Seasoned voice in Assembly narrates history behind Meghalaya’s Winter Capital genesis
Shillong, March 7: Demands for a winter capital in Tura have always met with equal resistance from pressure groups and political parties alike, fueling heated debates each time the state Assembly meets.
This Budget session was no different, with organizations in Garo Hills rallying support to pressure the government for the capital, while opposition intensified in the rest of the state.
It didn’t help matters that the opposition’s political maneuvering- moving a resolution to put the government on the defensive, forced ruling members to oppose it on ‘technical ground’, while extending support in spirit to the demand.
This led to social media trolling of some members, despite the historical precedent that ruling governments rarely accept opposition-led resolutions.
In the din, a wise old man emerged to lend his voice and narrate the history behind the demand that first emerged 52 years ago.
The oldest and most seasoned voice in the Meghalaya Assembly, Deputy Speaker Timothy D Shira, rose from his seat. The wrinkles on his face revealing he was more than a politician. He turned into a storyteller, a teacher, and most importantly a keeper of the state’s history.
In a soft voice, at times a gentle rumble, he took the elected members of the house on a journey through time narrating how the origins of the demand for a winter capital in Tura and the unity between the Garo and Khasi tribes shaped Meghalaya’s destiny.
“The original idea was to have a winter session of the assembly in Tura and it came from a Khasi leader, Bah Sten,” Timothy Shira recalled.
“It was 1973, and the winter session in Shillong was bitterly cold. During a dinner at Captain Sangma’s residence, Bah Sten remarked, ‘It’s freezing here. Why not hold the winter session in Tura? The climate is more pleasant, and it would be a gesture of goodwill to our Garo brothers and sisters.”
As Shira’s storytelling progressed bringing historical facts from the the past to life, the house erupted in murmurs of appreciation.
He described how, in those days, dinners at leaders’ homes were inclusive affairs, where all party leaders gathered to discuss and debate. “Today, such gatherings are rare,” he lamented. “But back then, they were the bedrock of our unity.”
Bah Sten’s suggestion, Shira explained, was not just about escaping the cold. It was about inclusivity and recognizing the contributions of the Garo community. “From that simple idea,” Shira said, “the concept of a winter capital in Tura was born.”
The story of the winter capital went beyond a political debate and revealed the bonhomie, unity and resilience of the people of the state, irrespective of ethnicity, thanks to the wisdom of men like Timothy Shira.
