[ Pisi Zauing ]
MIAO, 17 Oct: For as far back as the elders can remember, the people of Miao in Changlang district have stood on the banks of the Noa Dehing river, gazing across its calm but stubborn waters – a silent reminder of what was missing.
On the far side, the right bank, lay the land of their ancestors – the N’khumsang territorial area, home to the proud Singpho community, the founders of Miao.
For decades, this sacred stretch of land remained untouched by modern roads, its people cut off by a river that carried their hopes downstream year after year.
Generations waited. Governments came and went. Promises were made, sometimes with grand words, sometimes with
quiet nods – yet the bridge never came. The right bank remained like a beautiful dream trapped in mist – visible, but just out of reach.
For decades, the only link to Miao town was through country boats – frail vessels that carried lives across the river’s turbulent currents. Villagers crossed at their own risk, navigating waves that had swallowed too many before them. Accidents were a tragic reality: the mighty Noa Dehing, beautiful yet merciless, claimed precious lives time and again.
Then, on a golden October morning in 2025, Chief Minister Pema Khandu arrived in Miao with his Cabinet under the banner of ‘Cabinet Aapke Dwar’. Among many discussions that day, one decision touched the hearts of every villager – the long-awaited approval of a motorable bridge over the Noa Dehing river. With that single nod, decades of waiting began to dissolve into tears of gratitude and disbelief.
This bridge, when built, will not merely connect two banks; it will unite two worlds. It will carry dreams, livelihoods, and laughter from one side to the other. It will bring the hum of development, the rhythm of opportunity, and the fragrance of prosperity to the right bank that had long lived in quiet endurance.
Land values will rise, yes, but more precious will be the rise of human spirit. Young men and women will start small ventures, farmers will find new markets, and children will cross the bridge to schools with smiles brighter than the morning sun.
For the people of Miao, this is not just infrastructure; it is inheritance restored, identity reconnected, and faith reaffirmed. The Noa Dehing, once a boundary, will now become a bond.
And as the sun sets over the gentle waters, one can almost hear the river whisper: “At last, the bridge is coming home.”
