Ka por ba dum jong ka Meghalaya, mih pat ka sngi kaba thymmai : Ka jylla kaba la lait na ka jingeh, kaba ïeng ryngkat ha ka burom

David Laitphlang

Shillong: Ka la sdang kum ka jing phohsniew—u lyoh khyndew u kdup rben ïa ki lum ki them, kaba pynlong ïa ka Sohra kum kawei na ki jaka ba itynad tam, khamtam ïa kito kiba dang shu ïa shong kurim ban wan pynlut por phylliew jingieid ne Honeymoon jongki. Hynrei hapoh khyndiat sngi, kata baroh ka la kylla long ka jingsngewsih ka ba la palat haduh ba ka la ktah ïa ka jylla bad ka ri hi baroh kawei.
Ka jingleit lehkmen ïa ka jingieid ka la kut noh ha ka jingsngewsih kaba syier. La lap ïa ka metiap jong u Raja Raghuvanshi, 30 snem ka rta, uba na Indore ha diengshah jong ka lum hajan ka Weisawdong Falls kaba paw paidbah. Ki nongwan jngohkai ki la tieng. Ki paidbah ka jylla ki ïam pangnnud. Ka Meghalaya, ka ri jong ki lyoh bad ka jingsuk, ka la ïeng hapdeng ka jingbishar jong ka pyrthei.
Bad hadien kata, ka la wan ka jingkylla kaba la weng ïa ka jingdum ha ka ri—ka tnga jong u, ka Sonam, kaba baroh ki dang mutdur ba ka ruh ka ïam pamgnnud hynrei ym tip pat shano ka don, ka la shah kem halor ka jingkynnoh ba ka dei kaba khlieh ïa ka jingpyniap ïa u.
Ha ki khyndiat kynta, ki headline ha ka ri baroh kawei ki la kren da kaba khie bitar—“Honeymoon Horror”. Ki YouTuber ki la pynsawa ïa ki turoi. Ki trol ha social media ki la pynmih jingkylli har rukom. Bad kane ka sur kulmar ba jam, ka la ktah ia ka burom jong ka jylla bad ka jaidbynriew Khasi khamtam ban shah kynnoh ïaka kam beaiñ kaba ka kam shym la leh. Hynrei ka Meghalaya kam shym la jubab da ka jingbitar. Ka la ïeng da ka burom. Namar ki paidbah jong kine ki lum ki la ju jubab da ka jingtyrngia kaba ryntih—bad ka burom kaba ym lah pynpra.
Ka por jong ka jingjia ka long kaba shitom tam. Dang shu pyrshang ban wanrah biang ïaki nongshangkai pyrthei hadien ka jingshah ktah ha ka khlam COVID-19 kaba la pynsngewduh mynsiem ïa ka kam jngohkai, ka Meghalaya ka la sdang ban jam biang. Na 10.2 lak ki nongwan jngohkai ha u 2022, ka la kiew sha palat 16 lak ha u 2024. Da ka jingïaid ki kham shaphrang, ka jylla ka la khmih lynti ban kynjoh sha ka 20 lak ha u 2025—da ka jingkyrshan na ki program kiba paw shabar kum ka Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival, kaba la ïoh ïa ka khusnam ‘WOW Awards’ ha ka kyrdan ba hakhlieh tam jong ka events bad experiential events.
Ka jingkmen ka long kaba shisha. Ki booking liengsuiñ ki kiew. Ki homestay ruh ki la sdang ban dap. Ki drone shot jong ki khlaw khyndew bad ki wah kiba khie sboh sboh ki la long kiba trending man ka taiew. Hynrei ha kawei ka sngi kaba syier, ka khubor ka kylla – na ka jinglehkmen sha ka jingsngewsih.
Ki tour operator, ki nongniah taksi, ki trai café—ki paidbah kiba la im na ka tourism—ki la ap na ka jingleit khlem wan. Ka jingsyier ka wan. Ki booking ki la duh noh. Ka jingsngap ka bud. Hynrei ka slem tang khyndiat.
U heh ophisar ha ka tnat jngohkai pyrthei, uba la peitngor ïa ka jingwan ki nongwan hadien ka jingjia, u kren da ka jingsngewrit: “Ngi dang lum jingtip ban bishar shai ïa ka jingktah. Lada ka don ka jinghiar, ka la ktah tang ha ka jaka ba jia ka kam thombor, kaba la khang tyngeh na ka bynta ka jingtohkit. Ka kamai ha Sohra baroh ka dang long kaba ïaid beit,” u la ong.
Ha kajuh ka por ba ka khubor ka pyrthei ka ïaid kulmar, ka jylla ka la shimkhia. U Myntri Rangbah ka jylla, u Conrad K. Sangma, u la kren shai sha ki paidbah. “Ka jylla baroh kawei ka la ngat ha ka jingsngewsih halor kane ka jingjia,” u ong, bad u bteng, “Hynrei ki pulit jong ngi ki la trei shitrhem bad kloi. Ngi la shim ïa ka rai ban pyntreikam ïa kane ka case da ka jingbishar kaba kloi.”
Ka sur jong u kam dei ka jingkren ban kob piah—ka long ka jingkular kaba skhem. “Kane ka dei ka kam kaba la mang da kiba nabar. Ka Meghalaya ka long kaba shngaiñ, bad kan ïai long kumta. Ka hok ka dei ban wan kloi—ym tang na ka bynta ka ïing ka sem jong u nongshah pyniap, hynrei na ka bynta ki paidbah ka jylla kiba don ka kyrteng kaba dei ban pynneh,” u la ong.
Ka khubor ka shai: Ka Meghalaya kam dei ban shah thew da ka kam thombor kaba ka kam shym la pynlong.
Ha Mawlakhiat—ka jaka ba jia ka jingjia—ka jingeh ka long kaba shisha. Ka jaka ka hap ha Elaka Mynteng, ha kaba u rangbah nong America Rynga u la pynpaw ïa ka jingsngew. “Ha ka bynta ba sdang, haba ngi ïohi kumno la pyni ïa ka Sohra, ngi la sngewsih shisha,” u ong. “Ngi ym ju long kum kata. Haduh mynta ruh, ngi dang kren shaphang ka ‘Akor Sohra’—ka burom bad ka riti jong ngi.”
U la ïathuh ruh kumno ka kam jngohkai ka la long ka jingim jong ki mynta. “Hadien ba la khang khyrdop ïa ka Mawmluh Cherra Cement Ltd, ka kam jngohkai ka la long ka jingim kaba biang eh. Da kumba 75% ki longïing ha kane ka jaka ki don ïa ki briew ba trei ha ka tourism. Bad te—phi sngew kumno, phi mut ba ngi long kiba bieit ban kylla long kiba pyntriem?” u kylli.
Ki kyntien jong u Rynga kim dei tang ka jingpynshai—ki long ka jingkhot pyrshah ïa ki jingpyrkhat bakla.
Hadien khyndiat sngi ba la kem ïa ka Sonam, ka dur ka la sdang kylla. Ka case la pyni shai kloi. Ki khubor bakla la pynduh. Ki nongwan jngohkai ruh ki la sdang wan biang.
U trai homestay hajan ka Nohsngithiang Falls u ïathuh, “Ka long kaba sngewsih bha ha ka sdang. Hynrei kawei ka jingjia kaba pyn lung mynsiem ka wan ha nga —ki guest ki phone ym tang ban booking, hynrei ban kylli kumno ngi long. Katto katne ki ong, ‘Ngin wan ban ïeng ryngkat bad ka Sohra.’ Kata ka la pynsngew lung mynsiem shuh shuh ïa ngi.”
Na ki lynti shnong sha ki lum ba shai dur, ka mynsiem pdiang sngewbha ka wan biang—kaba kham skhem ban ïa kaba mynshwa. Uwei u guide uba ithuh da ka sorkar na Mawkdok u kren da ka jingkmen. Haba la kylli lada u sheptieng ba ka kam jngohkai purthei kan duh. U la jubab, “Kane ka long ka jingpyrshang—bad ngi la lah ban jam. Ki nongwan ki ïohi ïa ka jingshisha jong ngi ha ka rukom pdiang sngewbha, ym kumba la la long viral.”
U Myntri ka tnat jngohkai, Paul Lyngdoh, u pdiang ba ka la don ka jingduh hynrei u peit jngai shuh shuh. “Ka jingjia ka dei kaba sngewsih. Hynrei ka kyrteng jong ngi la thew bakla. Ka kam thombor kam dei kaba mih na kane ka jylla. Ngi shim ïa kane kum ka lad ban pynskhem, ban peitngor, bad ban kyrshan ïa ka tourism ecosystem ha ka rukom kaba khlaiñ,” u ong.
Ka sorkar ka la shim ïa ki lad kiba shisha—ka digital guest check-in ka long kaba hap ban leh, ki CCTV la pynbun bad ka jingsngewthuh lem bad ki bor ka aiñ ka la pynbun ha ka rukom kaba la pyntikna.
Ha ka jingkylla kaba khlaiñ ha ka policy, ka Deputy Commissioner jong ka East Khasi Hills, Rosetta M. Kurbah, ka la pynbna ïa ki kyndon shngaiñ. “Na ka bynta ka jingshngaiñ u paidbah, ki nongwan jngohkai baroh ki hap ban shim ïa u/ka tourist guide ba la rejister haba ki leit trek bad leit shabar,” ka la ong. ïa kane ka kyndon la pynbna shibnai hadien ka jingjia, ban pynbha ïa ka jingpeitngor ha ki jaka ba jngai.
Bad ha ka jingpynbna kaba thymmai mynta, ka Tnat Jngohkai ka la shim ia ka lynti ba kham khlaiñ. Ka la pynmih iaka hukum ba ki hotel, guesthouse, homestay, inn bad B&B baroh ki dei ban rejister bad ka sorkar lyngba ka online platform ba kyrpang.
ïa ka hukum la pynmih da u Director ka tnat jngohkai, kaba hokum ba ïa ka daily digital report jong ki guest check-in bad check-out dei ban leh ki trai. Ki operator ki hap ban thoh ïa ki jingtip ba donkam kum ka jaitbynriew, jaka ba wan, ID, visa bad C-form (na bynta ki nongwan nabar ri). La bthah ruh ba ki nongpynïaid homestay ki dei ban ïoh NOC na District Administration bad District Police—ban pyni ïa ka jing ithuh kyrpang shuh shuh hadien ka jingjia ha Sohra.
Ka registration lah ban leh ha https://app.meghalayatourism.in/provider bad ki mobile app ki don ha Google Play Store bad Apple App Store. La kyrpad ïa baroh ki hospitality operator ban kohnguh ïa kane ka hukum, ban lait na ki jingjia beaiñ bad jingpynduh kam.
Hynrei ka jubab ka long ruh kaba don ka mynsiem. Na ki “Tourist Buddies” ba lah kren bun jaid ha ki jaka ba paw, sha ki lake cruise, ki kali jngohkai ba khuid bad ki jaka riti dustur—ka Meghalaya kam shu shna pat—ka thaw pat ïa ka tourism kaba thymmai. Kawei na ki buddy, Angela Kharsyntiew, 23 snem na Pynursla, ka ong, “Kane ka long shaphang ka jingpeit ban sumar ïa ka mariang. Ngi kwah ban pdiang ïa ki briew ba sngew shngaiñ, ba sngewbha, bad ba ïoh jingnang jingtip.”
Kumba, u Lyngdoh u ong: “Ngi kwah ki nongwan ba khuid ha ka jingmut, jinglong bad jingthmu. Ka Meghalaya kan pdiang ïa phi—hynrei kan nym pdiang khlem da tip. Ngi kwah ban sngewthuh balei phi wan.”
Ym don ba sngewthuh bha ïa ka Meghalaya—ha ka dur thung khyndew bad ka kamai—ban ïa u Jason Lamare, uba thaw ia ka Pioneer Adventure Tours bad u Meghalayan nyngkong eh ba jam sha Everest kum u camera person jong ka National Geographic. U kren shai ha ka bynta jingktah: “Ka la ktah bha. Ki jingpyndam booking ki la kiew, ki booking ki hiar bad ngi la hap ban pynphai biang ka pisa sha kiba la ai advance. Ka jingktah ka la long ka jylla baroh kawei,” u ong.
Hynrei u briew uba jam ïa u Everest u dang don jingkyrmen. “Nga long u briew uba khmih lynti. Wat lada kam pat wanphai pura, hynrei nga ïohi ba shuwa ka mid-July, ka jingkiew kan wan biang—da ka jingtrei kloi bad kaba ryntih jong ki pulit bad u Myntri Rangbah jong ngi,” u ong.
Ki shnong ki la pynlong ka candlelight march. Ki khynnah ki bat sign: “Sohra is Safe.” La pynlong ki jingduwai ban kynmaw ïa u Raja. Ki paidbah ki pynpaw biang ïa ka riti, burom bad ka mynsiem pdiang sngewbha jong ki.
Mynta, ki wah ki ïai tuid, ki ïew ki ki hat ki ïaid beit bad ki lum ki them ki lah sdang mad biang ïaka lyer ba khuid ba jai jai kaba pynjahthait ïaka mynsiem, ka shong ka suk ka sain. Hynrei mynta, don ka khubor kaba kham jylliew ha man ka post jngohkai, man ka kot booking bad man ka jingwan shuh shuh.
Ka Meghalaya kam donkam ban pynshai eiei. Hynrei ka la jied ban pyni ïa ka jingshisha—da ka mynsiem ba khlaiñ, ka jingïatylli, bad ka burom kaba rit .Bad haba ka kdup biang ïa ka Sohra, ka wanrah ka khubor kaba jai jai hynrei kaba khlaiñ: To wan peit ia ka jing long jong ngi. Hynrei to wat shim ïaka jing jar jar jong ngi kum ka dak ka jingduna bor.