Having born and
spent most of the last forty years in places without the usual hustle
bustle associated with City life, I often get peeved in the midst of a raucous large
crowd. Often, I long to be in the midst of tranquility, sunken into deep
conversation with my own self. To me, understanding myself is like to long
flight to spirituality.
Last year on 3rd
of July, being our wedding Anniversary,
I was looking for a place to hide from the maddening crowd and also the
technologies which never allows you these days to go inaccessible. Our old
neighbor at Indian Oil Township, Mahaveer suggested us to stay at a resort in
Cherrapunjee in the West Khasi Hills in Laitkynsiew village. After driving for about 3 hours through the
Hills and Valleys, steering the ever playful clouds, finally we reached our
destination. It was a small resort with modest amenities, run by a Khasi Lady
and her South Indian husband. The place was perfect to celebrate the journey
both of us treaded in the last 12 years with a glass of favorite wine.
Readers may not
assume to read a traveler’s diary alone here with a vivid account of the
beauties of the Khasi Hills, mist and the clouds though all of them were in
plenty in Chohra. By 10 PM, lights are switched off as heavy downpour with
thunder is frequent in this area. The famous root bridge is nearby and in the
morning, when the clouds moved away, we could see innumerable fountains flowing
from the hills.
So in the
morning, my wife and I went out for a long hunt to explore the village keeping
the children in the safe custody of their Mahi (Aunt). The ambience reminded us
to the evergreen song of Shree 420 with
Raj kapoor and Nargis as Arpana broke into humming – Pyar hua Ikrar Hua...
Laitkynsiew is a
quiet village with all the basic amenities. What keeps the village apart from
other Indian Villages was the cleanliness. Every house was painted with
beautiful color and those who couldn’t afford, did at least touch up jobs in the
walls facing the road. Flowers were blooming in each household and
wherever, the kitchen door was open, we could see the spark in the utensils. It
seemed the Swach Bharat Mission had a
unique implementation here in Khasi Hills. All of us have heard about Asia’s
cleanest village in Mawlynnong which has now turned into a popular tourist
spot. But at a distance of 45 KM from Mawlynnong , we could see
the same level of cleanliness at Laitkynsiew.
While coming
back, a Maruti Car was waiting at a side of the narrow lane. My wife informed
we didn’t need a car. The driver smiled back at us and told – Sister, I am
waiting so that my car doesn’t splash rain water and make you dirty.
Last year, I had visited St Anthony’s College, Shillong to deliver a speech on Petroleum Refining. The kind of respect, discipline and hospitality I saw in the students, I am quite hopeful, that tourism in Meghalaya will blossom with little assistance from the Government in the days to come.
Back in the
resort, I was told that Church has played a major role in enlightening people
to preserve nature and cleanliness in Meghalaya. If cleanliness is God, Church
has indeed taught people of Khasi Hills to go closer to God.
Compare this
with many Hindu Temples. Lines of beggars and physically challenged persons
outside our temples do remind us the hell waiting for of us after death, where
Yama’s rule prevails supreme with absolute intolerance. After navigating the
feces of birds and animals, when you reach the deity, the feeling of
spirituality vanishes into thin air. Needless to talk about the hooliganism of
pandas (priest), taste of which I had experienced a number of times.
If discipline is
the essence of life, Hinduism seriously fails to bring it into the lives of
millions of its followers though many virtues propagated by Hinduism are unique
and universal.
The NDA
Government has completed two years and is in celebration mood. The speed at
which the direct cash transfer on LPG was implemented; it is praiseworthy and
unparalleled in India’s History. The economy, particularly the banking sector,
was in the doldrums and some spikes of development have been visible in both
micro and macro economy of the country. But I am also disappointed with the
Government and in two major issues. First is its failure to curb the fringe
elements which make more noise than what they possess to keep themselves
relevant. The other is the failure of Swach Bharat mission. The kind of
impetus, the Swach Bharat Mission should have got, has not been assigned so
far. This mission can transform the very outlook of India, reducing expenditure
on curbing many diseases and bring out sense of discipline to our
society.
Religious
institutions play an important role in the lives of the people. We have
experienced their reach in our fight to make India Polio free. Being engaged to
contribute towards society in a meaningful way, irrespective of religion, caste
and creed will only push the broader objective of each religion. Seeing
the impact of Church on the cleanliness drive at Laitkynsiew village, it seems,
there is every potential of such institutions in propagating the mission and
objective of Swach Bharat to every nook and corner of our country.
The same kind of missionary zeal which saw India become Polio free is required to transform India into a Swach Bharat. The way things are progressing, as of now, it seems a distant reality.
