The 30th anniversary of the Shillong Press Club (SPC) and National Press Day was observed today with the inauguration of the new premises at the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
The new office premise of the SPC was inaugurated Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the presence of Commissioner and Secretary, Pravin Bakshi, Secretary Israel Ingty, DIPR Director M. Sangma and senior member of the Press Council of India, Jaishankar Gupta.
“Having a permanent office of the SPC is going to bring a lot of stability in the work that you are going to do. It is going to allow you to create that infrastructure and a system that is not just in terms of the office infrastructure but a working system of how the SPC should work,” the chief minister said.
He further emphasized on the need to conduct training for journalists to upgrade themselves in view of the changing times.
The office is equipped with a conference hall with an audio and LED projection system, a spacious lounge attached to the president’s office and sufficient working desks for the journalists, aided by internet network facilities.
In order to enhance the ambiance of the new office, the executive committee of the SPC has engaged the artists of Riti Academy to provide relevant images for the conference hall with the motive to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Statehood of Meghalaya, by paying tribute to the Hill State Movement leaders of the State.
In this respect, a group of eminent and aspiring artists was involved in creating unique artworks, comprising caricatures, illustrations, and tonal artworks of each respective personality of the Hill State Movement. One segment of the wall was adorned by the first cabinet ministers of the new State of Meghalaya in 1972, which consists of Capt. Williamson A Sangma, Chief Minister, and other cabinet ministers, B B Lyngdoh, Edwinson Bareh, and S D D Nichols Roy.
The other segment has the caricatures of eminent dignitaries in the government who are significant people involved in the growth and progress of the State, like Prof Radhon Sing Lyngdoh, Martin N Majaw, P Ripple Kyndiah, and Peter G Marbaniang.
The third wall was occupied by images of important personalities, like Hoover Hynniewta, Darwin D Pugh, Stanling D Khongwir, and Sanford K Marak.
In the subsequent phases, the SPC will include some other important leaders of the Hill State Movement to adorn the wall of fame inside the premises.
