Shillong, Oct 2: Fifty-four years after attaining statehood, Meghalaya’s claim that roads are the backbone of the economy remains empty rhetoric for thousands living in its rural interior.
While ministers and MLAs repeat the slogan at every foundation-laying ceremony, villagers continue to walk for hours for basic healthcare, education and markets, paying the price for decades of neglect.
The grim reality was exposed once again in Domkyrkoh village under Rambrai C&RD Block in Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency of West Khasi Hills, where an ailing infant died in his mother’s arms while being carried on foot for three hours to Mawdet village for medical help.
Although it could not be ascertained when this incident occurred, there are viral videos of the episode.
According to villagers, the parents had called for vehicles throughout the night to take the child to hospital, but every driver refused to come to Domkyrkoh citing the extremely bad road condition. Some told them to bring the child to Mawdet and they would pick them up from there.
With no other option, the parents started on foot the next morning. The three-hour trek from Domkyrkoh to Mawdet proved fatal. The infant died midway, and the devastated family had to return to the village without getting any treatment.
The incident has sparked outrage as Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had earlier laid the foundation stone for a Rs 25 crore, 10km road project connecting Mainop, Mawiong, Rambrai and Domkyrkoh, promising better access to healthcare and markets. The road, however, remains on paper while a child has lost his life for want of connectivity.
The question now is who will take responsibility for the death. Is it the contractor, the department, or the government that continues to celebrate announcements without ensuring execution? When a mother has to carry her dying child for hours because no vehicle can reach her village, it is not just a failure of a road project, it is a failure of governance.
