Editor,
Does the tragic image of a young mother struggling to reach Mawdet village from Domkyrkoh village, carrying her infant in her arms, strike any emotional chord in Meghalaya’s so-called matriarchal society?
This is not merely about a damaged road. When an impassable road turns a basic journey into a gruelling ordeal, infrastructure failure becomes a question of human dignity, healthcare and governance.
Are we living in pre-Independence India, where citizens must rely on themselves for basic transportation? Where is the accountability? An MLA or MP may not personally repair every road, but elected representatives and public authorities cannot indefinitely pass the buck when essential infrastructure remains neglected.
Human history is peppered with lives lost to failures that never make the headlines. Their names may be forgotten, but their suffering is real.
Such photographs should be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Yet even today, authorities often move only at the eleventh hour, after public outrage.
This is not merely a local issue. Around the world, roads connect people to healthcare, education and livelihoods.
If governance cannot ensure a basic road, perhaps it is time to say: Bon voyage to complacency.
Shahin Yusuf
