Letter from the Editor-In-Chief

February, 2009 

Dear friends,

Meghalaya, among other things, is known for its matrilineal society, a system wherein women are highly regarded of and are custodians of all ancestral wealth and honour. In spite of this, it is troubling to see that crimes against women reached an all time high in the period from January to October 2008; the number of such cases recorded by the police being an alarming 178. One should keep in mind that this number is not inclusive of unreported cases which one fears is also high. In this issue of Eastern Panorama, we have highlighted some of these cases and some of the reasons for their high occurrence in our state. The prevailing situation is indeed a far cry from the ideals upon which the Garos, the Jaintias and the Khasis (the indigenous people of Meghalaya) have based their respective culture and society. Though we are on a steady rise when it comes to development, one can not help but ask what price is being paid in the pursuit of this development. 

Many prominent personalities from diverse fields were interviewed by Eastern Panorama and these people have given their views on what has been lost and attained in the 37 years since Meghalaya’s inception. Needless to say, there is a very apparent indication of a feeling of want and nostalgia.