Editor,
It was with sadness and deep dismay that many of us read the article “No place to live and no place to die –the Khasi NiamTynrai in their own motherland” by Mankular Gashnga (ST, Aug 19, 2017). First of all, it was a harsh attack on the church in the Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills in a manner which has rarely, if ever, appeared in print. Second, the latter part of the article was an assault on our collective identity as Khasis, which narrowly defines “Who is a Khasi?” in terms of religious affiliation. The same fundamentalists that the writer derides in the first paragraph are the very same fundamentalists whose worldview he adopts when he writes, “without the Khasi Niam Tynrai, Khasi Christians will no longer have a definition of identity.”
Of course, it hurts that the church has been portrayed in such a prejudiced manner by someone who had served for a few years as a probationary pastor of the Presbyterian Church before he resigned. I readily admit that the church is not perfect, I fully agree that some of our attitudes arewrong and I wholeheartedly accept that we must correct them. But you just can’t paint caricatures of the church in a public forum and then attackthe institution as if its entire agenda is “discrimination”against the followers of the traditional Khasi religion.
However, I shall refrain from a point by point refutation of the accusations. Because this letter is not about the church but about our collective Khasi identity! This unnecessary mixing of religion and ethnic identity should be resisted by every Khasi-Pnar who loves his/her people and cherishes our unity. Because this is a destructive idea that has the potential to create divisions in our Khasi-Jaiñtia community, which is generally united till now. We must be vigilant because there are opportunistic, external forces that would polarize us as has happened in other parts of the country and the world.
No sociologist will ever define ethnic identity in terms of religious affiliation. None of the stalwarts of the traditional Khasi religion ever conflated religion with ethnicity. The many SengKur (clan organizations), including my own, never select membership and leadership on the basis of religion. The Hill State Movement was led by Khasis irrespective of religious affiliation. Even the membership and leadership of the various NGOs come from people irrespective of religious affiliation –if you must define “Who is a Khasi?” in activist terms.
The events at Mylliem on August 11 were unfortunate and could have been better managed, should have been better managed by the parties concerned. I agree it was wrong to demonstrate against a funeral in progress; because respect for the dead is sacrosanct.But it was also unwarranted, as in the above article, to drag the church and its supposed “discrimination”into a matter which is wholly under the purview of the Dorbar Shnong of Madan ÏingSyiem.
We must be responsible when writing articles in newspapers. Unlike the social media, newspaper space is sacrosanct. We all want peaceful resolutionof the matter and we all earnestly want the unity of our Khasi-Jaiñtia jaitbynriew. Judging by newspaper and other reports, we are hopefulthat the matter of a permanent cremation ground will soon be settled.
Yours etc.,
Rev Lyndan Syiem,
Via email
Resumption of coal mining in Meghalaya
Editor,
Apropos the report, “MMDC move to carry out coal mining opposed” (ST May 5, 2017)- the State Government’s proposal to carry out coal mining operation through the Meghalaya Mineral Development Corporation (MMDC) has been opposed. The State Government’s proposal during the Consultative meeting held on May 3, 2017 at the State Convention Centre as was explained by the Chief Minister and the presentation made by the Managing Director, MMDC has to be understood in the proper perspective. Because of the ban imposed by the NGT on coal mining in the state in 2014 hundreds of people engaged in coal mining have lost their livelihoods. Coal-based industries have come to a halt and the State Government is suffering a revenue loss of approximately Rs 600 Crore per year from royalty and cess etc.
Without infringing upon indigenous people’s rights over land and minerals and assets above and below the land or their land holding and land tenure system the state government has attempted to rescue people of the state from the sudden unemployment resulting in a total loss of earnings. Therefore it is necessary to motivate land-owners in the coal-bearing districts where coal seams of a minimum workable thickness in a consistent and continuous manner to agree to the state government proposal. The smaller areas can be amalgamated by holding/organizing workshops by MMDC to explain the mechanics of it. Since MMDC has no infrastructure in terms of manpower & machinery for taking up mining operations, it may also explain the role of Mine Development cum Operator (MDO) to be selected through tendering process for conducting mining operations and to convince the land-owners to vest their coal bearing land in favour of MMDCL through appropriate legal agreements.
No individual land owner/coal miner in the state, on his own, is in a position to invest capital requirement for scientific mining of coal that would necessitate a minimum degree of mechanization right from making entry/access to the coal seam, establishing ventilation and lighting underground, roof & side support system specially in tertiary deposit of coal, extraction of coal and hauling out it to surface with safety and due protection of environment. In fact a tripartite agreement between MMDC, land-owners and MDOs need to be executed for sharing profit/loss on pro-rata basis depending upon the size of coal bearing land of the individual land owners or of the consortium of land-owners.
In addition to framing policy guidelines for regulating Coal Mining 2012, the state government has already initiated a proposal seeking exemptions under the Sixth Schedule [Para 12 A (b)] of the Constitution of India for early resumption of coal mining in the state with due safeguards and keeping intact the ownership rights of indigenous/tribal people. That the plan of the Government to opt for MDO Model would invite global players to extract coal, at the cost of the local people is a misconception, misnomer and completely unfounded.
In fact the Chief Minister had only appealed to the landowners/coal miners to give their consent to MMDC – a state government corporation to extract coal. There is no question of imposition/coercion. The interaction was aimed at motivating land owners of a better deal. Amalgamation of land owners and collaboration with MMDC was sought for a viable joint venture to resume coal mining scientifically. The land owners and MMDC would share pro-rata profit/revenue through mutually acceptable agreement. It would be better to opt for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for revival of coal mining in the state. A “pilot project/coal mine” on experimental basis may be operated in a virgin area after confirming the availability of sufficient proved reserves may be taken up by MMDCL after fully explaining to land owners/mine owners for amalgamation and adequately motivating them & reassuring them that their rights would not be compromised. On the success of this experimental joint venture more individual land owners/coal miners would be convinced and willingly give their consent to use their lands, with their rights to land remaining intact.
Yours etc.,
Samares Bandyopadhyay
Advocate, Kolkata High Court