Picturesque and blessed with an abundance of nature’s gifts, Shillong is described as the ‘Scotland of the East’ because of its striking similarity with that of the Scottish Highlands.
Shillong the capital of Meghalaya is located at an altitude of 1496 meters above the Sea level. It is a popular hill station with vastness of culture, language and religion. With people living in interior villages where proper medical facilities Capital city of Meghalaya, Shillong is also known as the Scotland of East. Meghalaya constitutes a small part of India and has not seen much economic growth over the years; this is because of the poor transport links to the area.
Most of the people in Shillong earn their livelihood by engaging in activities like cattle rearing and cultivating fruits, potatoes and rice. The area is known for its natural resources, too, which is why mining is one of the most widely done activities. One of the major problems that the inhabitants of Shillong face is the low productivity of agricultural activities. Income generated from such activities is not enough to sustain oneself and therefore is a big concern. This is one of the major reasons for the increasing poverty in Shillong.
The most affected groups of this situation are particularly women and children. Gender inequality along with human trafficking has also been a raging concern in the area.