Known as the ‘Scotland of the East’, Meghalaya’s capital Shillong has a distinct colonial character. It was just a small village of the Khasi tribe till 1864, when it became a British administrative centre. It was the capital of undivided Assam till Meghalaya was hived off in 1972. Shillong’s military cantonment, set up in 1885, has been the only one in the northeast. It will soon be shrunk into a military station.
The cantonment was set up away from the hustle and bustle of the administrative centre. But it is now surrounded by municipal areas and territories of the local Khasi chieftain, as per local laws.
“The first thing that strikes you upon entering town is the cantonment area, and how it intermingles with the civilian areas,” said Wing Commander (retd) Tarun Kumar Singha, who had three stints in the city from 1987 to 2018. “Unlike many other cantonments in India, the Shillong cantonment was always very open to civilian movement. There were plush bungalows on the left and right. We would always envy the owners.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
