Stories of a Shillong boy Part 1: Hill Boy and the Desert

There is a little 10 year old boy in Shillong who has a funny way of looking at things. I call him “Ray” – A named derived from his Khasi first name. I am his mother and this is one of the many stories I have about him.

Now Ray had an intense hate for two subjects in school – science and geography. I’m still drawing nonsensical circles around science, but I think I’ve cracked geography and a geography lesson is one of the most fun things we do together now. I want to talk about a lesson we did a little while ago.

In this lesson, we read about the Thar Desert. The book said something really scary to Ray. It told him that the desert is expanding because we cut down forests and let our cattle eat away all our grasslands. This really worried him. Before we could go on with the lesson, he said, “But I don’t want the desert to reach the Meghalaya.”

I looked at him and said, “It won’t.”

“But the book says that it will.” He insists. “I don’t want to live in a desert.”

I had to think for a bit. See Ray has this way of getting fixated on something and then he dwells on it – a reason why I tutor him myself by redoing every chapter that his teachers have taught in school. His head is full of questions that he would never ask in a classroom kind of space, but he would demand an answer out of me.

“It will not happen tomorrow Ray.” I said, “We’ll all be dead and gone by then. There is no need to stress.”

This did not put him at ease at all. He was worried. “I don’t want to live in India anymore if the desert is growing mei. We have to leave India.”

“There are deserts everywhere.” I said.

“This can happen all over the world?” he asked sounding completely helpless.

“Yes.” I said thinking of Mad Max Fury Road. “But it won’t happen anytime soon. It will probably happen during the time of your great great great great grandchild so you have nothing to worry about.”

This calmed him down for a little while and I was able to finish the lesson. He had his dinner after that, brushed his teeth and got into bed.

As I was tucking him in he said softly, “But I want my great great great great grand son or daughter to live also.”

And it suddenly struck me that even I want my great great great great great grandchild to live.

(This piece has been written by Dalariti Nongpiur with illustrations by Hazel Kharkongor)

Thomas Sangma elected unopposed as Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 9: NPP legislator from North Tura Thomas Sangma has been elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly today.

Thomas filed his nomination on Tuesday. His candidature was proposed by Ampareen Lyngdoh and Marthon Sangma from the NPP and Paul Lyngdoh and Mayralborn Syiem from the UDP.

“Since there is no other nomination, Thomas will be formally elected on the 9th this Month in a special session in the House,” Assembly’s Commissioner & Secretary Andrew Simons had told reporters.

This was after the opposition parties decided not to field candidates for the election to the Speaker’s post.

The MDA-2 government has the support of 45 MLAs of which 26 are from NPP, 11 UDP, 2 BJP, 2 HSPDP, 2 PDF and 2 Independents.

The opposition bench on the other hand has a strength of 14 members which include 5 Congress, 5 All India Trinamool Congress and 4 Voice of the People Party.

Speaking over the phone on Wednesday, VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that his party has decided not to field a candidate for the Speaker’s post because “we don’t have the number”.

MDA 2.0 backs Thomas Sangma as Speaker

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 7: NPP leader and North Tura legislator Thomas A Sangma was today nominated as the candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA-2) for the post of Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

Thomas A Sangma has also filed his nominations before the Assembly’s Commissioner & Secretary Andrew Simons at the Assembly Secretariat for the upcoming Speaker’s election to be held on March 9.

“Wishing Sh. Thomas A Sangma, Speaker nominee of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly the very best,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma tweeted.

Speaking to reporters, Thomas lauded the decision of the MDA-2 government led by Conrad Sangma to nominate him for the coveted post. He also thanked the previous government for giving him the opportunity to serve the people.

The MDA-2 government has the support of 45 MLAs of which 26 are from NPP, 11 UDP, 2 BJP, 2 HSPDP, 2 PDF and 2 Independents.

The opposition bench on the other hand has a strength of 14 members which include 5 Congress, 5 All India Trinamool Congress and 4 Voice of the People Party.