Raiot

29/02/2024

As the roadshow for the revived Monolith Festival gets underway, this old essay by Gertrude Lamare is worth reupping.

"The culture market in Meghalaya is a nascent phenomenon, at least in the scale that it exists today. Of course tourism has always had it within the gamut of its agenda but in the past few years, alongside large-scale development projects, large-scale commercial projects of culture have also evolved."

Just saw the PR film for much talked about Monolith Festival 2016 held at Mawphlang. I have a few troubling thoughts

06/02/2024

Abir Dasgupta explains why at times, the goals of the environmental struggle may come into conflict with the anti fascist struggle.

Text of a talk by Abir Dasgupta

26/01/2024

Ka jingïakren ïasuk hapdeng ka Sorkar India bad ki seng kieng atiar ka thañ shatei lam mihngi ka Ri India, k*m ka NSCN (IM), ULFA bad khamtam bad ka Hynñiewtrep Liberation Council (HNLC), ka donkam ia ka jingïatai paidbah kaba sani. Ka paw ba
kine ki seng ki la kubur ban ïakren hapoh ki kyndon jong ka Riti Synshar ka Ri India. Kumta ha ka jingrakhe ia ka Republic Day to ngin ia thir nia halor ka jingïadei ka Ri Hynñiewtrep bad ka Ri India.

Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh

25/01/2024

MARANATHA WAHLANG ON THE MYTH OF ONE KHASI LANGUAGE

"We speak Mnar in Jirang, a language so different, mutually unintelligible from Khasi. My training in linguistics tells me this is a different variety of the Khasian languages. There are several of them. While we share so many of the ways in which we talk about the world, about our experiences of it, languages are also different. To call a language a language and to mark variances as dialects, is a political process and very often do not do justice to the variants. If we look at Norwegian and Swedish, they share many more similarities than Standard Khasi and Mnar, and yet they are languages, because they are spoken in different countries. So for historical reasons and political reasons, Standard Khasi has become “the Language”, and all the others, dialects."

We speak Mnar in Jirang, a language so different, mutually unintelligible from Khasi. My training in linguistics tells me this is a different variety of the Khasian languages. There are several of them. While we share so many of the ways in which we talk about the world, about our experiences of it,...

24/01/2024

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, recently released the state anthem in Tura, which generated a fair bit of controversy. One of the criticisms about the anthem was made by the Jaintia Students’ Union, wherein they demanded corrections be made to the anthem by removing the English words and replacing them with Jaintia. However, is this justified demand?

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, recently released the state anthem in Tura, which generated a fair bit of controversy. One of the criticisms about the anthem was made by the Jaintia Students’ Union, wherein they demanded corrections be made to the anthem by removing the English wor...

21/01/2024

After the mysterious loss of our server, RAIOT, that no fund gutterzine is back online. And we wait for your contributions. Send it on [email protected].

Challenging the Consensus

27/07/2023

The filing of criminal complaints against academics who share their views in the public sphere sets a dangerous precedent. It paves the way for unwarranted censorship of speech, thought, and democratic exchange of views.

Academicians in solidarity

06/05/2023

Students, Research Scholars & Academicians appeal for peace in

Students, Research Scholars & Academicians appeal for peace in Manipur

16/02/2023

For the last eight months I have been visiting all of your houses to introduce myself, my background and my reasons for fighting these upcoming MLA elections as an Independent Candidate from KAM Meghalaya. Unlike other politicians who come in a crowd or call for meetings or send just their supporters to seek your support, I wanted to have a conversation with you personally to understand your concerns and aspirations for you, your family, your locality, your constituency and Meghalaya....

My commitments for South Shillong

26/12/2022

A Very Simple Guide to the Economy of Meghalaya India's Worst Performing State

Shocking Truths About Meghalaya's Economy

12/11/2022

By Daiaphira Kharsati SHILLONG: From being a part-time domestic help and taking up social work for over 18 years, Independent candidate from East Shillong constituency Wanpynhun Kharsyntiew has decided to throw her hat in the ring as social work is not enough to serve the people and to fulfil their....

24/10/2022

And here we are folks, drowning in the muck of misrepresentation yet again, it’s almost boring. This time, we owe the pleasure to Netflix

A Note by Gertrude Lamare

18/10/2022

Amit R. Baishya on Listening to Temsula Ao

Amit R. Baishya on Temsula Ao