Local
Government in Shillong
Shillong
was constituted a Station in accordance with the provisions of the Bengal Municipal Act of 1876 on 26 November 1878. It was made
only after the decision was taken by the Deputy Commissioner for the inclusion
of Mawkhar and Laban villages with the consent of the Syiem of Mylliem.
Shillong included the ceded areas, Jail Road, Police Bazar and European ward and the non-ceded suburbs, Laban and Mawkhar.
Shillong included the ceded areas, Jail Road, Police Bazar and European ward and the non-ceded suburbs, Laban and Mawkhar.
It was managed by a
committee of twelve members, presided over by the Deputy Commissioner. Five of
the members held their seats by virtue of their office, and the remaining seven
are nominated by the Chief Commissioner. The principal sources of revenue were
a tax on houses at 7.5% of their annual rental, a water and latrine rent, and a
grant from Government[1].
The population of Shillong at the time of creation of
Municipal Station was only 2,147 in the year 1878[2].
The Brahmo Samaj can be credited with the first High School in
Shillong. Due to the efforts of Babu Jeebon Roy, a High School was established
in the Mawkhar area of Shillong. It started functioning on 2 September 1878 in
the name of Shillong Zilla High School and later, it was renamed as Shillong
Government High School.
Rev. P.
Nicolas described his journey between Guwahati and Shillong[3]
which he had experienced on 12 July 1878, in the following words:
"The return journey from Gauhati was a
difficult one owing to want of proper subordinate supervision in the Tonga service, as well as to the state of the road.
The tongas were broken and the ponies removed from two stations. Other travellers
having been three or four days on the road, and having had to sleep in the
jungle and in stables. I was much upset by the sun at Barni
owing to the roof of my tonga having
followed the example of its floor and broken away from the cart."
In 1879, Robert Milman was
the Bishop of Calcutta, and he travelled through Shillong. At that time the
distance between Gowhatty and Shillong was 63 miles[4].
“After driving the first stage we rode on ponies
through a wild but beautiful jungle up and down the first Khasia Hills, to
Verni Ghat, where we slept. The next moring we started at half-past five. As we
overtook our servants, who were on an elephant, it was marvellous to see how he
disappeared in an instant in the long grass whenever he stepped aside out of
the road.
When we had ridden two stages of 8 miles we found
fresh ponies sent to meet us, but the breakfast was 10 miles further on, at the
Oomigang river, so after eating a hard-boiled egg we journeyed on to the shed
by the river-side. The stream is fine and clear, and runs between bold rocks
and overhanging trees. I saw a family of otters playing on a little sandy beach
some way down the river. I was looking from a footpath near the new bridge,
which has been well substituted for the old-telegraph wire bridge.
Here we had breakfast, which had been sent from
Shillong, and rode on in the afternoon the remaining 8 miles. Mr. Trevor met a
large tiger on the road about a month ago within 30 yards. He gave a loud yell,
and the beast moved into the jungle, whence, as he passed, he saw the tiger’s
tail stiking up above the grass.”
Milman informs us that Shillong
was the sanatarium of Assam and Cachar, the seat of government of those
provinces, and was also the residence of the Chief Commisioner. He observed
that Shillong was pitched 3 or 4 miles too low. It was consequently too warm
and muggy for a good sanatarium, but its abundant water and space was a
distinct advantage.
“One afternoon, “we rode out to see the waterfalls.
Colonel Hopkinson lent me a handsome Australian mare, who began with a few buck
jumps, but afterwards went quietly. There was a mist on the hills, but in the
valley it was fine. Descending 300 or 400 yards, the Beadon Fall opens upon
you. The river Umbra (sic) takes three leaps visible to the spectator, and
another below. The hollow is deep, and the rocks precipitous; the ferns, weeds,
and woods green and rich. The rocks are of a good grey colour.
After descending about 500 or 600 yards further, we
began to ascend again. Suddenly we reached a platform with a single pine, and
the Bishop’s Fall, so called after Bishop Cotton, 410 feet high, a grand
precipice, with the stream rushing down in a nearly perpendicular shoot, opened
suddenly upon us. It is a really fine fall, although the volume or width of the
river is not very large. The name of the river is Urni Shirpi (sic). We
returned up the hill; the ascent and the descent take about an hour and a
quarter.”
They left Shillong on 8
August 1879, and halting only for a few hours at Mufflong, rode on to Cherra
Poonjee, over a cane bridge, and through two beautiful valleys. These steep
valleys contained wild rocks, dark crimson in colour, and bright streams. The luxuriant
vegetation was green of the brightest and most vivid description.
“The descent of the mountain, about ten or eleven
miles, is unspeakably lovely, through trees and ferns, and creepers, and the
richest vegetation, rocks, streams, falls, and splendid views over the plains.
The road is paved with hard sanstone, like a Roman road, and is very trying on
the horses’ shoeless feet. I walked down, as I was afraid of the pony, a pet of
my hostess in Shillong, stumbling and I was rather fagged.
I rode in, however, the last two miles through the
fine forest and betel groves, and reached Terria Ghat, where we found canoes
ready for us, in which we were punted down the pretty rapids to Bola Gunge,
where the steamer’s boats were waiting to take us across the floods and
channels, through the long grass twenty feet high, to Chuttack to the yacht.
Chuttack was looking very beautiful, with the Khasia
hills blue in the distance lined with narrow waterfalls, and crowned with
clouds, preety low wooded hills all round, and a crowd of boats for a
zemindar’s wedding tomtoming on the river.”
In 1879, the following were
the eight principal lines of road in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills[5]:
(1) Road from Shillong to Gauhati, in Kamrup was 67 miles (this is
the current G.S. Road). In 1877, this road was opened for wheeled traffic
throughout its entire length. The Deputy-Commissioner's Report for 1876-77
states that the number of passengers passing up and down may be estimated at
about 800 or 1000 every month, and the number of carts already used at about
50.
The tonga dak brought European
travellers up to Shillong from Gauhati in two days by a comfortable and easy
carriage service, while for locals a cheaper conveyance by bullock cart was
available. At Gauhati there was a good dak
bungalow in charge of a khansama,
where the usual accommodation provided in a hotel was to be found. The stages
to Shillong were as follows:
(a) Gauhati
to Bornihat, was 17 miles. The road was good throughout. There was a dak bungalow in charge of a chaukidar at Bornihat, where grain and
rice were procurable.
(b) Bornihat
to Nongpoh, was 41 miles. The road was hilly throughout, but good. At
Nongpoh, which was at an elevation of 1900 feet, there was a dak bungalow in charge of a khansama, from whom tea, liquors, and
biscuits, etc. could be obtained. The dak
bungalow was furnished with bedding, linen, etc. Grain and rice could be
purchased in the bazar.
(c) Nongpoh
to Um-sning, was 16.5 miles. At Um-sning, at an elevation of 2,700
feet, there was a dak bungalow in
charge of a chaukidar. Supplies or coolies were not procurable, but
sometimes grain and rice could be purchased.
(d) Um-sning
to Um-jam, was 9.5 miles. At Um-jam there was a Public Works Department
rest-house in charge of a chaukidar.
Supplies or coolies were not
procurable.
(e) Um-jam
to Shillong, was another 9.5 miles, of which 6.5 miles were a
continuous ascent. At Shillong there were dak
bungalows in the Artillery Lines, containing four separate rooms. A khansama was in attendance, and the
rooms were completely furnished with bedding, linen, etc.
According to William Hunter, this entire road
was as perfect a hill road as could be seen in any country, and a model of
engineering skill. On 3 June 1879, the Reverend P. Nicolas recorded his
experience while travelling on this road:
“The Government tonga took fifteen hours from 7 a.m. to 9.30
p.m. in reaching Nongpoh. But for the moonlight I should have had to sleep in
the cart. Above Nongpoh, the ponies and road were excellent.”[6]
(2) Road from Gauhati to Sylhet,
was about 130 miles. This was the Scott’s Road and ran from Gauhati across the
Hills, via Nongklao, Mao-flang, Cherra Punji, and Tharighat, and finally to
Bholganj in Sylhet. The repairs to this road were affected partly by the
inhabitants of the Khasi Native States, and partly by the Government.
(3) Cart road from Shillong to
Mao-flang, was 14 miles. This road had been opened for cart traffic
throughout.
(4) Road from Shillong to Jaintiapur,
was about 70 miles. This road was via Jowai and Mukhtapur, to Jaintiapur in
Sylhet. This road was being improved from year to year, and when finished the
cost would amount to £50 per mile.
(5) Road from Shillong to the Garo
Hills, was about 52 miles. This road opened out from Marbisu via
Soh-iong, Kynchi, Mao-ker-cha, and Nongstain, to within 20 miles of the
boundary between the two Districts. This road was then only a fair-weather
road. It was made in 1872-73, and when completed was expected to cost £50 a
mile.
(6) Road from Shillong to Shella,
was about 16 miles. This road was to connect Shillong with the Confederate
State of Shella, bordering on Sylhet, from Lyn-kyn-tyng-noh via Pom-san-ngut to
Sym-pher. This road, when completed, would be about 60 miles in length.
(7) Road via Lait-lyng-kot to
Soh-ra-rim and Cherra Punji, was about 22 miles. This line was then a
bridle path, but was eventually expected to be a cart road to Cherra Punji.
(8) Road from Jowai to Nong-ri-tiang,
was about 12 miles. This road, when extended, was expected to connect Jowai
with the District of Nowgong in the Brahmaputra valley, and the estimated total
length would be about 90 miles.
[1]Philemon, E.
P. 1995, Cherrapunjee: the arena of
rain - a history and guide to Sohra & Shillong / E.P. Philemon
Spectrum Publications, Guwahati. Allen, B.C; op. cit., 1980, p. 96.
[2]Sengupta,
Sutapa. & Dhar, Bibhash. & North-East India Council for Social
Science Research. 2004, Shillong: a
tribal town in transition / editors, Sutapa Sengupta, Bibhas Dhar
Reliance Pub. House, New Delhi:Spatial Growth of Shillong Since 1991,
N.N. Bhattacharya.
[3]
Philemon,
E. P. 1995, Cherrapunjee: the arena of
rain - a history and guide to Sohra & Shillong / E.P. Philemon
Spectrum Publications, Guwahati. Taylor,
S.B; op. cit., pg. 7-8.
[4]Memoir of
the Right Rev. Robert Milman, Frances Maria Milman, J. Murray, 1879.
http://www.archive.org/stream/memoiroftheright034943mbp#page/n233/mode/1up.
[5]A
statistical account of Assam, Volume 2, 1879, William Wilson Hunter, Trubner
& Co., London. University of Michigan, Pg.214-264.
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