They appeared like rains,
Clearing the air of the fog,
They created symphony of sort,
They don't anymore.
I could see humor,
in words and in lines.
It came effortlessly,
And it made people smile,
It doesn't anymore.
Creative outlets helped,
to share ideas,
and to connect,
They don't anymore.
The stubborn past,
refuses to let go.
The Genie is trapped,
In a bottle.
October Sky- is one my favorite movies for several reasons. A real life story of boys from Coalwood, a mining town, who dream big to break the conventions. One of them even joins NASA. The background score is so calming. The casting is prodigious. The characters in the movie are phenomenal. The kid, the mother, the teacher and above all, the father. A no non-sense individual who is committed to his work. A man of few words. A man with a good heart. He may try his best to give an impression that he is rough as a stone but deep down inside he is full of love.
He may not, like most dads, know how to show his love or to express. But he is someone you can always trust to watch your back. To be the spine holding all the fringes together. I Particularly love the last scene where Homer's Dad finally shows up for the rocket demonstration. As the rocket rises to heights which were never achieved before, he puts his hand over Homer's shoulder. That scene breaks me down every time.
Dad, I know, if you were here today, you would always be that invisible support for everything I do. Whatever I do as a Public Servant is all inspired by you. And I shall continue to hold those wonderful memories till my last. Every time I look at the stars, I feel that you are watching me from up there. And I feel your hand on my shoulder.
Miss you, Dad!
Two years ago, when I came to Shillong, I was excited to be a part of the Education department. I was thrilled to join as the Director, School Education & Literacy which I felt offered this wonderful opportunity to bring change in the complex domain of school education. The office of DSEL is in Laitumukrah which is about 3.5 kms from my residence. And I thought that it would be just a 10-15 minutes’ drive. Little did I know about the complexities of traffic in Shillong. On the first day it took me nearly 40 mins. The way to DSEL office passes through the Don Bosco Square which is like convergence point for several big schools of Shillong. And if you go there during the starting and closing time of schools, you would probably witness the peak of population density of the State for sure.
I consoled myself that perhaps it was just a one-off thing, and it would not take that much time every day. That was just wishful thinking, and I was so wrong. Sometimes it took even longer than that. After couple of months, I realized that this is a common occurrence on many stretches of the city as the roads are quite narrow and the number of vehicles is significantly higher than the carrying capacity. Then the other major factor is that there are literally no designated parking places. Ergo, half of the road spaces are utilized for parking. Moreover, it rains a lot here in Shillong which probably influences people to go for four-wheelers rather than two wheelers. Given the terrain and the safety concerns, cycling is also out of question. Initially I considered buying a bicycle but was advised not to in light of the road safety concerns here in Shillong.
So one fine day, the frustration of getting stuck on the road culminated into an inspiration to walk. I decided to walk to work all the way from Kench’s Trace to my office. It took me 45 mins which was almost same as what I was taking with the vehicle. Shillong already has decent stretches of defined footpaths and definitely the perfect weather for it. And on top of that, most of the places are at a walking distance in case you stay somewhere in the heart of the city. That day, while walking back from office I realized that this 1.5 hours of walking is like a great workout too. I remembered that once our Honorable Chief Minister had initiated something on these lines where he would walk to work every Wednesday. Taking the inspiration, I resolved to walk to work every Wednesday. It is amusing how people go to gym with their vehicles and then walk on the treadmill. Simple walks like these can definitely make that redundant.
Over the several walks that followed, I realized that many people walk long distances every day. But these are the people who perhaps have no choice. They do not have a personal vehicle, and they cannot afford even the public transport options which are available, though scarce. They are in a way forced to do that. But change would only come when people having all the resources with them, still decide to walk instead of taking their vehicles. I met several walking enthusiasts during my walks across the city. Some had been walking for decades, and they loved it so much that they would not even stop their walks in the rainy season.
One day it occurred to me that to promote walking in the city, we must get all these people together. Some sort of club may be, I pondered. There are so many clubs for cycling, biking, hiking etc and ergo why can’t there be a club for walking. And hence, we started the Shillong Walking Club with the vision and mission to promote walking in the city. Shillong’s main issue is the traffic congestion almost in all areas. And we thoughts walking can play a significant role to reduce that. Everyone knows there are certain cities in Europe and elsewhere which are like the cycling capitals of the world. They have dedicated lanes for cycling and so many other incentives that most of the population uses bicycles. Why can’t we make Shillong the walking capital of the world then?
Shillong Walking Club is an idea which got people with similar thought process together. It is still a volunteer driven model where people with love for walking contribute in whatever way possible. The members came up with a wonderful logo which captures the fundamental idea and identify of the city. We came up with T Shirts and Hoodies with the SWC logo which became so popular that the demand could not be met. We presented these hoodies to our Honorable Chief Minister and all the senior government officials to spread this movement further. We also started a social media handle to keep spreading awareness on walking. As a club, we have identified several stretches of foot paths which need immediate attention and several stretches of roads which are not even having one. We have enlisted these and submitted a petition to the Urban Affairs Department to initiate repairs and construction of new footpath.
The SWC also identified several key issues which the walkers and pedestrians face across the city. Many footpaths/sidewalks in our area are cluttered with waste and debris which makes it difficult and hazardous for pedestrians to walk especially after rain. Some areas to mention are Polo, PB, Civil Hospital, Motphran, Laitumkhrah etc. Regular maintenance and cleaning by the Municipality is essential to ensure safe and accessible pathways for pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Many portions of the sidewalks are damaged which also discourages people to take walks specially in the evening once it gets dark. The presence of well-marked crosswalks and pedestrian signals at busy intersections is crucial for pedestrian safety. Having these pedestrian signals at traffic junctions will also signify the attempts to promote walking in the city. Installing pedestrian crosswalks with appropriate signage and signalization will help improve visibility and encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians.
Implementing traffic calming measures such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, and narrowed lanes can help reduce vehicle speeds and create a safer environment for pedestrians. Slower traffic speeds not only decrease the likelihood of accidents but also contribute to a more pleasant walking experience. Conducting public education campaigns to raise awareness about pedestrian safety and the benefits of walking can foster a culture of respect and consideration among all road users. Hosting community events can empower pedestrians to advocate for safer streets and promote active transportation. There are certain portions of the sidewalk and footpaths which are occupied by the vendors. This forces the pedestrians to come on the roads and poses a security risk for them. Then there is also an issue on cleanliness and hygiene in these portions as the fast food vendors dump all waste there itself.
Signages may be installed for important offices indicating the distance in terms of walking minutes like is done at the bigger airports. That way people can see that the place they want to go is just a 30 mins walk. Walking routes should be displayed alongside the roads also indicating the amenities available on those routes. One App can be developed for promotion of walking in Shillong with all the needed information at one single place. The app may also prompt people how much they have reduced their Carbon footprint by choosing to walk instead of taking a vehicle to work or to market. The app can generate some kind of crypto currency which people may unlock by walking more and more and the same be used to get discount on listed stores and outlets.
As some of the stretches are long, there should be places in between of these long stretches wherein pedestrians can take a break. Basic amenities may be provided in such places and beautification can be done. Food vendors can be placed here rather than randomly on the streets and sidewalks. Options for Heritage walks & nearby treks should be made available for locals and tourists. This will also help to decongest as the tourist vehicles would be reduced and walking as an activity would be promoted. One of the major reasons for people not taking walks in the evenings or once its dark is the security concerns as most of the sidewalks are not well lit. This simple nudge using Solar Street Lightings shall definitely bring more people onboard for walking.
There are certain localities which are far off from central area of Shillong. People residing there are also interested in walking towards the city but since the distance is too much, they are discouraged from that. Perhaps the Public Transport can be aligned in such a way that it can bring them to certain locations on the suburbs from where the people can walk into the city thus restricting the public vehicles outside the central area. There are several electrical & other poles which are right in the middle of the sidewalks. They cause inconvenience to the walkers but also pose a great danger to those who run on these sidewalks. Sidewalks and footpaths should be made free from all kinds of obstacles.
Since the inception of SWC, I have met several people during my walks and in office, who have shared that walking has immensely improved their health indicators. Many of them have seen improvement in their cardio-vascular health and many have improved their BMI. In this age, when most of the jobs require us to sit for long durations, these walking breaks can really be beneficial. I was never really into walking. Running has bene one of my passions and I have done several long distance runs as well but now I am also in love with walking. And my knees definitely love walking over running. I believe that if more people join this movement and if we develop facilities for walkers over the next few years, it will play a significant role to reduce the vehicles on the road and also to improve the health indicators for people residing in Shillong.
So next time you have a go somewhere not very far in Shillong, consider taking a walk. For a greener and healthier Shillong.
*********
You once fell in love,
And it was wonderful.
You imagined a home,
And it was beautiful.
You fought the world,
To make it possible.
You had a dream,
That we were inseparable.
The years that followed,
Drifted you apart.
The time you swallowed,
Made you to depart.
You let it linger,
Hoping against hope.
You kept fighting,
Living on that slippery slope.
Thy love desires freedom,
A new canvas to paint.
Thy love wants to fly,
The vastness of the sky.
Let love go.
Education was always close to my heart in several ways. My father was a Mathematics teacher at a Private School. He was my role model right from the early days. His students had so much respect and love for him. I was not surprised with that as I always saw him giving his everything for them. He was passionate about teaching. Actually, to be more precise, he was passionate about helping people and this was the way in which he was manifesting that. My other favorite people were always my teachers at school. I loved how much they cared for us. How they went all out to explain their subjects and even beyond. How they were like our parents at school. As a student, I loved to learn new things. So much so that I almost never missed school. I seriously do not remember taking any leaves at school. Of course, at that early age you do not see the colossal impact Education has on nearly everything.
Interestingly when I was posted in New Delhi as Assistant Secretary after the IAS training phase, I was attached to Ministry of Education. Of course then it was called as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD). It was for a brief period of three months but that gave me this avenue to see the larger picture of the whole country in terms of education parameters. I was also closely working with the NCERT officials. A name that I saw on all my textbooks all along the school days but had no idea what it was. This stint surely cemented by interest in this sector and I could see myself returning to Shastri Bhawan in the future. The point being the fact that universe was always hinting on my proclivity towards this field.
After working in Garo Hills for little over six years, I got my first posting in Shillong as Director of School Education & Literacy and State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan. Education scenario in Meghalaya is pretty complex and vast. More so for school education wherein you need significant time to even understand the fundamentals of the system. The legacy issues make it even more of a challenge to reform. But I was elated to be given an opportunity to contribute towards education. I vividly remember the first day at DSEL and for the context to the uninitiated, DSEL stands the Directorate of School Education & Literacy. I had never been to this office before and the first glimpse was quite overwhelming. The building as a whole was quite huge as it housed several other offices as well. But it was in a terrible shape in several ways. The exterior was totally discolored, and the interiors were no good either. The rooms were stuffed with several unwanted things which seem to be lingering on for decades. I resolved on day one that this has to change. And that change had to be imediate. I sat down with all the stakeholders and we came up with a plan to renovate the whole space in the coming few months. It is astonishing to see what colors can do to the morale of the workforce.
We did not stop there of course. This is an office which is frequented by teachers and people from the field of education every day. And hence it was decided that the walls should not be blank. They should speak volumes. They should speak about what we wish to achieve through education in our state. They should speak of the various on-going schemes in the field of education. They should speak of what we have achieved thus far and what we plan to in the coming times. And few months later, we had these colorful murals all over the office space. They kind of lit up the whole space. So much so that now these murals have become selfie points for people passing by and our office space now seems more like an art gallery.
In the initial months, I observed that there are a lot of people who work really hard in the office but there were several factors which perhaps discouraged them from giving their best all the time. I felt that these contributions should be highlighted to inspire others. So we started recognizing these contributions in the form of the ‘Employee of the Month’ awards. And through this a very interesting thing happened. During the discussions for the possible nominations every month, the members started sharing interesting stories about the staff and how they have gone the extra mile at times to get the works done. Through these deliberations we discovered so much about the staff. We started putting up a big photo of the winner every month out on the notice board which got compiled into a nice frame at the end of each year. Every time I pass by these frames, they remind me of their great contributions, and I am sure it boosts the morale of everyone else too. Recognition of efforts made gives a further push and they were motivated to do even better.
Sometimes the problem which prima facie looks very complex, if broken down into smaller ones, suddenly becomes solvable. To improve the work space, we started working on the fundamentals without wasting too much energy getting overwhelmed with the magnanimity of the problem. We got the computers replaced, we developed certain portions of the office into cozy sitting areas where they can take a break, we reworked on the room allocation to make it more structured and several other things. I realized that the office is not having a space where staff and sit peacefully and eat their lunch. Once we cleared the roof which was once filled up with tons of discarded stuff, we had a beautiful space with us which could be developed into a small dining and we did exactly that. All these small small things eventually had a great impact on the morale of staff and the results were very evident in no time.
In this age and time, we do end up spending most of our time in office and with our colleagues, subordinate and superordinate folks. It eventually becomes your second family. And ergo, it is important that we bring this family together and make the bonds even stronger. To do that, we started celebrating several occasions be it festivals or days of national and state importance. That got the whole team to bond and to know each other better. When you know about the people you work with, you tend to understand their viewpoints better. This ensure that the conflicts or misunderstanding are reduced and there is synergy in our collective efforts. I really think we give our best for the people we know and for the ones we understand. All these efforts to help staff bond with each other has had a magical impact on the overall functioning of the office.
To improve the public service delivery, we started with the system of weekly reviews with all the officers and senior staff officials. Education is such a sensitive subject in our state that there is always some immediate works which pop up every day. But that should not make us drift from the fundamentals and to get things in order. One of the common complaints received was the delays in release of salaries of teachers for various categories. The number of categories makes it so complex that I would need another blog post to just explain it you. No, I would rather need a book to explain. But when we sat down every week, we did a lot of introspection of what is going wrong. There were also several issues of long due promotions for the staff and the teachers. We did a lot of things to improve all these and I am happy that positive results are here to see for everyone. But the challenges remain and we must continue to reform.
Training is a quintessential component of growth and with the recent developments in A.I and LLMs, I really felt that all our staff must learn these models. So, I arranged a training for them on ChatGPT which was anchored by the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI). After the training, the draft letter and order which the dealing assistants came up with were so details and comprehensive that most did not need any improvements. It saved their time as well and make the whole process much faster. On a lighter note, they even started using ChatGPT to improve their leave applications and it became a challenge for me to counter such well worded and structured leave applications. We also did a health camp and a session on Office Yoga for all the staff which was super useful. I always believe that our health is the most paramount thing and when we feel good about our health, we blossom in whatever we take up.
In the Farewell yesterday, one of the staff said in his speech that I had given so much to this office and to the staff but they had nothing to give back to me. In my speech which followed, I corrected him. All the officers and staff of DSEL, you have already given a lot by believing in those ideas, by being a part of the process, by accepting the challenges and by walking along together. Initiatives become successful when all stakeholders play active part and you all have done that. Gratitude to each one of you for all everything. For the love, for the belief and for the leap of faith.
*********
I genuinely do not know why I stopped writing the blogs. There are many things I can think of which may have contributed. The rise of social media and YouTube was definitely one of the them. And I also started my YouTube Channel then and felt it was more worth of my time to make awareness videos rather than spending hours to write about the issues and experiences. Videos these days clearly have a wider reach. The reading habits are declining at a concerning pace. But recently something changed in me. And during these intense introspections I realized that I was writing because I love writing and not because people love reading my works. The realization was so intense that I also finally started working on my first book. And ergo, the blog posts are back and I would like them to continue.
There was another immediate trigger though - Sir Sunil Chhetri, the legend of Indian Football. Indian Football team is camping in Shillong for their two matches with Maldives and Bangladesh. I did go for the friendly match against Maldives and in fact we were also able to take along the entire batch of Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) 2025. Giving it a little context- I am also now Director of Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI) and am overseeing the induction training for the officer trainees of this MCS batch. Most of them being football fans wanted to go of the match and thankfully we were able to arrange the same. After the Indian team thrashed Maldives 3-0, we were just hanging outside to get a glimpse of our charismatic captain Sir Sunil Chhetri, a thought came to my mind then that how great it will be if they all could witness a talk from him on Leadership. He has led the Indian Football team for so long and shown such character. Ah, it would be amazing to get this guy to MATI for a guest lecture, I pondered.
Without wasting a second, I shared this idea with few officials from the Sports Department and from Meghalaya Football Association (MFA) who were present there and they all were really supportive of it. I was able to meet the Manager of the Indian Football Team and conveyed this idea to him. He told me that he would get back to MFA after discussing with Sir Sunil Chhetri. As the days were few, I immediately shot a request to all possible stakeholders to make this happen. We issued an official invite the very next morning. After a couple of days full of anxiety and hope, we did get a confirmation. The smile that resulted was just pure bliss.
There we were, officials from MATI and all the Officer Trainees of the MCS 2025 suited up for the occasion and waiting for the talisman to arrive. I genuinely thought that it would be a short talk followed by some questions and answers. I had no idea how good a speaker he is. The moment he started, we could feel that his oratory skills are equally impressive as his finishing on the field. He used humor so so well and all his jokes really landed on the spot. That made the conversation so lively and relatable that time flew. He gave some really amazing points which can surely help our young leaders when they go to our 'field'.
Talking about the secret to his success, he shared it is very very simple. He does the basics right. He sleeps well.Like really well and he does that every single day at the same time. He eats well. He eats the same healthy stuff every single day without fail and he loves it. And rest of time is all about improving his football. His daily routine, he joked, was exactly like his one year old son. And one of the most important things here is that he was doing what he truly loved. And when one does that, magic happens. He also shared that when we imagine our selves doing something, we should be the Hero of that story. Whatever field it is, whatever be the context, we must imagine ourselves as the Protagonist of the movie and then act like one by giving our best as expected from the hero. The power of manifestation will do wonders for you.
Talking of the importance of time, he shared that we will always have choices to make. The right choice which will have the potential to make us better at what we do, will unfortunately be a lonely path. We will have to accept that and slog it out all on our own. There is always the other option with immediate gratification - just hanging out you know, going for a drink with your buddies or chilling at home with Netflix. There is nothing wrong with these if that is what you want from your life, but if you want to excel at what you do, you will have to take that lonely path over these. The choice is with us and the most important thing is what is that which makes us happy. There is no right or wrong in this. And there should be no judgements too. It's all about how your heart wants to beat.
Talking of pressure and criticism, something we also witness in public service, he shared that he was able to handle all of that now as he had seen the cycles so many times in his career. When the good times are on, we should stay humble and keep improving. When the bad times come, just keep breathing and keep giving your best. Rather than confronting the critics, focus on the next game and how we can continue to give our best. One cannot be perfect all the time. There are zillion things happening in the cosmos and we have no control over it. We should not feel bad for the bad run. What is most important is that we give our best and when we do that, we will be able to sleep well even in that chaos. And eventually the pendulum will swing.
It was definitely the best motivational talk I ever heard and I was fortunate to be there in person. Sir Sunil Chettri has given everything he has got to Indian Football. So much so that he was recalled to the national team even after he retired from it. At 41 years of age, I still saw a young kid in him who just wants to give everything to Football. The energy around him was so so positive and focused. Through his words and his presence, we all could understand what legends are made of. May he continue to be blessed in whatever role he plays for Indian Football. And may I pray as a concluding note that his dream and all our dream of watching India play the World Cup becomes a reality in our times.
Conversations were flowing,
like that pretty river.
Emotions gushing out,
like water past the rocks.
The words were animate,
there was no effort.
The smiles were real,
no pretension either side.
All of a sudden, she asks,
perhaps hurtingly,
"Am I a muse ?"
"For the moment?"
There was silence.
Am I that guy ?
The pretty river imploded,
The water now crushing the rocks.
The past came screaming back,
Was I that guy ?
Thou, are not a muse,
A fountainhead rather,
creating solemn verses.
A bubble of energy,
positive and bright.
A Zen master rather,
disguised as a queen.
Thou, are not a muse.
