The Hills are transforming

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 3^rd 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.