By Collin Wanñiang
On October 19th, an article appeared in The Shillong Times written by Patricia Mukhim with the title “Religion versus Dharma: What is Durga Puja?” In the last paragraph of the article, among many other questions, Kong Patricia rightly observed: “What leaves me wondering, however, is why there are so few non-Khasis willing to speak Khasi and learning to adapt to some of the desirable aspects of Khasi cultural principles? Why do we have communal ghettos in this city?” Based on my own personal experiences in the City, I would say that the first question of Kong Patricia is already partially an answer to the second question. Growing up in those 1980’s with so many curfews and loss of school days, we as school children breathed an air of uneasiness when passing through a non-Khasi majority locality. No matter how a non-Khasi trader tried to speak Khasi, we would not be able to go beyond the stereotypes. Well, I suppose this is the stereotype of many minority tribes or nations who are over-conscious of their being engulfed and invaded. Most of the indigenous youths and NGO’s of our State implicitly or explicitly appeal for “Ka Ri bad ka Jaitbynriew” (the land and the tribe). They may have differences of opinions and ideologies among themselves but rarely when it comes to “Ka Ri bad ka Jaitbynriew”.
Linguistically and culturally, Meghalaya is an island. Thus, it becomes quite difficult for non-Khasis to learn the Khasi language and to adapt to some of the desirable aspects of Khasi cultural principles. However, my saying is valid only for those who are temporary sojourners in Shillong. What about those who have made Shillong their home? So, in line with Kong Patricia Mukhim I also wonder why are there so few non-Khasis who had lived in Shillong for decades and centuries willing to speak Khasi and learning to adapt to some of the desirable aspects of Khasi cultural principles? Could we easily blame our Educational Board which has not even made Khasi a compulsory subject even for Khasis themselves? At least, thanks to the Meghalaya Language Act, 2005 for making the Khasi language an Associate Official Language in the State. Speaking with a Jewish Professor about the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, he defended saying, “There is no other place on earth where we can call our home, while the Arabs are all around us. If we don’t have this land there is nothing more to hold on.” Similarly, Ka Bri HynñiewTrep is so dear to every Khasi. It is this land that has formed one “Jaitbynriew”. There might have been generations of non-tribals who founded Shillong together with the British, but still in the thought of many Khasis, they are “bar-jylla”. Why so? There are many reasons. One of the answers is already in the question posed by Kong Patricia Mukhim in her article mentioned above: “Why there are so few non-Khasis willing to speak Khasi and learn to adapt to some of the desirable aspect of Khasi cultural principles?”
The Durga Puja festivities this year was amplified by a special competition created for Khasi drummers by the Central Puja Committee (CPC). This initiative gives an indigenous outlook and essence to Durga Puja which I believe, was done on purpose to bring harmony and mutual respect in the pine city. This reality is echoed in the words of Amalendu Dasgupta, who has been convener of the Dhak competition for the past 22 years: “It was a historic moment and a day would come when Khasi drummers would take the main stage during Durga Puja.” That the Khasi drummers had really benefited from the interaction is echoed in the words of Dajied Sing Kharkongor, Secretary of Sngap Paka Institute of Indigenous Heritage, who said, “They (dhakis) are very professional. Their instruments and beats are a little different so competition between us is not possible, but if there are programmes we can fuse with them.” Moreover, mutual learning and benefit is echoed in the words of the 27-year-old Sanbok Synrem, who teaches at Seng Khasi and is the project coordinator for Jeeban Roy Memorial Creative Arts Academy: “Music has no language they say and watching the second competition taught us a new language. Though our aim is to perform in the traditional Khasi way, next year we will add a bit of fusion from the ideas that we have got from watching the dhakis.”
As all these seem to be a blending harmony, an interesting headline appeared in the online Khasi Daily “Mawphor” of October 23rd with the title “Buh Pandal Puja ha kyrteng i longkmie Khasi” (A Puja Pandal erected in the name of a Khasi Mother). Reading this, my thoughts immediately flew to the observations of Kong Patricia Mukhim in her article “Religion versus Dharma: What is Durga Puja?” just three days before this particular Khasi headline appears, where she wrote: “One must of course admit that we have learnt some lessons from the past. In the last five years or more we have never had any doubts that Durga Puja would be celebrated in Shillong. Gone are those days of fear and apprehension about the worst. The Khasi-Jaintia community – the host community in Shillong must be congratulated for their spirit of accommodation and grace. They have always been a gentle, good natured society and if they have found it difficult to reach out it is because Khasis are by nature reserved. This is borne out by Japanese scholar Chie Nakane’s accounts in her book about the Khasis and also observations by British chroniclers.”
All along I was wondering at this sudden Khasi taste of Durga Puja. I was wondering if it was politically motivated or really a leap beyond the stereotypes; I was wondering if our Shillongites have really understood the Dharma or the ethics of life which our Governor Mooshahary mentioned.
However, it came like a bolt from the blue when the Khasi and English newspapers reported about how the Seng Khasi blamed the Puja Committee on the misuse of its sacred flag. It is reported in the Shillong Times that Seng Khasi Ri Raid Laban President BS Marbaniang demanded necessary and appropriate action by the government against the Puja Committee at the earliest as per provisions of the law and said, “Such acts of deliberate malicious intention have deeply affected the religious sentiments of all the Seng Khasi believers of the State.” Moreover, the noble intention of this new initiative of naming the puja pandal as “Ka Irish Shullai Durga Puja committee” after the mother of Sanbor Shullai, local legislator and Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly is not very clear.
Kong Patricia Mukhim, in her article mentioned above raised a question: What is it that restrains us from striking genuine friendships? As it is mentioned that in the last five years or more we have never had any doubts that Durga Puja would be celebrated in Shillong and those days of fear and apprehension about the worst are gone. So, can we see this initiative of Khasizing the Durga Puja as a genuine attempt to strike a genuine friendship between the tribals and non-tribals? Putting the flag of the Seng Khasi on the hand of the goddess Durga might have been thought by many well-wishers as a noble gesture of cultural blending. However, I perceive that this has gone too far. There is a gap between the external display of Hinduism and the indigenous Khasi faith. Bah Sumar Sing Sawian in his Khasi article “Ka Nartiang Ka Nuksa Jong Ka Burom Kylliang” (Nartiang an example of mutual respect), published on 24th October in the online Khasi Daily “U Nongsaiñ Hima” mentioned that even after the Khasi Syiemship of Sutnga became the Jaintia kingdom and the kings were Hindus, the inhabitants (u Khun u Hajar) still remained in the indigenous religion (ka niam tynrai) but during the Durga Puja all celebrated together. However, with due respect for the Khasi tradition not to worship idols (da kaba burom ïa ka rukom Khasi ban nym mane bleithaw), the goddess Durga in Nartiang is symbolised by a banana tree (ïa ka blei Durga ha Nartiang la khet da ka ‘Lakait).
If more than 500 years ago, during the Hindu kingship of the Jaintia kingdom there was a mutual respect in the summer Capital of Nartiang, how much more today in our so-called era of enlightenment? If more than 500 years ago a banana tree was used instead of an idol so as not to hurt the Khasi religious sentiments, it might have been imprudent to make that idol of the goddess hold the Seng Khasi flag in her hand. However, all these might have taken place due to over-enthusiasm, festive moods and lack of courtesy from the part of the organizers of “Ka Irish Shullai Durga Puja committee” or is there a hidden agenda beyond the grasp of an ordinary Khasi?