The opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have both attacked the state government after it ordered that all schools within the Shillong municipal limits should remain closed tomorrow on account of the Bryan Adams concert happening in Polo Ground.
The order was issued by the Director of School Education and Literacy at the request, he said, of the Tourism Department. The order does not even mention a concert, merely saying that a “large scale programme” will take place in the city on Tuesday, which is expected to result in a large influx of people in the Polo area and other parts of Shillong and add to the city’s traffic congestion.
This is not even the order of its kind this year. Schools in the Shillong municipal area were told to stay closed on August 2 because Polo was hosting its first match of the Durand Cup.
In a stinging rebuke, the VPP expressed concern over today’s order.
“While we are not against the concert itself, the closure of schools for this purpose reflects a misplaced priority of the government, placing entertainment over the importance of education,” the party’s media cell member Airpeace Rani said. “Although most schools are currently on winter vacation, minimising the immediate impact of this closure, the decision highlights the government’s attitude toward education. Such actions reveal a lack of commitment to fostering a culture that prioritises learning. Furthermore, college students are currently undergoing their final examinations. While they are mature enough to make their own decisions, the allure of attending such an event during a crucial academic period could prove to be a significant distraction. By facilitating such temptations, the government risks acting more as a tempter than a responsible guardian of public interests.”
Rani also criticised what he said is the government’s lack of support for local artists. “The same enthusiasm and resources devoted to bringing international artists should be extended to nurturing and promoting homegrown talent,” Rani said. “Local musicians, who have the potential to bring global recognition to our region, are often neglected in favour of foreign artists for whom the government spends heavily. It is becoming evident that this MDA (Meghalaya Democratic Alliance) government is like a ‘rockstar maniac’ administration, obsessed with organising extravagant concerts while ignoring fundamental responsibilities, such as education and the welfare of local artists.”
Meanwhile, the TMC, through its youth wing president Fernandez S Dkhar, adopted a sarcastic tone, saying that the government “has decided that the best way to handle a large-scale program in the evening is to give everyone a day off (reason: traffic congestion). Because why not? After all, who needs extra classes, college lectures, or even those pesky practical exams (going on) when we have the CM IMPACT to prepare our students for their exams and future!”
“Once upon a time, Shillong was proudly known as the education hub. Now? We find ourselves ranked third from last among states in terms of education,” he added. “Bravo! We’ve managed to rock our way down the charts. But hey, we’re still the Rock Capital of the country. And we secured that title without needing to shut down schools and colleges during concerts in the past.”
Highland Post’s social media handles also witnessed largely negative comments over the school closure notice with similar references to the government prioritising concerts over education.
