While it may be easy to think that Meghalaya exists in an isolated pocket free from outside influences, Director General of Police LR Bishnoi said, in actual fact, that the state is keenly influenced by global developments.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day national seminar at Women’s College, Shillong today on the topic of ‘Meghalaya in the 21st century’.
The example the state’s top police officer used was the G20 summit, which India is hosting. One of the sessions will be held in Meghalaya next month.
In his speech, Bishnoi also said that development planning in Meghalaya must be based keeping in mind prevailing social norms. The state has a lot going for it, he added, such as abundant natural resources, high literacy rate (especially among women) and tremendous tourism potential. Meghalaya can also teach the world about ecological development and sustainable growth, he opined.
Later, the keynote address was delivered by Professor Shobhan N Lamare, from the Department of History at NEHU Shillong, who highlighted the historical development of Meghalaya and flagged issues, such as corruption and unemployment, that need to be addressed. The first technical session was chaired by newspaper editor Patricia Mukhim and the session witnessed the presentation of several papers on the economic growth and development of Meghalaya. Glen Kharkongor, Chancellor of Martin Luther Christian University, also spoke on the theme of the session.
