Shopping Mall in Shillong?
Reflecting on the charm of Shillong’s traditional markets amidst the rise of modern shopping mall , this nostalgic and rebellious piece questions the need for consumerism-driven progress and urges readers to cherish the city’s cultural roots and local gems like Bara Bazar and Police Bazar.
Shillong! The land of misty mornings, where the air hums with a melody of its own. I could see the Polo Ground seating right from the balcony of our house – the green, lush expanse surrounding Ring Road like a protective guardian. And there I sat, sipping tea with Dada (my father’s uncle), the aroma mingling with the scent of pine, while he regaled me with stories. Those long, languid days have drifted away like a distant memory. Now I reside in Calcutta, the City of Joy, though I confess, there’s a tinge of sorrow in that joy today as I read the news of a shopping mall which is coming up the polo.
You see, I stumbled across a report in the Shillong Times. It brought news that sent a peculiar mix of nostalgia and indignation simmering within me. Apparently, Shillong’s first shopping mall is about to open its shiny, consumer-driven doors, right next to our house in Polo. A shopping mall! They say it’s part of the ‘Smart City Project.’
Smart City Project? You mean now Delhi will teach Shillong how to be smart? Oh, the irony! Shillong was always smart, wasn’t it? The music, the culture, the dress sense – all top-notch! While the rest of the country was still trying to wrap its head around rock and country music, Shillong was already tapping its feet to the beats of Hendrix and Dylan. But now, apparently, “modern demands” a shopping mall. And yet, I can’t help but wonder, was Bara Bazar or Police Bazar somehow lacking? Were they not good enough? Because, as far as I can remember, those markets had everything one could ever want and more.
I used to visit Uncle’s shop in Police Bazar – it was a treasure trove of the finest clothes known to mankind, long before the big brands thought of stepping in. And don’t even get me started on RB Store, with its mouth-watering cakes and ice creams that could give Baskin Robbins a run for its money. Oh, and the tiny roll shop at the corner of Keating Road and G S Road? Pure bliss. And the Jadoh shop? Well, I’m practically salivating just thinking about it!
But now, what do we get? A shopping mall, complete with all the flashy brands, blaring advertisements, and overpriced nonsense. And you’ll be told that these big, shiny things are the best, the very height of sophistication. You’ll believe it, too. You’ll walk into that mall, and instead of buying from Kong in Bara Bazar, you’ll pick up the same item at double the price because it’s got a fancy label slapped on it.
Is that progress? I call it consumerist slavery.
You see, there’s a certain charm, an authenticity that lives in places like Bara Bazar and Police Bazar. It’s the heart and soul of Shillong – the real Shillong. And while the modern world may dress it up in glass and steel, calling it ‘smart,’ I can’t help but feel that something’s being lost in the process. Perhaps it’s our identity, our sense of place. After all, no Domino’s Pizza can ever hold a candle to a steaming plate of Jadoh and Doh khleh.
So let’s not forget where we come from in this rush towards so-called progress. A mall may bring you bright lights and big brands, but I’ll take my stroll through the old markets any day. That’s where the real magic lies.
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