NGOs shut down offices, banks for disrespecting Shad Nongkrem festival

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 11, 2021

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday shut down banks and offices after they were found working on the occasion of the Shad Nongkrem, a thanksgiving festival of the Khasis celebrated every year.  

The banks and other private offices had remained open despite the day being declared as a holiday by the state government.

Activists of KSU went and closed down the banks and offices located in areas of Lumdiengjri, Motphran, Khyndai Lad, Laitumkhrah, Nongthymmai and others, for functioning despite being a holiday on account of the festival.

“The functioning of these institutions only shows that they disrespect the indigenous people of the state,” KSU-CEC publicity secretary Pynshai Rani said in a statement issued here.

The KSU also warned all offices that failed to respect special occasions and festivals observed by the Indigenous people.

“It would also be meaningless to have offices of the central government or companies if they do not respect such important occasions,” he said while demanding the government authorities to ensure the holiday is applicable to all institutions.

Meanwhile, activists of the HYC also took similar actions against institutions which were found disrespecting the occasion.

On Wednesday, the HYC had condemned the alleged failure of the state government to declare November 11 as holiday for the banks operating in East Khasi Hills district on account of the Shad Nongkrem festival.

Its general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem said that as per information received by the council, the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation, Meghalaya State Unit had written to the state government requesting the day to be declared as holiday for the banks to enable their employees to also take part on the occasion.

“Unfortunately, the state government through the Under Secretary in-charge GAD had rejected the plea made by the banks. This only shows that the state government is not respecting the important events of the indigenous community,” he alleged.

Synrem had said that the HYC will not allow the state government to disrespect the special occasions and festivals of the indigenous people.