• Gargee Nandi

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma visited the facilities of Sister Rose, who had initiated the ‘Rubber Revolution’ in Garo Hills. Incidentally the ‘Rubber Sister’ as she is fondly called by the locals, also pioneered the cooperative movement in North Garo Hills.

Sister Rose, a catholic nun originally from Kottayam Kerela, reached Garo Hills in the eighties. She took the villagers into confidence, shipped bogies of rubber saplings from Kerela, and started the rubber journey.

CM Sangma also visited the utility outlet she had set up to sell different products.

During his visit, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma asked her to draft 3 proposals which would include ways to improve logistics to move the rubber, secondly expansion of the existing center, and thirdly adding value to the products.

CM Sangma also discussed ways to train the youth to make saleable products made from rubber. “ I can create a big market space from where people can directly buy,” CM Sangma said in his visit.