By Fabian Lyngdoh
The act of keeping silent which the Khasis refer to as ‘mynthi’ or ‘mutlop’ is an unhealthy trend that is emerging in the Khasi society. Many important issues in the tribe remained unresolved for years and years because of this act of mynthi or mutlop. “Wat tuklar ka jakpoh kiwei” (do not interfere with the earnings of others), or “wat tuklar ka kam tnga ki briew” (do not interfere with the family affairs of others) are some of the emerging norms even if someone’s earning is through robbery, theft or corruption; or if a husband beats his wife to death before everyone else in the neighbourhood. So, it is better for us not to keep silent but to be involved in interactions like a dynamic and healthy society. It is not an ‘animal fight club’, but a healthy discussion and debate of human beings for the betterment of the tribe.
The equation of the Khasi faith and religion with the Kur is the belief of the Khasi-Pnar people. Let’s just see the views of some leaders of the Seng Khasi, academics and authors. U Jeebon Roy in his book, Shaphang U Wei U Blei, (translated by Bijoya Sawian, 2005, page 56) has written, “Religion amongst us Khasis includes the performance of rites and rituals in every clan. Religion is called ‘Niam’. Performing rites and rituals is not really true religion. It is ‘niam’ not ‘dharma’. True religion, however, is different. True religion is dharma.” It is true that the Khasi traditional religion is the performance of rites and rituals in every clan, but I fail to understand what the writer means when he says that true religion is dharma. The term ‘dharma’ in Hinduism refers to the duties regarded as sacred which had to be performed in accordance with one’s varna, jati and sect and which differed according to each of these. The constituents of dharma were: conformity to ritual duties, social obligations, and the norms of family and caste behaviour as stipulated in the Dharmashastras. Dr. Homiwell Lyngdoh wrote that the Khasis firmly believed that the collection of the bones of the dead in the mawbah (ossuary)of the clan religion is necessary because the spirit of the dead would not find rest since he cannot meet his ancestral mother in the spiritual world in the house of God (Ka Niam Khasi, Reprint: 2013, p. 168).
David Roy wrote that in their life, the Khasis pacified their deceased ancestors: u suidnia, ka ïawbei, and u thawlang by means of offerings (‘Khasi Religion’, Ka Syngkhong Jingtip, Vol.II No. 4, 1939). In reality the Khasis never worshipped the spirits of ancestors, but reverently respected them as elders, Gurus or Saints, on whose intercession they relied upon. H. O. Mawrie one of the great pillars of ka Seng Khasi wrote that the Khasis established religion in each clan, and the clan keeps religion in the care of the Godhead (Ka Blei), the Ancestress (ka ïawbei), the Ancestor (thawlang) and the Ancestral Uncle (u suidnia). These four comprise ‘ka Dawïing’ (the family cause). When the Ka Blei, Ka Iawbei, U Thawlang and U Suidnia are all satisfied with the clan or family, no devil or evil spirit or any Dawlum (external cause) can shake or put the clan in trouble. The Khasis trust the Dawïing and stands steadfast by it and when they realise that they are without blemish before ka Dawïng they never allow their hearts to be troubled. A Khasi has no church, house or temple to worship God whereas each and every clan has its own ïingseng ïingkhatduh (the residence of the youngest in the lineage of each clan) where all necessary religious rites and ceremonies of religion are performed with its own ancestress, ancestor and ancestral uncle (Ka Pyrkhat u Khasi (Reprint: 2000, pp.15-17).
Mr. J.K. Tariang the ex-president of the Seng Khasi confirmed that according to the Khasi traditional belief the completion of the rituals of interring the bones of the dead members in the main clan ossuary or ‘thep mawbah’ was so essential that the elders of old had taken upon themselves the authority to decree that the spirit of the deceased persons would not reach the abode of God unless the ceremony was performed and completed. Mr. Tariang explained that the ceremony of ‘ka thep mawbah’ has become very difficult and expensive. So, many rites, rituals and ceremonies have been modified and even discarded to suit the needs of the times and the prevailing circumstances, by following the procedure of obtaining a sanction from God to do so, by means of divination. (The Philosophy and Essence of Niam Khasi, 2012: pp.168-169).
Dr. Helen Giri has written that the religious rites and ceremonies of a kur must be performed within the ambit of the kur and cannot be performed by another kur. Ka Iawbei (primeval ancestress) is the goddess of the clan and the giver of covenants. It is the ancestress who has to take care of the living and the dead belonging to her kur under the protection of u Suidnia (eldest ancestral maternal uncle of the clan). Mr Morning Star Sumer reminded all the Khasis (including Synteng/Pnar) that the Niam Khasi is known as the Niam-kur (Clan Religion) which means that every kur (clan) has its own mores for governance of the kur: as is known and acknowledged by the members of the Khasi-Pnar/Khasi-Synteng community themselves” (ST, January 12, 2015). So it is beyond doubt that every man and woman in the traditional Khasi kur system belongs to the religion of his or her kur, and to belong to the same kur, in Khasi concept also implies to belong to the same religious cult.
There is no single Khasi religion with common godheads for the whole tribe, and in which all the Khasis are the members of. Among the Khasis there are no common prophets like Mohammed in Islam, or Buddha in Buddhism and no common Godheads like Jesus in Christianity, or like Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, Durga etc. in Hinduism. Community religions are different from one raid or hima to the other, and have nothing to do with the eternal life of the soul, but are concerned purely with temporal affairs of the polity, the economy and other societal needs. According to Dr. Homiwell Lyngdoh, Ka Pomblang Nongkrem is the religious sacrifice to ka Ïawbei, u Suidnia, u Thawlang and ki Phan ki Kyrpad of the Jait Syiem Shillong. Formerly it was known as ka ‘Niam ki Syiem’. In community religions, the devotees are only the basan and bakhraw clans of the raid or hima concerned; all the others are only spectators, audience and participants in the festival only, but not in the religion.
There is nothing wrong, but rather, it is a matter of right to fight for legitimate rights. If there is sufficient grounds in the provisions of the Indian Constitution, the believers and upholders of the Niam Khasi-Niamtre have every right to claim minority status in Meghalaya. But as Bah Morning Star Sumer said that ‘since the Khasi religion is a Niam-kur, every clan which has not embraced other religions is a minority group,’ a fresh question emerges: “How many clans are there in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills which are still practicing the clan religion and have not embraced other religions? In the past, the believers of indigenous faith were formally grouped and identified according to the clans.
The simple fact is that today the believers of indigenous faith can no more be grouped according to clans because about 70 per cent of the members of all clans have embraced other religions though clan relationship is still maintained between the converted and unconverted. The clan has lost its traditional characteristics as a religious institution, as an independent economy, as political unit in the raid or hima, and as the basic member of society. Traditional religious rituals are no longer observed, and the institution of the ïing-khatduh as the centre of the Khasi clan religion has lost its true meaning. The economic well-being of the Khasi families today no longer depends on the kur economy, but on the individual efforts or fortune of the nuclear family. The uncle loses his role and status as the priest; hence his controlling authority over the kur and the families has become ineffective. The believers of Khasi indigenous faith need a new formal institution by which they can be legally identified.