By E Dhar
The human is a strange being, a being whose very life is filled with contradictions. On one hand, he dreams of Unity. On the other hand, he fears the “Other”. The “Other”; the word that signifies anything alien to our experiences, our culture and our beliefs. Call it whatever you want (Foreigner, Invader, Encroacher), but all these prove that we fear anything outside our experiences. Why do we hate outside influence like venom? What could be the reason of our anger?
Our culture is indeed unique and special. But then again, so is every culture. What I don’t understand is our condescension towards them. There is still no solution for the ongoing crisis in our state. Our government is too apathetic to care, the agitators are too hateful to care who they’re hurting. And who suffers? Innocent people; people who only want to live their day-to-day lives without the extra burden of worrying for their security. Weren’t we taught as children to reason wisely? Why is violence and blackmail the only solution then? The mentality of our society is heading backwards. We did not possess such disdain for other races in the past. We communicated and traded with them. If sometimes there was an interracial marriage, no hullaballoo or discrimination took place. Many Khasi surnames came from intermarriage. Yet the Khasi identity did not dissolve or perish. However, what the agitators fear is an invasion or onslaught of non-tribals through marriage or encroachment. They see a race being completely overwhelmed by the sheer majority of the “Other”. In panic, they hastily took decisions and actions without properly thinking of the consequences. And we got this mess.
The ILP that many people want to implement is an outdated idea. It’s too late to prevent intrusion through check gates. It’s only purpose would be to give unnecessary trouble to tourists, who give much-needed revenue to the State. What we need is a fair law and a strong, efficient, far-sighted government to tackle any illegal influx. Our government cannot even ensure that our people near the borders are protected. Of what use is this ILP then? A State can enact any number of bills to tackle problems, but if it’s weak and corrupt then they are pointless. At the same time, we must not give in to fear and hate. Paranoia severely clouds one’s ability to judge fairly. Look at what happened in Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh). Instead of easing relations between Hindus and Muslims, the UP government stoked resentment and ill-feelings for votes. Forty three lives were lost and thousands are now displaced. Do we want such atrocities to happen in our State? Communalism, regionalism, fundamentalism: all ideas that perpetuate separation and intolerance will cost us dear. If we don’t find a way to resolve this issue soon, things will definitely worsen.
Do the NGOs have any idea of the horror of being burned alive? We have occasionally received mild burnt injuries through accidents. Though we were only momentarily touched by heat, the stinging sensation is certainly unpleasant. Imagine yourself being poured on with an extremely flammable liquid. A matchstick is lit and is thrown on your body. Flames burst out on your own skin roasting you immediately. If you survive temporarily, the agonizing blisters, the burned nerves and melted skin tortures you to the very end. Isn’t this the pinnacle of cruelty? Have we become monsters in our zeal to protect ourselves from “perceived monsters”? Instead of ending the violence, they offer their “sympathies” as though that automatically writes off their guilt. The NGOs’ Nazi style of functioning must end.
We have lived in a self-created cocoon for too long. We have lived under the illusion of our “superiority” to others. We have lived under the impression that our knowledge is complete. If that were truly the case, I don’t understand why we, the Jaitbynriew, have failed to contribute anything new and important to the world. Why do we lack so much in development? Why is poverty, disease and ignorance so rampant in our State? What is the reason for the majority of our misery and hardships? Where do the funds for the State disappear? Are we so used to the prevalence of corruption that we don’t give a crap about the real issues that plague our brothers and sisters? If we care so much for our tribe, then why didn’t we show any concern for the farmers that lost their livelihood when the Autumn Festival was cancelled? How much money did the State lose due to bandhs and road blockades? How many people missed their chance to earn their daily wages? Why didn’t the agitators (the self-proclaimed protectors) knock from door-to-door and offer food and money to them? No, not even one person offered to help. And I am ashamed to say that I too have failed them by not even raising a whimper of protest.
Our society is fragmenting. There is deep mistrust among the states of India. We have denied the bond that exists in all of us. We come into this world with nothing, we leave with nothing. We breathe the same air, we eat the same food that grows from the same Earth, we hope and worry about our future in the same manner. Had we been more concerned about the nation as one people than as separate races, our problems would’ve been drastically reduced. I wonder what’s next to split apart. Will there come a time when the Khynriams, Pnars, Bhois and Wars reach out for each others’ throats? With this entire obsession on being a “pure blood”, that could happen.
However, there’s one thing about this world that I can say with certainty. All things with form eventually die. The Ancient Egyptian Empire thought they would last forever, the Assyrians thought they would last forever, the Romans and the Mughals thought they would last forever; Time turned them to dust and now they’re only history. The same fate awaits our civilization. We can delay it by adapting to changing events. Yet we continue to reject the notion that we are just tenants of the Earth, not owners. Don’t we believe in a God that treats us all with equal kindness or are we somehow more special? Though humanity’s arrogance has failed to abate even after thousands of years, the Law of Cause and Effect remains. I put my hand in a fire, it gets burned. I walk off a cliff, I fall to my death. I treat people with contempt, they treat me with contempt. If anyone discriminates against others, he shouldn’t protest when he too is being discriminated against. Everybody wants peace, but they can’t agree how that peace should be. Unless we rise from our petty differences and come to respect one another, the Cycle of Hatred will consume us all.
I am tired of being under the mercy of miscreants. I want to work, drive and walk when I want. Perhaps, we could at least let our displeasure be known to the agitators by coming together in one place and voicing our opinions. I don’t know if this is possible, but it will definitely send a strong message to them that they don’t have our support. Maybe there will come a day when we as a nation can self-govern ourselves efficiently and fairly. I hope.