CM, LoP, MP come together to mark 25 years of Salantini Janera
Our Bureau
Tura/Shillong, Aug 30: It doesn’t happen every day. It doesn’t happen everywhere. It happened at Tura on Saturday.
Three fierce political rivals, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma, and Tura MP Saleng Sangma, representing NPP, TMC and Congress respectively, came together, shared the stage and in full public gaze displayed some unseen bonhomie and perfect chemistry.
All along the two-hour function held on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the only Garo daily Salantini Janera, the triumvirate was at perfect ease in each other’s company, which left the audience amazed. Their body language said it all.
Said a Tura resident: “This is the first time that three political tigers are in the same cage and not fighting”!
Expressing himself candidly, Conrad Sangma revealed, “We are actually good friends; we often talk to each other. Even during bitter debate in the Assembly, we maintain our friendly dispensation.”
Indeed, in a cut-throat political rivalry elsewhere, Meghalaya is a standout exception.
During the day, a grand celebration was organised at the Polo Orchid Hotel in Tura as Salantini Janera completed its silver jubilee.
Janera began its journey on January 13, 1993, and was the brainchild of journalist, (L) Sanjay Sharma and (L) Prof LD Shira. It was earlier a weekly affair. However, with an ever increasing circulation and popularity, it finally turned a daily with a name change to reflect this – Salantini.
Earlier, the programme began at 12 PM with the guests first lighting the lamp to signal the beginning of the day. The lamp was lit by Conrad, Mukul, Saleng, the CM’s mother, Sarodini K. Sangma, as well as publisher of SJ, Shobha Chaudhuri and proprietor, Padma Shri Manas Chaudhuri.
In his speech, the Chief Minister congratulated SJ for completing 25 years of dedicated service to the people of Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
Speaking about the prevalence of local newspapers in the state especially in Garo Hills, the Chief Minister said, “Before entering active politics, my late father, PA Sangma also started a newspaper in Garo language titled Chadambeni Ku’rang, but it could not sustain due to various challenges and factors.”
He lauded SJ for its resilience, consistency and courage in continuing despite many challenges, calling 25 years of survival and growth, a testament to its strength. “Credibility is your greatest strength,” he said, emphasising that in an era where information, opinion, and rumour often blur together, SJ has built trust over decades.
The Chief Minister also stressed on the need to promote and popularise local languages and said, “As citizens of our beloved state, everyone should have basic knowledge of the languages spoken in our state especially the Khasi, the Garo and the Pnar languages and it is for this purpose to enable citizens to have basic communication skills that the government is working on introducing Khasi and Garo languages in schools as mandatory subjects.”
He further said that as the state government awaits positive response from the central government for the inclusion of the Khasi and the Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule, he solicited everyone’s cooperation and collaboration to make it a success.
He also highlighted challenges faced by the media worldwide, including declining print readership and the rise of digital platforms, but praised SJ for retaining its identity and trust with readers.
He noted that the role of media is to highlight concerns and act as a watchdog, even if that sometimes creates friction with governments.
Reflecting on the spirit of unity, he observed that his presence, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Member of Parliament together on the same platform sent a positive message. “We may belong to different parties and approaches, but our goal is the same—the welfare of the people of Garo Hills and Meghalaya,” he said.
Saleng Sangma described the occasion as an “honour”, calling SJ not just a medium of communication but a “movement in itself.”
Stressing the importance of the mother tongue, he said, “When we speak and listen in our mother tongue, it creates a different feeling, a different atmosphere altogether.”
He drew attention to the neglect faced by many languages of the Northeast in national discourse, noting that while 22 languages have been recognised in the Constitution, others—including Garo—remain outside this framework despite having literature and history. He called for competitive examinations such as the IAS and IPS to be allowed in local languages so that tribal communities are not deprived of opportunities.
He also emphasised the role of both print and digital platforms in preserving language and culture and urged leaders across party lines to extend support for indigenous languages.
Mukul Sangma congratulated SJ for achieving the “historic milestone” of 25 years, acknowledging the many challenges and hurdles overcome along the way.
He highlighted the press as indispensable to democracy, acting as a watchdog to ensure accountability, efficiency, and responsibility in governance. He described SJ as vital for the people of Garo Hills and recalled its role in enabling citizens to stay vigilant and assertive of their rights.
He also underlined the structural constraints in Garo Hills, stressing the need for better media infrastructure, wider accessibility, and use of technology and radio alongside print to reach more people. While cautioning against misinformation in the digital age, he expressed hope that media would continue to positively impact society.
Manas Chaudhuri described the silver jubilee as “historic” for two reasons—first, as Salantini Janera became the first Garo newspaper to sustain itself for 25 years, and second, as the celebration brought together the Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Member of Parliament on the same platform, reflecting a spirit of accommodation and unity.
He recalled the origins of the newspaper, tracing it back to the early 1990s.
He emphasised the newspaper’s vital role as the only Garo daily in the world, serving as a bridge between the government and the people. He urged readers to make greater use of the platform to voice concerns and aspirations, assuring them that “if you write in the paper, it will reach the Chief Minister’s table.”
Chaudhuri said that the idea of launching the paper was floated by Sanjay Sharma after which he along with Sharma came down to Tura to look at perspectives from the ground up.
“We are immensely grateful to former Tura Government College principal (L) Prof LD Shira who was the unwavering support in helping us get the daily off to a start. He took pains to help everyone when we decided to release the paper, even hand holding the first batch of Garo reporters with how to write,” he said.
He also brought up a conversation with late PA Sangma who had spoken to him about the popularity of the paper in Garo Hills. However at the beginning, the paper was a weekly and the huge gap in release making things frustrating for those awaiting news on more frequent basis.
SJ began its daily journey in 2000 and has continued to provide unbiased news and information ever since it began, a thought that was echoed by all speakers who spoke during the programme.
A total of 16 schools and colleges from various parts of Garo Hills, who have been imparting quality education in the region, were felicitated with a plaque with representatives of these schools coming forward to be a part of the celebration.
Chaudhuri further stated that in an effort to pay back to the Garo Hills region for its unwavering support to the paper, going forward, an amount of Rs 20,000 would be provided as a scholarship to the student who scores the highest marks in the Garo language in SSLC from the next year.