By Toki Blah
Going by the write-ups that have recently started appearing in both the vernacular and English dailies of Shillong, one is quite entitled to conclude, that once again Khasi society is apparently on the throes of yet another identity crisis. By ‘Khasi’ the comprehensive meaning of the term is made use of to include the indigenous Khynriam, Pnar, Bhoi and War communities of these hills. Where does my identity as a Khasi lie, is a common question that concerned people, especially our youth, are asking themselves. Is it dependant on perceivable day to day practices and rituals or is it to be found elsewhere, perhaps in a concept called culture. So what is culture to a Khasi? Is it language, the way I dress, the faith one follows, the manner in which we dispose off our dead or is culture something more fundamental, something deeper, an intrinsic value that touches the very core of being Khasi? The problem is, the dearth of creditable people willing to step forth with a rational acceptable explanation. The danger lies in the readiness of bigots, rouges and charlatans with half baked ideas, in their desperate quest for power and social recognition, to fill in this crucial void, at the cost of the Khasis.
Problem is there are still many Khasis gullible enough to expect our political system to address this emerging ambiguity in our social lives. Its a fallacious expectation and we are paying for it. Meghalaya politics prefers to turn away from genuine concerns of the public. Service to the people is as alien to our politicos as faithfulness is to a whore. In the midst of this political perfidy an encouraging trend is however emerging and impacting on the modern Khasi psyche, especially among the educated younger lot. There is this increasing public perception that, as a community, we must learn to put our heads together and come out with inclusive and all-encompassing solutions to the 21st century challenges that confront us as a Jaitbynriew. There is a growing recognition that we are too miniscule a community to afford the luxury of cultivating hate among ourselves. That the future of the Jaitbynriew lies in our ability to move forward as a united Khasi entity rather than a spent divided force. In division lies our demise. In unity lies our hope. It’s as simple as that.
In this worrisome social milieu many sincerely believe that culture and traditional practices are the corner stones to Khasi Identity. Some writers have raised doubts and concerns about the impact of Christianity over Khasi culture and tradition. And why not, as long as such worries are not to find fault but designed to seek genuine answers to the riddle of Khasi Identity. It is a historical fact that 200 years ago change did overtake Khasi society; definitely Christianity is part of that change; and yes Christians do form a major chunk of the present Khasi population. So is this bad or good? I leave this superfluous question for God men to answer. The purpose of this layman’s writeup is not to praise nor to denigrate any particular faith or religion. In the eyes of the author they are all the same. All religions share a common goal – to bring man nearer to God and not to divide mankind. The focus of this write-up however is to highlight the need for a search – a search for issues that bond us in the past and will continue to bind us in the future! This search should assume the search for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail of Khasi unity!
At this point there is an urgent need to come to some rational general definition of the word culture, as it pertains to the Khasis. Too often the word ‘culture’ has been used in its negative exclusive sense rather than as a word that encourages the ability to embrace and include. Culture is an English word and it essentially means the concept of being a gentleman. Within the context of Khasi society it is all about manners (ka akor), honour (ka burom) and equitable justice (ban kamai ia ka hok da ka nia ka jutang) that determine relationships among ourselves and with others. The most unique and pertinent aspect of Khasi culture however is matriliny, or the descent of lineage from a particular womb or kpoh. This lineage binds one to the most critical component of Khasi society – the Kur or jait. With out the concept of the kur there is no Khasi Jaitbynriew. No research into Khasi Identity can afford to ignore or overlook the overarching binding authority of the kur system in the Khasi socio – political milieu. To be a Khasi is to belong to a kur and the ability to retain that kur’s confidence. This kur that defines a Khasi is secular in nature. The kur remains impartial to a member’s religious preference. An inclusive cultural trait that spotlights Art 25 of the Constitution as no other aspect can!
Today as Khasis prepare themselves for the future, a question needs to be answered. Who are we? Our DNA tells us that we belong to the Austronesian group of indigenous people. To that extent we are different from other tribal groups of the NE who are basically of Tibeto -Burman descent. Since time immemorial we have governed ourselves and interacted with others, irrespective of the faith we follow, with a set of value systems that have survived the ravages of time and history. Ka “tip kur tip kha”, “tip briew tip blei”, “da ka nia da ka jutang ban kamai ia ka hok” are social tenets that determine the Khasi way of life; the social norms that mould and steer social interactions; the bed rock on which our identity as an indigenous people is firmly embedded; the cultural DNA of a Khasi irrespective of his faith and religion. It was so in the past and it continues to the present. Is there need to change it?
It is accepted that with the advent of Christianity certain traditional practices have changed. Christians no longer cremate their dead but cremation within the church is once again on the cards. Christians do not observe the ‘jer kyrteng’ ceremony. They christen their offsprings, but in both ceremonies the lineage of the mother and the reverence for the kur remains. Yet Christianity is not the only agent responsible for change in Khasi tradition and custom. Khasis now wear modern apparel discarding their traditional dress for something more practical and cheap. However the above are insignificant changes. They hardly impact on the fundamentals that make up our cultural identity. Of concern for the entire Jaitbynriew are not changing rituals and practices but issues that impact on the welfare and wellbeing of the Jaitbynriew. Effective health care for all; meaningful education for our children; effective governance to protect the rights of all vulnerable sections of the society; these are issues that will determine the future of our Jaitbynriew; whether we remain masters of our own land or become hewers of wood and carriers of water for some other powerful community in the future. These are the real threats we should start worrying about.
As one recognises the positive and unifying aspects of culture in mobilising the unity of the Jaitbynriew, one still remains sceptical about the role of religion. Will religion emerge as a unifying force or a divisive factor in the Khasi’s search for identity? It has the potential to make some yearn for the irreversible past or for Khasis of all faiths to move forward with a vision for the future. Choice is ours. Faith to a Khasis has always been a personal issue; his personal relationship with the God he believes in. It is when religious leaders, irrespective of faith, intervene that things can go wary. Nefarious and insidious attempts, especially by outsiders posing as friends of the Khasis, to introduce, based on faith alone, the concept of an original and duplicate Khasi is underway. How can we have original and duplicate kurs? I see it as a problem that only a united Jaitbynriew can solve. We have to decide as a Jaitbynriew what is best for us. Do we as Lot’s wife of Biblical notoriety hold on to a nostalgic past until we all turn into pillars of salt? Or do we like one of our own heroes, U Sajarnangli, move forward but while doing so leave behind something beautiful and precious for posterity.