In a country where the government more often than not tends to fail the people, it comes as no surprise to hear stories of individuals who have taken it upon themselves to improve their and their neighbors living condition.
Two such enterprising individuals are Jeremiah Pamme, an assistant professor of the University of Delhi, and his brother, Armstrong Pamme, the first IAS officer from the Zeme Tribe of Nagaland. Fed up by the Indian Government’s inability to provide communication infrastructure to their region, the duo have decided to construct a road all by themselves, connecting Tamenglong to Haflong in Assam. Using crowd sourcing to generate the needed funds, construction on the road is going on efficiently. Termed as ‘The Great Indian Road Project’, the road navigates through some mighty hilly and forested terrain and the conditions only worsen in the rainy monsoon season.
Surprisingly, contributions have come from many sources in India and abroad too. Such as one elderly man from London who says, “I was born in India but have been living in England for 45 years. I am 68. I had lost faith in our country as I have hearing news only about corruption, scams, rape and murder. But this story gives me hope to be proud of my country once again.”
The locals are actively engaged in the building of the road, which, once built, will save them two days of walk to reach the nearest hospital and other basic modern amenities present in Haflong. Each day, about 50 volunteering men from the communities participate in the hard labor work.
For the Armstrong brothers,” it is a gift we want to give to the villagers, our Christmas present to them.”
The Great Indian Road Project is a story of the people. Fed up by the false promises and the propagandas of a political world, the common man does not revolt, but engages in progressive actions which have a positive effect on human living.
To know more about this project and to contribute, please visit thegreatindianroad.in
The Northeast India Travel Blog 