Assamese establishments in Shillong cautious of risk to land

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Shrimanta Sankardev Cultural Centre, Shillong, has written to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma looking for his assist because it suspects a risk to its land from influential locals, together with politicians.

The Assamese neighborhood runs some non secular and socio-cultural establishments in Shillong. The different properties embody the Assam Club, Assam Cultural Centre, Laban Namghar and so on.

A Meghalaya minister had proposed to develop the Shrimanta Sankardev Cultural Centre and the Assam Club. He stated a multi-storey constructing every, with a buying complicated, parking area, neighborhood corridor and so on, could be constructed on the two properties. However, the Assamese settlers suspect that they may find yourself slowly dropping the properties.

The minister had convened a gathering with the members of the 2 establishments on the secretariat at 4 pm on Tuesday “regarding proposed construction of cultural centre at your premises” however the establishments selected to not attend it.

In a letter to the Assam CM in June, the cultural centre had stated the “limited” Assamese residing in Shillong had been discovering it robust to handle the establishments.

It stated the neighborhood was frightened about the way forward for the establishments because of the lack of help from the Meghalaya authorities and its coverage.

“The Assamese had set up these institutions after a lot of efforts. They are now in grave danger. There is a lack of eligible persons to run them. We solicit your support for their safety, preservation and development,” the letter to Sarma reads.

It was learnt Sudarshan Thakur, who’s the secretary of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati, visited Shillong just lately and carried out a spot verification, purportedly on the Assam CM’s route. He visited all of the establishments, run and managed by the Assamese.

The Assamese inhabitants in Shillong is estimated to be round 1,000-1,200. There are solely 24-25 households of everlasting settlers.

“Within 10-15 years, the Assamese population will be nil in Shillong. We want the Assam government to intervene and manage the cultural centre. It can appoint some people to run it under the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati,” a member of one of many establishments instructed The New Indian Express.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam to be created as a state in 1972. Until then, Shillong was the Assam capital. After Meghalaya attained statehood, the Assam capital was moved to Dispur (Guwahati). This resulted in plenty of the Assamese shifting base to Assam.