From Our Correspondent
TURA, Aug 31: The Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) has raised with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma the urgent need for the revival and rejuvenation of the Meghalaya Handloom Training Institute in Mendipathar, the only premier institute of its kind in the state.
“This institute is not only a premier centre for skill development but also a guardian of our rich traditional ethnic handloom designs, which reflect the cultural identity of the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia communities. Meghalaya’s traditional handloom products, such as the Dakmanda and Ganna of the Garos, the Eri shawls of Ri-Bhoi, and the Jainsem and Dhara of the Khasis are more than garments.
They are symbols of heritage, pride, and self-reliance for our people,” MPYC president Timjim Momin said.
Recalling that the Mendipathar Institute once played a crucial role in preserving these traditions while equipping youth and women with modern weaving techniques, Momin said its revival is not merely an administrative necessity but a cultural and economic lifeline for Meghalaya.
According to Momin, the once valuable facility has remained defunct since 2014, with its crumbling infrastructure in urgent need of repairs. He has also sought the construction of a boundary wall, pointing out that the institute’s campus, spread across 75 bighas, has no such protection, leaving it prone to encroachment and trespassing.
With regard to staffing, Momin sought recruitment into posts such as gazetted post instructors, research officer, weaving demonstrators, UDA, librarian, jugalis, cook and chowkidar, among others.
Pointing out that the facility’s inability to function has led to problems for the local community—such as loss of livelihood, youth migration, decline in traditional designs, economic setbacks and adverse social impacts—Momin urged the chief minister’s immediate intervention to revive the institute in the greater interest of the handloom sector and the youth of Garo Hills.
