Editor,
Though the Election Commission of India is yet to declare its schedule for the MP election for the Shillong seat, the political atmosphere has begun to heat up. The impending by-election to the Shillong Lok Sabha seat, necessitated by the untimely demise of late Dr. Ricky A.J. Syngkon, is shaping up to be far more than a routine democratic exercise. Beneath the speeches, rallies, and political calculations lies a deeper question confronting Meghalaya today: can politics still coexist with principles, or has public life become merely an arena where reputations are traded for relevance?
The political atmosphere across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills suggests that this election may become less about party manifestos and more about the moral anxieties of the electorate. The Voice of the People Party (VPP), by swiftly declaring Dr Batskhem Myrboh as its candidate, projected certainty and direction at a moment when several established parties appeared hesitant and disconnected from public sentiment. In contrast, the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) spent months searching for a face capable not merely of contesting the election, but of countering a growing political mood that increasingly sees traditional power structures with suspicion.
Eventually, the NPP persuaded Dr D.R.L. Nonglait, president of the Khasi Authors’ Society, to enter the fray. His entry has stirred curiosity, admiration and unease in equal measure. Dr Nonglait is not an ordinary political recruit. He represents a generation of intellectuals who devoted their lives to language, identity and cultural preservation. His tireless efforts for the inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution earned him respect far beyond political boundaries. His role in securing recognition for Khasi and Garo as additional official languages of Meghalaya further strengthened his standing as a cultural statesman rather than a partisan actor.
Yet public memory is rarely uncomplicated. Even those achievements were viewed by some through the lens of political expediency, revealing the growing cynicism of our times : a society where even cultural victories are no longer immune from political suspicion.
What troubles many citizens today is not merely Dr Nonglait’s decision to contest, but what his decision symbolises. Why would a respected academician and church elder, who occupied a rare moral space above party politics, choose at this stage of life to align himself with a government facing increasing allegations of corruption, administrative complacency and public distrust? Was it conviction, persuasion, ambition, obligation or the subtle seduction of political relevance that eventually draws even the most respected figures into the arena?
History offers a cautionary parallel. The legendary Assamese cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika witnessed a decline in public admiration after he abruptly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested elections during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era, and lost. Many felt that he had misread the pulse of the masses, and despite his towering legacy, the political setback dented his moral standing in the eyes of many admirers.
Meghalaya may now be witnessing a similar moment of reckoning. Whether one supports the VPP or opposes it, the larger truth is difficult to ignore: the party has successfully tapped into a growing hunger for political change, particularly among younger voters (Gen Z) who are weary of transactional politics and patronage networks. The sympathy wave following the death of the late Dr. Ricky Syngkon has only amplified that momentum. Increasingly, people appear to be asking whether elections should continue to be determined by influence and political machinery, or whether public life can still be guided by credibility and trust.
In such a climate, this by-election becomes symbolic of something larger than victory or defeat.
If Dr Nonglait eventually loses this election, the larger question will remain whether he can reclaim the moral authority and public image he once enjoyed as a cultural and intellectual figure above partisan politics. Public life is unforgiving, and history often remembers not only achievements but also miscalculations. Democracy does not merely test political parties; it also tests the conscience of those who seek public office. Elections reveal not only who commands support, but what kind of society people aspire to become.
For now, the people of Meghalaya can only watch and wait as this high-stakes by-election unfolds : a defining battle that could redraw the state’s political map for years to come.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Saving Shillong’s Green Cover
Editor,
Much has been written about the traffic congestion in the city. The Barik Point is one notorious spot for these traffic snarls especially during school hours. The recent inauguration of the Rilbong road and the opening of the link road along the Rhino point has somewhat eased the choke point at the Anjalee roundabout. We have recently learnt that the Government has now officially scrapped the elevated corridor road plan to a ground level four lane expansion from Anjalee point up to Barik Point for further smooth flow of traffic. It would make a huge difference from what it is now. However, if this materialises, the impact that it would have on the immediate environment along this stretch is a major cause of concern. Lined with tall English pines and evergreen deciduous trees this place is home to a variety of bird species.
The Rhino Park opposite the Flag Staff House is a place frequented by joggers, nature lovers and health enthusiasts. The footpaths on both sides of the road makes it easy for commuters who walk to their workplaces or pick their children from school rather than take their cars because walking on this stretch is always pleasurable. However, one remarkable aspect about this particular place is that every year between August and September it gets abuzz with hundreds of straw coloured fruit bats also known as the flying foxes. All squeezed up in just an area of about an acre of land as they take shelter and reboot their energy before they undertake their long journey to some other chosen destination.
This single patch of evergreen forest provides these bats a safe and comfortable resting place during the day while they get busy foraging during the night. Each bat roughly consumes twice its body weight each night. It’s learnt that they are more of a bonus to the environment as they are responsible for sixty percent of all seed dispersal across the environment they travel through.
These bats don’t just pick any random patch of trees but choose to come and congregate at the same spot year after year as we have witnessed through the years. The widening of the road to make way for a four lane is going to strip these annual visitors of their stopover home forever. We, meanwhile, are going to lose one of the few remaining green cover in the heart of town. We have already lost quite a number in a short span of years. Much has been talked about making the PWD campus the green lung of the town which is much needed but that is nowhere to be seen yet. Again, the Polo Hills facing the Umkhrah river has recently lost the small park which was a lovely green space and much loved by frequent visitors there. Hence a humble request to the Government is to take a moment and spare a thought against the destruction of these small green covers that while they may seem insignificant, yet play a vital role in being our green lungs.
They not only look beautiful but provide safe space to birds, mammals and butterflies that have over the years dwindled in their numbers. One suggestion for the Government to revert to the first option of making a flyover over the Anjalee to Barik Point instead of constructing the four lane. This will save not only the home of our birds and mammals but also the beautiful green cover along this stretch that makes Shillong what it is, the Scotland of the East as everyone can remember it.
Yours etc.,
J. Lyngdoh
Via email
