By Michael Makri
This article is written while in the midst of my final preparation for comprehensive exams in Broadcast Media at the University of the Philippines, Diliman – Asia’s best university in the field of Media and Communications. I am deeply affected by what is happening back home in Meghalaya. Probably the phrase by an unknown author ‘You can take the girl out of the village, but you can’t take the village out of the girl’ rings true for me and for many others who are proud of their motherland. On a daily basis, I read all newspapers online including ‘The Shillong Times, U Mawphor, U Nongsain Hima, Meghalaya Guardian, The Meghalaya Times, et al. I also read the blogs and tweets of those I subscribe to in social media. All is not well back home and this affects me, my studies and my perception of others. It also affects the way I think and see the world. My concern is how to bring Meghalaya at par with the rest of the world. The daily reports on corruptions, bandhs, strikes, office picketing, the emergence of different groups and associations both lawful and unlawful, the rise in various crimes and the deteriorating values of our people make me feel that our future is doomed.
While the rest of the world is progressing – we are regressing. We are stripped of our natural wealth by a few individuals who see their belly as the world. We have struggled with the same issues for several decades. We are stagnating in all areas of development, in education, communication, sports facilities etc. These are the root causes for the myriad problems in the state. Change is not visible because it is not happening. We see a vast difference between Meghalaya and the rest of the world. What governance flaws have deprived us of the opportunities to be like the rest of the world? We are stuck in our cocoons; our well is the ocean. Some of us are paid to keep our mouths shut. Others are brainwashed by the mentality of ‘ngim lah ban leh ei ei’. What a pity – we are doomed!
At this juncture we need radical change to root-out the problems we have been facing for too long now. We need change that will enable each citizen to live his/her life happily – receiving what he/she deserves! Although I am young and my words and ideas may not carry weight but let me suggest a few points as tools for change to happen.
First and foremost we have to change ourselves. ‘Be the change you seek to see’ – said MK Gandhi. So we need to change our attitudes and mentality. Correct me if I am wrong, but we generally consider ourselves superior to others. We lack basic humility and act as if we know all and there’s nothing left to learn. Last December while meeting a few friends who were helping me to develop the Khasi Bible application in Laitumkhrah, sitting next to our table were a group of youngsters in their 20’s who flunked in their final exams. These young men blamed the schools for their failure. This mentality has to change. Humility should start from childhood and be taught by parents, exemplified by elders and more so those in authority including the politicians.
Secondly, change in our tribal worldview does not mean changing ‘The Tribal Identity.’ I am a proud tribal because we are endowed with talents. Our culture, songs, music and dances are the best in the world. The change that we tribals should aim at is to do away with reservations. We have belittled ourselves with this quota system. Why do I need a quota when I have the same brain like anyone else? Why do we need people to pity us? Are we not capable? Do we lack something mentally and physically? This quota system is the root cause of our laziness. To be precise, three years ago while building our chapel, we got labourers who were non-Meghalayans, to do the work. Then a local group from around the place approached me saying, ‘Please give us work, we are the people from this place.” We felt sorry for them and told them to construct a 5 by 13 feet wall. Alas! the work which was to be completed in a week took them two months. Why? Because tribals are supposed to start work at 10 am but they arrive at 11 am. Then there is a break every hour for chewing kwai or smoking. Then there is lunch break for one hour. In short they work just 3 hours a day instead of the regular working hours.
Thirdly, we need to change our relationship with one another. Those of us who have not moved from our ‘dong’ (locality) or village will not know what I’m talking about. But to a handful of us who fortunately or unfortunately have left Meghalaya, the relationships among Meghalayans is not well. We barely support each other when we meet outside the State. We don’t speak to each other and if we do speak then we are hesitant to use our dialect. So we are foreigners to each other. I envy the Nagas, Mizos, Tamilians, the Malayalis etc., They rarely speak English or Hindi when they are among themselves. Yet their literacy rate is much better than Meghalaya’s. It’s high time to change this way of life.
Next, there is the need for change in our educational system! Education by its very definition is aimed at personal development and growth. Formal education came to Meghalaya since the 1800s but now, three centuries later we cannot even claim to be truly educated. Our educational system has produced militants, thieves and opportunists from various offices and institutions. Only a handful of people have contributed towards the betterment of society. Probably our educational system is still very colonial and is intended to make us feel inferior. We have been brainwashed that if we don’t know to speak English we are uneducated (‘ki biej’). So we are made to learn English because only those who speak English are considered educated. There is a beautiful article by Bijoya Sawian titled ‘Education and the Youth – Iaiminot’, (ST May 16, 2015). I hope we had time to read it; if not please consider reading it.
We need education coupled with skills training. Let our educational system focus not only in the traditional method of education (learning ABC or passing nursery or high school) but in education for life – education for character formation, education that makes students job creators not job seekers, education that promotes creativity and not on copy and paste shortcuts; education that promotes cultures and does not push us to imitate other cultures; education based not on competition (for first and second ranks) but on transformation. There is a dire need for change! Our schools, colleges and universities should change and fast. Parents should look out for such institutions for their children. Our leaders should facilitate these changes. After all, we call them our leaders. The leader is the one who foresees the future of those whom he leads.
To conclude I would say that change is possible; it only requires collective effort. Therefore, let’s start at the root. Parents should be ready to change and help their children to change and grow! If parents are not ready to change for the better they should not call themselves parents. Parenting is a demanding activity. Sadly most couples become parents without any preparedness. Young people, let us change and make use of our education and talents for growth and development, not for destructive activities. Leaders, you hold responsibility for our growth and development, please change the way you have been doing things for so many decades. Young people look up to you for inspiration; don’t inspire us to be more corrupt like it has been happening for so long now! Let us act collectively and now! We are already late!