Vignettes of the 1970s Shillong

In 1977, my father was posted at SE Falls Camp. I recall trudging up the steep slope of Laitmukhra (pronounced Laaimukhra) en route to Don Bosco School in Shillong. The climb passed through a Punjabi colony, home to some Sikh families long settled in this lush, rain-washed hill station often called the ‘Switzerland of India.’

At the top was a lively bazaar where students flocked to a large stationery store — famous for selling the prized Sheaffer pens.

Don Bosco School, unmatched in sports achievements of its students, stood proudly beside a beautiful church building that looked straight out of a fairy-tale. The Savio Club within the school, run by missionaries, was the most luxurious student facility I had encountered in my academic life, far ahead of anything government schools offered.

Further downhill lay the bustling Police Bazaar, Shillong’s version of Bangalore’s MG Road. Towering above all was the Air Force Station at Happy Valley, visible from nearly everywhere.

Shillong, with its charming Khasi people and ultra-modern women barely five feet tall — even in six-inch heels — felt like a foreign land then. Nearly five decades on, its beauty and uniqueness remain unforgettable, etched in memory like a blooming flower.

RS Narula, Patiala