By Janet Moore Hujon
“What we do in war – which, after all, lasts a comparatively short time – affects the whole character of peace, which covers a much longer period.” (George Bell, Bishop of Chichester)
Although Bishop Bell’s words were a response to the blanket bombing of German towns by the Allies keen on bringing Hitler to his knees, his acute observation is just as relevant today and even more so, in this strife torn world we live in. Look at Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Israel, Afghanistan, Africa, Tibet, our own sub-continent – the list is endless. Real and lasting peace is but a mirage and the creation of ‘hostages in the[ir] homeland[s]’* or refugees abroad is a recurring reality. The recent events in Shillong may not be comparable in scale to the horrors of the Second World War or any of the other conflicts, but what happened on the streets of the city will still have its unwelcome echoes for years to come. Given that Meghalaya is one of the many states making up the Indian Union, given that people from the state will still make use of study and work opportunities in other Indian states, it is even more urgent for people in the state to start examining who they are, what they want to stand for and consequently how they are going to be or want to be perceived.
Still reeling with shock from the election results in the state, the recent newspaper reports have forced me to make the connection between the two. Both the Government and the KSU seem to be mirror images of each other – all they do is talk. But all their pronouncements are useless without any corresponding positive actions or even worse, just wishy-washy gestures. What the government does or does not do will only encourage the kind of demonstrations we recently witnessed, and what the KSU does or does not do will only provide the administration with the justification to belittle their otherwise valid concerns. Unfortunately, at present, both sides are merely helping one another preserve the status quo.
If the old mafia is once more restored to power, if teachers still have to agitate in order to receive their salaries, if the portfolio of Water Resources is considered a minor responsibility(!!), (ST, March 13), and if CBI probes prove to be a time-wasting process, etc. etc. then what hope have we got? For God’s sake here in Britain a Government minister and his wife are jailed for lying about a speeding offence (minor, compared to the catalogue of misdeeds in Meghalaya), and the couple concerned happen to be millionaires – proving beyond doubt that money or not, justice is served. This is why people in Britain can continue their lives with relative ease because they feel that Right and Wrong are clearly defined areas which do not overlap and the rule of Law will prevail even if you are a high-ranking government minister. Will such a situation ever replicate itself in Meghalaya? One can only hope – against hope – as we have been doing for so many years.
I had left Shillong by the time the KSU came into power and only hear or read about the negative aspect of their reign, and perhaps because of that distance I felt I could sympathise with the way they take the government to task. On the face of it, their demands for better roads, their championing of the cause of farmers seeking remuneration from a Government keen only to generously ‘pay’ itself but not anyone else, their flagging up of illegal influx with its link to the corrupt coal mining industry phrase borrowed from Naures Atto’s book Hostages in the Homeland, Orphans in the Diaspora in which she catalogues the travails of the Assyrian people who still speak Aramaic – the language spoken by Jesus. Driven by religious persecution they left their homeland to seek refuge in Europe where through peaceful means they are adopting measures to create an awareness of their culture whose demise they will not allow). are driven by a search for justice and clarity. It is absolutely right to challenge the inertia or collusion of a government of double standards and an indifference to environmental degradation. I also wholly support the idea of a ‘Khasi Awakening’ if it means an evaluation of systems of knowledge and ways of being especially in relation to our imperilled environment. Meghalaya has much to offer the world in this regard. So if the KSU with all the human resources at its disposal would busy itself with saving Meghalaya, I would be the first to applaud their stand. Instead we have to contend with the beating up of innocent visitors to the state and with vandalism and all in the name of preserving Khasi culture.
It is no wonder then that these shameful actions have been described as fascistic although they are not by any means a Shillong specialty. Backed by a baying crowd it is easy to exhibit a show of strength. Sadly however such ill-thought out actions can only spark similar retaliatory acts that will result in long-term damage to relations between communities. And as in the Middle East, you will then have one set of fundamentalists trying to wipe out the other, and even if there are no fatalities the demon of mistrust will flourish in rival camps making peace a slow, painful process if not impossible. Fear of the other does not readily diminish and is easily stoked and invariably expresses itself through violence. The ‘character of peace’ is therefore severely compromised and sadly those who suffer most are people who just want to live out their lives in peace.
‘Khasi by blood, Indian by accident’ may sound inspiring but have the authors of this rallying cry given thought as to which other country or community they would like to link the destiny of the Khasi to? For at the moment I do not think we can go it alone. Would all the hill tribes of India live happily together? Would we be the united Seven Sisters if we shared one government, and would that government rise above petty communal politics and put forward men and women who would govern for the good of all? I don’t think so. And then look at our other nearest neighbours* – China and Burma Take your pick. Racially we could easily melt into these countries and not stand out as we do in the rest of India. But Burma has only recently won reprieve from decades of suppression and the minorities like the Karens and Rakhines are suffering persecution, and as for China well…I need not expand. India has her share of communal problems but give me secular India any day. Even though I am still troubled by the colonial brainwashing we suffered in school, it was in that institution that I learnt respect for the beliefs and cultural mores of other communities without it being forced down my throat. (To be Continued…)
*(I do not include Bangladesh because there are tensions there already).