Maybe it is not surprising that
there is a link between Wales and the Ghasi hills. The Welsh
Presbyterian church git here in the 1800s, one Thomas Jones is much
revered and had huge success with converting the population. We walked
down to the village people were going to church looking serious and
carrying black bibles. In the village of 250 souls there were
at least 5 welsh Presbyterian churches in varying degrees of plainness.
Welsh hymns floated across the air. The house even looked Welsh with
corrugated iron roofs. The gardens were lush with huge red flowers and
lush vegetable patches, it felt like the end of a nice UK summer. WE
walked down to viewpoint where one looked out over the cliffs and we saw
the river winding through the forest and tiny villages deep in the
forest.
On our journey back to Shillong i
noticed how there was a gravel factory every 200 yards. The local people
are busy excavating the whole mountain side and converting it into
gravel for construction. It is a real eye sore. This is not regulated
because the government doe s not own the land. It seemed a deep
contradiction to the preservation of the forest. Mining also happens on a
similarly haphazard way.
Back in Shillong we met up with
Sandra’s and her family and had supper with Pat, the editor of The
Shillong Times. She was a campaigner and seemed to have fast access to
everyone in government.
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