Shillong, June 16: Less known may be to most people of the state and even by the government is a village called War Nongri under East Khasi Hills District.
Nongjri shares 
an international boundary with neighbour country Bangladesh and out here lies numerous places having in it their own story to be told.
But what saddened the villagers is that this place was seemed forgotten.
The villagers had to travel for more than hours on a rugged road to reach a market place at Pynursla.
“Local representatives gave their promises of bringing in development, proper road connectivity but that lasted only during election campaign”, a villager D Tymthai said.
While expressing grieved on the false promises made by representatives Tymthai said we only hoped to see good road connectivity but we know for sure it will just remain hopes that wont materialised at all.
Little said about the villagers difficulties, but while coming to the beauty aspect of the place is rich heritage and cultural tradition that lies in it but that has not catch the eyes of those in power.
A significant cultural heritage is the present of a sacred place where the mortal remains were kept and out here we would find lots of big rounded stones used to keep the mortal remains.
In days of the past where no machines and cranes were there the villagers carved huge rocks and shaped it round and managed to bring those stones from far off places to this sacred place where mortal remains are being kept.
These big rounded road were kept on top of verical stones place on the ground to found rounded box to protect those remains inside.
Though this place is still used by the residents of this village especially those belonging to the Khasi faith to keep the mortal remains yet the sacredness and the beauty of the place that carries with it a story is no more to be seen now.
But due to lack of attention from the villagers as well as the government, this sacred place has no proper fencing and as it is being cared little the place now has turn into a dumping ground but what worsen the situation is that even the Bangladeshi’s comes and steal the things kept as rituals for the dead such as umbrella, cups and saucers, tin box and others.
If the Bangladeshi’s can enter this place easily it also means our security measures is also is at stake, observed a village elder.
Therefore he also urged upon the government to see to this matter.
He also is of the opinion that if this place is being properly maintained it would have attracted tourist and would have turned into a tourist spot and in that case would have uplift the livelihood of the villagers.
What remains now is for the government to reach out even to this historic place and lift up the tradition and cultural heritage of the place. (SP News)
