By H H Mohrmen
The June 31 order of the National Green Tribunal which upheld its previous order banning mining and transportation of coal in the state of Meghalaya has sent a very clear message that right to life as prescribed in the Constitution is paramount over livelihood and economic development of the state. The order has also made it clear that right to life which includes the rights of a citizen to a clean air, fresh water and an environment which can support life are the basic rights of every citizen of the country.
What the people who opposed the order fail to understand is that they cannot impose their rights to livelihood over the rest of society’s right to life. More importantly, the pro-mining lobby has also failed to understand that not only human beings are important but even other creations too are part of the web of existence and have the same right to live.
The photograph which accompanied the much publicised rally organized by the Movement for Indigenous People’s Right and Livelihood (MIPRL) on June 30, has three black banners which only reflect the same attitude that some people’s right to livelihood should prevail over other people’s right to life. The slogan also suggested that fishes and fellow creations do not even have any right at all and humans are pre-ordained to lord over the creations. The slogan in Khasi on one of the black banners says: “Ka NGT ka pangnud ba ki iap ki dohkha, hynrei ka matlah pat ba iap ki briew mynta.” Loosely translated it means, ‘Dead fishes have touched the NGT’s hearts while it is blind to the fact that people are dying now.’
One may ask why we unnecessarily drag the poor fish into this crucial debate. I think there is a purpose in using fish as a metaphor here. Fishes are not only the earliest form of life on earth but they have been used as important symbols by some civilizations. The Bible tells us about the story of Jonah who was swallowed by a huge fish and also how Jesus ordained the disciples who decided to follow him by urging them to be the fishers of men. Fish itself is used as symbol of Christianity.
Who is the genius that came up with the brilliant ‘fish slogan’ which was carried on the front page by every newspaper in the state? Surely, it cannot come from the legal adviser of MIPRL because fish is important to his own being (that is if he still respects this folk story). Erwin K. Sutnga ( a descendant of the erstwhile Sutnga dynasty) knows that he owes his origin to a certain fish, so fish is important to him. Legend has it that the great grandfather of the clan u Lot Ryndi (as he is known in War Jaintia) went fishing in the river Waikhyrwi (unfortunately this river is dead now due to coal mining) and caught a fish. He took the fish home and put it in a basket on the bamboo mantle over his fire place. Perhaps it was by divine intention that Lot forgot to cook the fish and it remained on the ‘tyng-ieir’ for few days. But to Lot’s surprise every time he returned from his paddy field he found that his house was spick and span. At first he thought that some kind neighbour had come to clean his house while he was in the field. Later Lot decided to find out who cleaned his house while he was away. The next morning as usual he prepared his lunch, took his plough and machete and pretended as if he was going to the rice fields but returned half way and hid in a place from where he could see the inside of his house. To his utter surprise he saw the fish that he had forgotten on the bamboo mantle-piece over the fire- place jump out of the basket to the ground. After the fish had struggled and writhed on the floor for few seconds it turned to a beautiful young woman. Lot caught her and held her close and later married her. The fish that turned to a woman became the progenitor (Iawmberi/Seinjeit) of the Sutnga dynasty which has ruled the Jaintia Kingdom till the British defeated the Pnar and annexed the Jaintia Kingdom. Li Dakha as she is known in the legend after bearing many children with Lot, due to some misunderstanding jumped again to the water at the river Thlu Muwi never to return. She left Lot and their children who started the Sutnga Dynasty and the Jaintia Royal family. So if one respects one’s culture and tradition, fish are important; they even gave us our dynasty.
There is also another important connection in the story, Ksan Syiemlieh mother of u Tirot Singh Syiem of the Hima Nongkhlaw was from the Sutnga clan which means that the Nongkhlaw royal family also owes its origin to ka Li Dakha the fish.
There is another important fish story in the Khasi Jaintia folklore and that is the story of U ?ale/Yale and ka Kupli (the pollution of which is unfortunately the cause of the present NGT ban). ?ale and Kupli were husband and wife and their Kingdom is under water in the Kupli River and some of the fishes are their children.
Fishes are not the only animals which are important in the Khasi Pnar folklore; in fact the hill people consider all creation (30 mrad) as equal inhabitants of the Earth. Humans and animals are believed to even shop in the same market called the Iew luri lura because it is believed that humans and animals can still communicate to each other at the time. There are hundreds of stories in the Khasi Pnar folklore which tell similar stories of how human and animals had a strong connection during the days of yore.
Animals and fishes are also important part of the Khasi Pnar folk tradition so, when fishes die due to polluted water from mining, not only do people downstream lose their livelihoods just like those who are involved in mining activities are doing today, but we also lose part of our culture and traditions. When the fishes die, people downstream not only lost their livelihoods but tragically they also lost their way of life because the river is their lifeline – the importance of which people in the mining areas will not be able to comprehend.
The NGT order is about the right to life of not only the present generation but even the generations to come because if fishes die unnatural deaths in the rivers due to pollution then it not only affects this generation but it is also sounding a death-knell to the subsequent generations until the water is regenerated.
When I challenge Dr Mukul Sangma’s integrated basin development program few years ago, I had these rivers in my mind. If the government could only reclaim river Myntdu, Lukha and Kupli the basins of these rivers will not only give locals their livelihoods again, but the fishes from these rivers will be able to supply fresh fishes to the markets in Meghalaya and we will not have to depend on frozen fishes from Andhra anymore.
Let us hope that the government under the leadership of Dr Mukul Sangma will not kowtow to the coal mine lobby but make up its mind to come up with its own idea out of this quagmire. When it comes to the environment issue, Dr Sangma and all those in the government should consult their kids because not only do kids know more about environmental issues but the future too belongs to them and their children.
One important point: The RTI seeking information on the Head of Department of Environment Dr O.P Singh’s qualification (on the basis of whose work the objection was lodged with NGT) by people with coal mining interests is uncalled for because the intention is questionable as it was filed at the wrong time. Rather than question the qualification of Dr Singh, the motive why the RTI was filed is important. The RTI should be filed to seek information on how many PhD students Prof Singh has successfully guided or how many of their research works were published in reputed peer-reviewed journals. This is a classic case of shooting the messenger because we can’t stomach the message.