Lyngdoh: High standards

Shillong, July 31: It is history in the making.

Schools and other educational institutions in Meghalaya may soon have a chapter in their textbooks on one of her most brilliant sons — chief election commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh, who has made a mark for himself as “the most honest and upright officer” in the country.

Lyngdoh was given the Magsaysay Award last evening. As this city basks in the glory of the CEC, a good number of schools — specially St Edmund’s, where he studied — underscored the need to have more “current heroes” as icons in history rather than past celebrities.

“To start with, we may have achievements of people like Bah Lyngdoh as an example and later they could be introduced into the school syllabi,” said Brother Keenan Pimenta, principal of St Edmunds’ School.

Like Br Pimenta, other school heads also felt that “instead of concentrating on past heroes, the school syllabus must have chapters on current heroes like Lyngdoh. It is important for the school students to learn from personalities like Lyngdoh, who have stood up for their principles.” While North Eastern Hill University vice-chancellor Mrinal Miri agreed that Lyngdoh should become part of a subject in educational institutions, not as study material perhaps but as an example, he also recollected his association with the chief election commissioner.

“I happen to know Lyngdoh personally for a very long time. He is not just a bureaucrat but a person of tremendous integrity. A patriot to the core, he is one person who deserves this international accolade. The award is also matter of great pride and honour for the whole of the Northeast,” Miri said.

Everyone seemed convinced that J.M. Lyngdoh, the youngest son of Ivy Lyngdoh, has come as an “inspiration for the state”. Others felt that his feats are a standard for the country to emulate as a whole.

Chief minister D.D. Lapang, while congratulating the CEC, said Meghalaya was proud “for the son of the soil”, adding that the state government would host a reception in his honour when J.M. Lyngdoh visits Shillong.

The whole town, too, was busy trying to make the best of Lyngdoh’s early days in Shillong and connect it to their lives. His first cousin W.L. Lyngdoh, who is currently the director of economics and statistics, recalled Bah Jim as an “intelligent person” who often “set examples for others”.

He recalled that the chief election commissioner had ordered officers not to overuse government vehicles when he was district collector in Bihar during the early Seventies.

“This was when there was an oil crisis and he choose to go to office on a bicycle,” W.L. Lyngdoh recalled, adding “he grew up disciplined, honest and very straightforward”.