Michael Makri
After returning from a foreign country I have observed that Meghalaya is ‘a society that has lost its conscience’. Critics may disagree with me but to support my observation let me cite few examples. Conscience as the dictionary defines it is ‘a person’s moral sense of right and wrong which acts as a guide to one’s behaviour.’ Further, if taken from the Christian perspective of conscience, ‘It’s a voice calling people to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil.’ For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths (CCC1776). Based on these two definitions quoted above let me put forward a few points for discussion and appropriate action.
Conscience for Cleanliness: In the past few months, I visited about ten to fifteen tourist spots in Meghalaya particularly in the Khasi-Jaintia region. To my utter disgust, the places are filthy and with no maintenance whatsoever. Plastics and wrappers, bottles, cigar butts, orange peels are strewn all over the place. In some places there are dustbins but no one cares to use them. We might say that’s not the Meghalayan but the tourists who dirty the place. True, but if the places are kept clean and tourist guides do their jobs sincerely this could be solved. Forget the tourist spots for a moment, look at our roads, streets, footpaths and lanes. The tourists don’t come there, but our roads, streets, footpaths and lanes are no different from a garbage dump. We clean our homes and throw the dirt in the streets, rivers etc.. This shows that we have lost our conscience for cleanliness. The worse scenario I observed a day or two ago was a mother telling her daughter to throw the rubbish collected from their home into the street that leads to my home. What conscience formation will take place in her children, your children or our children? So, whose Meghalaya are we living in?
Conscience for one’s duty: Probably the only state in the country that preaches Christianity but practices just the opposite is Meghalaya. God’s Word ‘if anyone will not work, neither let him eat’ (2 Thess 3:10) has become outdated for our Christians here. We have lost our sense of duty. Our Christian politicians, our Christian leaders, Church workers, and the different Christian NGOs are the last to put that part of ‘God’s Word’ into practice. Let us take few examples. Why do the majority of government employees not do their duty? You doubt me? Install CCTV cameras in all their work places and review them. Ministers, politicians and underlings in the bureaucracy work the least – they have lost the sense of duty and obligation as leaders. Priests and pastors too put some other interests before their duties.
The way from Mawsynram to Nonghyllam is a hell of a journey. But what caught my attention were two youth literally using their knives and stones to cut and damage the pipelines along the road that brings water to the villages around there. I stopped and asked them not to do it, but from the look on their faces I got the message – ‘don’t mess with us, mind your business.’ Such incidents are galore; you can’t deny not seeing them. Our youth and children in the future will be no different from the elders now. The sense of duty is dead in Meghalaya.
Conscience for morality: In one of my facebook posts I made observations about the way people dress and behave in society. My mentor literally told me to remove it. That’s true, I should not poke my nose at other peoples’ affairs but what has become of Meghalaya today? Rape cases are reported daily in our local newspapers. A close friend of mine who is in the AIDS control society told me that the rate of HIV in Meghalaya has risen and we are moving to a new class or category in HIV related scale (for more information contact NACO). Morality in the way we dress, eat and drink, lifestyle, gestures and language is quickly dying. The dignity of morality is buried under the cloak of, ‘Its my life, I live the way I want.’ Conscience for morality is dying and as long as we fail to differentiate the real from the reel brought about by media it will continue to die. No doubt we are good at imitating Phareng (Foreign) cultures – but our culture, which is so rich in morality, dignity and respect for all is foreign (Phareng) to ourselves. It is a sorry state of affairs. Parents are hurt if someone corrects their children for speaking bad words, so what morality is left to teach?
How many of you have gone to the JN Stadium to witness the SAG games or the football matches played there? If not, you are saved from the assault on your ears by the vulgar words uttered by spectators against referees or players. In another disgusting scene I saw young boys in a drunken state, shouting vulgar slogans in Khasi while spitting kwai (betel nut) all over the stadium. Woe to you if you dare say anything to these youngsters.
Conscience for intelligence: The literacy rate of Meghalaya is quite high at 72. 89% (2011 census). This means people in Meghalaya are very intelligent, wise and knowledge-filled. But then why is such knowledge, wisdom and intelligence not manifest in our day to day life. Why do we allow the other 27.11% to ruin Meghalaya? Let me give you few concrete examples. Wise people will definitely want development, then why do some of us oppose the railways? Why are things complicated for completion of the airport? Why do we hinder people from starting shopping malls or multiplexes. The list goes on. The forests are destroyed, the mining of coal is illicitly carried out, the rivers have dried up. The main rivers are filled with rubbish thrown from our houses. Why is the 72.89% being ruled over by the 27.11%?
The intelligence of any person is judged by his/her contribution for the good of society. These can be in the form of writing books, articles, inventing something, but always contributing towards the larger good. I see very little of these in Meghalaya. On the contrary I see people who take advantage of other people’s rights and dignity, and rob others of their existence. Then can we call ourselves wise and intelligent? No way! Ask a child, a youth or an adult how many books they read in a year except the textbooks prescribed in schools. The answer will shock you. The reading habit is dead in Meghalaya. If you don’t read then part of your brain becomes dead. If we don’t read, we can’t think and write. That’s the reason very few Khasi/Garo articles appear in our own newspapers and magazines. Parents are culpable for this – they prefer to buy toys or PC games or Xbox as gifts for their kids rather than some good books. Our conscience for intelligence is dying.
Conscience for corruption: Once upon a time, corruption was considered taboo in our society. We heard of our parents exhorting and practicing sincerity and honesty. They were the hallmarks of our society. Hence a corrupt person, a corrupt leader or member would be punished because through corruption that person brings the wrath of god on that society or family. I still hold firm to this truth. If Meghalaya with all its beauty is still one of the backward states in India it is due to the wrath of corruption at all levels. Beginning with our leaders who literally sit on thrones, the bureaucrats, the leaders, the Sengbha(pynsniew)lang down to the boy selling kwai in the roadside shop are guilty of corruption. Our conscience for the ugliness of corruption is dead and it will take time to resurrect in our state.
Conscience for time: Another dead conscience found in Meghalaya is the conscience of time. A friend of mine told me once; ‘we in Meghalaya have emulated all foreign (phareng) cultures except punctuality. I totally agree with her. We eat like Phareng, we dress like Phareng, we talk like Phareng, everything except respecting the dignity of TIME. In case some are not convinced they should check the different offices and work places. Time is money it is said. If so then Meghalaya will remain poor till its citizen’s conscience are awaken to respect the dignity of Time.
We can go on and on, and the list will be long. But what difference will it make when most of us do not even have time to read, think, reflect and act on what we have done and needs to be done. Many of us ask too much from the state but do nothing to contribute for the good of the state, the society or even our small locality. So, whose Meghalaya is it anyway?