BOSCO PNAR
Bosco Pnar
Bosco Pnar, a non formal educational school and training centre , is situated at the outskirts of Jokai, about 64 Kames from Shilling the capital town of Meghalaya. Jokai is the headquarters of the Jaintia Hills District. It has got all the structures of a District capital: magistrates, police and a prison, besides offices of different Government departments. It is also the site of the Jaintia District Council which has got special powers under the 6th Schedule. It is certainly the most important commercial centre. There are many schools and some colleges. Numerous Christian denominations are present and the ancient khasi religion is very strong.
The salesman presence in Jaintia Hills dates back to as early as 1922 when Fr. Hauberk was sent by Mons. Mathias to look after the Railing Parish. The salesman presence at Jokai has lasted for more than 50 years; it came to an end when the parish was handed over to the Diocese in 1983. Because of this history the desire to have a new salesman presence in Jokai was strong among the confreres and every time the Silesians in Jaintia had any meeting this idea was always coming up. At last Fr. John Khonglah was asked to look for a place .He was lucky to find some land, about 4 acres, in the village of Mihmyntdu which happens to be a kind of continuation of Jokai town. One purchase was from the Laloo clan and was concluded on the 18.11.1986; the second purchase was from the Phawa clan and was concluded on the 16.3.1988. Fr. Khonglah and other two khasi confreres saw to the necessary documentation.
It was decided to have an institution which would help tackle the problem of unemployment in Jaintia Hills; that is to teach certain trades, based on local needs, to the youth and so create self employment for them. It was clear that the special need would be to learn jobs related to transport because coal extraction had filled up all the roads with trucks and the highway near the school was full with vehicles coming from all directions. In 1990 Fr. Ugo Turco and Fr. Carmelo Spitale were sent to start this work at Jokai.
The building went up slowly and as soon as space became available workshops were started. It is a blessing to have nearby the Police Reserve and the Prison and also Kiang Nangbah College: so a lot of youth is within reach; many come here attracted by the spacious football ground and by the basketball court and don’t feel disturbed by the Presbyterian Cemetery alongside the Bosco Pnar Compound.
In 2006 Bosco Pnar was erected as a Canonical Religious House with several confreres. Fr. Tuligi was installed as first Rector in May 2006.
