Shillong

The sixth edition of the Shillong Literary Festival will be held from November 12 to 14 at Ward’s Lake, with a new initiative aimed at identifying and supporting emerging writers from the Northeast. Organised with the support of the Meghalaya Tourism Department, the three-day festival will bring together writers, artists, thinkers and readers for discussions, storytelling, performances and other literary events. A key addition this year is ‘First Bloom: Discovering New Writing from the Northeast’, which will focus on emerging fiction and narrative non-fiction writers from the region. The initiative carries a total prize of Rs 75,000, with Rs 50,000 for the winner and Rs 25,000 for the runner-up. The festival will also hold two workshops on careers in literature on October 26 at t...

Pressure groups across Meghalaya forced closure of banks that opened on Sunday following a government order in view of the three-day nationwide bank strike starting Monday. The groups completely defied government's order by taking law in own hands. Branches of State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank, Meghalaya Rural Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank were among others that faced the ire of activists of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), HITO and Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organizatins (CoMSO) for keeping open on Sunday. In Garo Hills, the Achik Youth Welfare Organization led the shutdown in all five districts of the region. The KSU, through its district, circle and unit wings, carried out checks across Khasi and Jaintia region and shut bank branches in East Khasi...

The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) have opposed the Centre's directive requiring banks to function normally on Sunday, September 27, ahead of the proposed three-day nationwide bank strike. In a statement, FKJGP general secretary Eldie Newton Lyngdoh said the Centre's directive came in the wake of a three-day bank strike called by various bank unions from September 28 to 30. He said the government had justified the Sunday opening as a measure to ensure uninterrupted banking services. The FKJGP, however, termed the order insensitive to Meghalaya, which has over 75 per cent Christian population. "The Lord's Day is not just a weekly holiday; for Christians, it is a sacred day set apart by God," Lyngdoh said. "It is a day wh...

NPP legislator and MDA government’s advisor Ampareen Lyngdoh has asserted that the current government is very much stable and termed baseless all allegations about any political instability in the state. “Don’t make it look like there is no more government in the state of Meghalaya. We are in charge and we are executing our executive roles as in charge of the government,” the former minister said on Friday in the wake of 8 UDP MLAs joining the BJP on Thursday. “Lot of incorrect information is being circulated among the public. Beyond a certain point, fiction has to take a back seat and reality has to take its place,” he said. She said the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and the two deputy chief ministers are on the job and are in conversation with the eight legislators. “Govern...

The third edition of the Shillong Book Fair opened at the State Central Library premises on Thursday, bringing together readers, students, publishers and book lovers for a week-long celebration of literature and learning. Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT), India, under the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Education, Government of Meghalaya, the book fair will continue till October 1. The fair features more than 80 stalls showcasing books from local, regional and national publishers. Visitors can explore a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, biographies, children's books, educational material, self-development titles and books on philosophy and spirituality. A major highlight of the fair is its focus ...

Hundreds of deficit school teachers and non-teaching employees staged a rally in Shillong on Friday,demanding immediate resolution of their long-pending issues and protection of the deficit school system. The rally, organised by the Khasi-Jaintia Deficit School Teachers' Association in association with the Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees Association, began from the MBOSE office, passed through Barik Point and culminated at Madan Malki. The protesters carried placards demanding implementation of the 2023 scheme and opposing the 2026 scheme, while calling for an end to confusion and arbitrary decisions. The rally was held after the associations said the Government failed to respond to their request for a meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. Their demands...

The National People’s Party (NPP) has refuted social media reports that claimed a possible political realignment in Meghalaya, citing 24 NPP MLAs camping in New Delhi to meet BJP leaders. “I have seen reports circulating on social media claiming that 24 NPP MLAs are in Delhi to meet BJP leaders to bring about a political change in Meghalaya. These reports are not true,” said Daniel Thangkhiew, treasurer and political secretary to the Chief Minister. “They are merely an attempt by certain individuals to mislead the people of Meghalaya,” Thangkhiew said over the phone from Delhi. Asserting that NPP remains united, he said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had met NPP MLAs in Shillong only a few days ago. However, he mentioned that the Chief Minister and both the Deputy Chief Minist...

A high-level delegation led by H.E. Mrs. Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General, Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, accompanied by representatives from leading Thai universities, paid an official visit to the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, with the objective of exploring avenues for strengthening academic, research and institutional cooperation between NEHU and universities in Thailand. The delegation was welcomed by Prof. S. R. Joshi, Director R & D Cell, NEHU who extended a warm welcome to the Thai delegates and requested the Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge, Prof. S. K. Barik, for his remarks and facilitation of the interaction and discussions with the visiting delegation. In his inaugural address, Prof...

More than three weeks into their strike, PM POSHAN workers continued their protest on Monday, demanding a ten-fold increase in their monthly honorarium from Rs 900 to Rs 9,000. The workers, who have been on strike since September 1, held a silent sit-in protest, appealing to the Centre to intervene and address their long-pending demand. Instead of raising slogans, the workers chose silence to highlight their concerns, saying that the current honorarium of Rs 900 a month is inadequate considering the work and responsibilities involved in implementing the PM POSHAN scheme. However, the ongoing strike has also raised concerns over its impact on schoolchildren who depend on the scheme for their mid-day meals. With the workers staying away from duty, several schools are reportedly fac...

The JNC Central Executive Committee, led by CEC General Secretary Wanshwa Suting and other JNC members, today conducted a surprise inspection of the construction of the Eklavya Modern Residential School (EMRS) at Kairang village in East Jaintia Hills. Speaking to reporters, Wanshwa Suting said, “During the surprise inspection, the council found that the project had been undertaken by Badri Rai Company. The inspection further revealed that Badri Rai Company had brought in non‑tribal labourers from outside the state to work on the project. The number of such labourers is not less than several hundred. It was also found that these labourers did not possess the proper licences or documents required. “Any non‑tribal labourer coming to work in Meghalaya must provide a registration card un...