By Toki Blah
As a citizen and especially as a Khasi I am extremely alarmed by the incident that has been allowed to develop in Mylliem. It also appears I am not the only one but a number of people, from all walks of life: well wishers of our society; citizens of this state who have nothing but the genuine interest of the state at heart, share this alarm. As a reminder to all concerned let me reiterate the social values that we Ki Khun U Hynniewtrep cherish and uphold – Ka tip Briew ka Tip Blei; Ka Tip kur ka tip Kha; Ban rai da ka nia ka jutang (to have equal respect for fellow humans and for the Creator; to respect those from our maternal and paternal clan line; to decide matters through debate and discussion using reason and logic)! Unfortunately in the Mylliem incident; in the heat of unthinking emotion, these values seem to have been forgotten. All of us have nothing but respect and high esteem for the people of Mylliem and their Hima. At this juncture we request our blood and kin to retrieve; rediscover; and revive once again the above values of our ancestors. The request is as simple as that.
If there is one common thing that identifies us as Khasi Pnars it is our respect for the dead. Death has always been one of the bonding factors that cuts across all issues of faith, creed, class or wealth in our society. Death has always strengthened our egalitarianism as it brings us together to mourn and console each other as a Jaitbynriew. We must never forget this. The Mylliem incident threatens to destroy this bonding unity we have taken upon ourselves as a Jaitbynriew. If the Dorbar Shnong stood its ground in denying cremation of the dead because of an absence of a cremation ground, it has erred and erred gravely. If cremation was denied because of an earlier unfulfilled agreement, it simply highlights procrastination on the part of those responsible. It does not hold water. If it was done on the excuse that contravening the earlier decision would have weakened the authority of the Shnong, people forget that by upholding rigidity, the unity of the shnong and with it the unity of the Jaitbynriew, was instantly placed in jeopardy! Khasi Dorbars always went by the adage Ban Kamai ia ka Hok (to always strive for justice). It was the essence of Khasi Dorbar governance. This time justice called that the dead be given a decent cremation. This time one has to admit that equity and justice for the dead man and his family was severely compromised by rigidity of the Shnong. Let us as a Jaitbynriew accept this error, repair the damage that threatens the unity of our social fabric and get on with life.
I refer to the alarm I mentioned earlier. There are several issues that need our immediate attention. If at this junction we stop thinking as U Paid Khasi ba iar, we are sunk. Let us admit that a blunder has occurred but we cannot allow that mistake to cause further tension that could lead to a law and order situation. This could happen because of impending political events in 2018 and there are some who are not averse in creating mayhem if it serves their selfish interest. We must be alert against such possibilities. Constitutionally the District Administration is responsible for maintenance of law and order. The DC should therefore immediately step in as an unbiased mediator; a peacemaker; a counsellor in his role to bring an end to the misunderstanding and to once again allow the traditional Dorbar Shnong of Mylliem to function as an entity that looks after the interests of all residents within its jurisdiction. He is fully mandated to do this even if the matter has been referred to the court. Aggrieved parties should take one step backwards to allow the impartial institution of the District Administration to play its peace building role. Mistakes happen in all societies; social tensions arise but it is the hallmark of enlightened societies to find ways and means to diffuse such public anxieties. And I speak with all the authority at my command when I say that Khasis of the 21st Century are an enlightened community .