Editor,
I refer to a letter by P.K Dwivedi in your esteemed paper (ST Oct.4,2016) titled, “Loss of indigenous culture.” I am not acquainted with the gentleman, but from his name, I presume he is not a Khasi and has therefore not really understood Khasi culture. A vast majority of our Khasi – Pnar people would also not agree with his views on the work of the Welsh missionaries. We, the Khasi-Pnar society owe a lot to these selfless missionaries for being what we are today. Thanks to their far-sightedness, our society has been able to preserve and uphold the basics of our culture that really count and define us as a society. To name just three of these basics: our matrilineal system, our strong bonds of family and ‘kur’ irrespective of faith and our language. The author referred to religion as another aspect of tradition. Even here, in spite of the plurality of individual faiths, the basic belief in “U Blei” as the one and only deity is universal in Khasi society.
U Babu Jibon Roy is one of the great personalities that our society has produced. His contribution in the field of literature and education is immense. He was also a product of the education system established by the Welsh missionaries. Quoting one stray incident out of context does little justice to the overall contribution that the missionaries have made. Societies and cultures are not static but dynamic. They evolve with time, for better or worse. And so it is with Khasi society and culture, and religious beliefs have very little to contribute to this evolution and change. We live in the 21st. century. I don’t think any Khasi-Pnar today would want to go back to what we were 200 years ago. Had we not evolved and changed with the times we would by now have become relics and specimens fit for display in the Don Bosco museum!
For the benefit of the author, he should know that Christianity prides itself as a faith that upholds and nurtures local culture wherever it has spread.
Yours etc.,
R.Wallang,
Via email
URGENT ROAD REPAIR
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would request the PWD to kindly repair the road leading from Mawroh junction towards NEHU (St Stephen Memorial Road). Portions of this road near the Aganwadi Centre- 2 and near the connecting bridge are in real bad shape with pot holes as big as 3 ft in diameter. This road is very busy these days as it leads to NEHU and all sorts of vehicles ply on it. Last year the road was repaired and the pot holes near the bridge were filled up but the work done by the Department was so shoddy that in some portions the coating has peeled off once again. The regular showers in the past few weeks have exposed the bad condition of road construction in the city with questions being raised on the ability of the PWD to construct all weather and durable roads. Many requests have been made at the locality level but to no avail.
Potholes on Shillong roads are aplenty in almost all the internal roads in the city. Residents have alleged that the potholes have grown both in number and dimension since the PWD pays no attention to fill such potholes when they are just beginning to break. The Department it seems would wait till the whole road is damaged and beyond repair. I do not see any logic in this. If repairs are done on time then wastage of money and time will be minimised. I would also requests our learned friends from NEHU to voice their concerns to the Govt for urgent repairs since many of the vehicles plying over the road are NEHU bound. Indifference will not help!
Yours etc.,
R.N.Rymbai,
Shillong -8
It’s Jaintia language
Editor,
At the outset, I would like to pose a question to the Jaintia Students’ Union and Pnar Alphabet Committee of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council. What organization is the Jaintia Students’ Union leading and what Autonomous body is the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council running – the Pnar Students’ Union or the Jaintia Students’ Union, Pnar Hills Autonomous District Council or Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council. What Pnar alphabet are you talking about? For their information the alphabet in Jaintia language is not new to us. It has already been sold to the public in the nineties and early twenties by different writers of the district. Khasi Jaintia and Garo are the recognized languages of the state.
Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council is written as ‘Jaintia’ and not in ‘Pnar.’ Almost all the organization, institutions, etc. in the past and present bear the name Jaintia in the first place. For instance Jaintia District Sports Association, Jaintia Tribal Trading Association, Jaintia Fishing and Environment Association, Jaintia Dorbar, Sein Jaintia, Jaintia Kingdom, Syiem Jaintia, Khasi-Jaintia Category in Reservation policy and so on so forth. The controversial Pnar alphabet is not acceptable to the Khasi and Jaintia people. Shall the Pnar Alphabet Committee say ‘Ki Syiem Pnar’ in place of Syiem Jaintia, Pnar kingdom in place of Jaintia Kingdom, Khasi Pnar, Bhoi War etc. category in Reservation policy.
We have been listening to Jaintia programme everyday from All India Radio since its establishments till date. All India Radio has a long outstanding history and has done a lot in its services for the Jaintia people and in propagating the Jaintia language. But the Myntoilang cable news which came into existence only recently does the opposite, creates confusion, is misleading and engaging in double talk.
Yours etc.
Stelin G. Laloo
Jowai