn’t it be better if the government first got a proper study done by a credible agency (not quick-fix consultants) to plan how Meghalaya’s economy should grow in a balanced way? Tourism can be one part of that study, but it shouldn’t be the only focus. The study should look into the carrying capacity of our tourist spots and the numbers that the state can handle. Going headlong into tourism neglecting the others will only invite heartburn and resentment later on.
Yours etc.,
Emica Nongkynrih,
Via email
Citizens need to wake up & take a call: It’s now or never!
Editor,
The article written by Patricia Mukhim – ‘Sixth Schedule in a Capitalist Economy’ (ST August 15, 2025) really touched a nerve. I deeply appreciate this piece because it speaks the truth that many choose to ignore. It is rare to see someone point out how development is being sold to us as malls and tall buildings when in reality, the majority of our people are still struggling to make ends meet. The buildings are rising and the sewage on the roads are overflowing, what a contrast! It’s like the view of Dharavi from multi crore high rise posh apartments of Mumbai. It takes one visit to Iewduh or Iew Smit with open eyes to notice the poverty. What I felt most was the honesty in reminding the government that poverty is not always visible from shiny white high-rise buildings facing the other way, but it is real and it is painful to people who are living it on a daily basis at ground level, come rain come shine.
The way the writer tied in the role of the District Councils and the Sixth Schedule was powerful because people often forget that these were meant to protect our land and our resources. Instead, they have become places where money disappears and accountability is missing. You made the numbers from the audit reports feel alive by asking the right questions. Where did the money go? Who will answer to the public? Why was it never discussed during elections? These are questions mango citizens (aam aadmi) also want to ask, but sometimes we do not have the words or the courage to do so, it’s the “chalta hai” attitude that keeps us stuck in a limbo.
The contrast of this article, with the letter to the editor well written by Jairaj Chhetry and Shekhar Singh on the same page, on rampant drug use in Meghalaya, is eye opening. Who will clean the roots first before we grow the branches? I also appreciate that the writer did not shy away from naming the greed and the selfishness of a few who live in luxury while many cannot even afford healthcare. The article reminded us that the rivers are dying, the land is being mined, and no one is thinking about the future, especially for the children whose parents are not economically stable enough to send them out of the state for a better future.
This article is a wakeup call, to be taken with a balanced approach and not to be triggered by it. It is a reminder that we cannot keep quiet anymore. I thank you for writing with courage and clarity. Voices like this matter because they bring light to dark corners and remind us – ‘it is now or never.’
Your’s etc.,
Shivani Pde
Via email