By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 24: As the President of India confers the Padma Shri upon Hally War on Monday, the honour signals a rare national bow to the Khasi “bio-engineering” that has outlasted modern infrastructure in the rain-battered gorges of Meghalaya.
War, a craftsman from the Pynursla region of the East Khasi Hills, is among the recipients recognized at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I at Rashtrapati Bhavan. While modern concrete bridges in the state often succumb to the monsoon, the living structures War has spent 50 years tending—the Jingkieng Jri—only grow stronger with time.
For decades, War has walked the dense forests of the southern slopes, guiding the aerial roots of rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) across rivers and steep ravines. This ancient practice of “growing” infrastructure is now recognised as a pinnacle of Indigenous Knowledge Technology (IKT).
“This is not just an award for one man; it is a recognition of our ancestors’ wisdom,” said a resident from the Pynursla area. “While the world calls it ‘sustainable engineering,’ for us, it is the sweat and patience of elders like Hally War who kept these paths open when the roads failed.”
War’s work involves the painstaking labor of weaving young roots through hollowed betel nut trunks, acting as guides across river gaps. These bridges do not decay; they breathe and adapt to the shifting terrain.
Beyond the physical labour, War is credited with ensuring the tradition did not vanish. At a time when modern construction and urbanization began to overshadow traditional methods, he worked with local villages to maintain aging bridges and train younger generations in the craft.
The recognition comes as Meghalaya’s living root bridges increasingly draw international researchers and conservationists. However, for those in the East Khasi Hills, War remains a humble craftsman rather than a celebrity. His Padma Shri validates a worldview where infrastructure exists in harmony with the environment, proving that the most resilient solutions are often those grown from the soil.
