By Aristotle Lyngdoh
In the Khasi-Pnar society, the traditional ethics for conducting oneself in a profession or occupation of any nature is based on the principle of ‘Kamai ia ka hok’ or ‘earn honestly or righteously’. This indigenous principle is higher than any code of conduct of professional organizations because it directly deals with the conscience of a person. It is a self regulating mechanism even in the absence of any monitoring system to oversee employee performance. The primary objective is purely for workers or professionals to do justice to the service or jobs that have been entrusted to them because a service on earth, is also a service commissioned by the Creator who has created and allowed them to live and work in the planet. Likewise, it should be an individual responsibility and a mission driven by honesty and trustworthiness that conforms to divine characteristics.
In this context profession includes all categories of jobs and employment, public and civil servants, politicians, salaried employees, academicians, medical professionals, daily wage earners, farmers, etc. And in the context of Khasi thought and practice, ‘kamai’ means to earn as well as to gain something but not specifically money or wealth. And ‘ka hok’ mainly refers to honesty, justice, right or righteousness. This motto engulfs all aspects of human behaviour related to the nature of work or service. Literally, it also means to convey the idea of earning ones income in a correct and transparent manner no matter how little and insignificant it might be. As a matter of fact, bribery is a new concept which was alien to our forefathers. Therefore, the endeavor to do service with wholehearted commitment and honesty was in fact, at one time a religion of our Khasi-Pnar community. It does not matter whether one benefits from such work or job but the joy is derived from the fulfillment of one’s duty honestly. This can also include a voluntary service of any kind.
Sadly these days things are just the opposite. In our effort to commercialize and commodify everything and to cope with the growing concern and of making ends meet the intrinsic value of the Khasi principle is at odds with the idea of profit-making. But profit making per se is not bad idea and it symbolizes a personal human aspiration of working hard and earning well. While profit-making is not a crime the obsession to make profit by dishonest deals has become the sine qua non of tribal society today. Our children no longer understand the meaning of “kamai ia ka hok.” There is a need to revive this good practice in order to improve the morale of the society. And the only possible option is to inculcate these good habits right from early childhood and at school.
A profession or a service rendered in any manner is a virtue that originates from the true character and the kind of beliefs that a person has. But the reality today is that the moral principles in our society are rapidly dwindling. Its fallout is reflected in the fraudulent behavior of people who refuse to correct their misdemeanours but who invent new tricks and strategies to acquire a status in life. It is sad to see that the position and role that a person holds is not taken as a virtue but is seen merely as a social status. Hence when a profession becomes a status, it nullifies the virtue therein. And for this reason a person may go to any extent resulting in ugly confrontations and behaviours just for the sake of acquiring a chair or a position.
What Meghalaya lacks is not only skilled workers, but also committed workers in various professions. As it appears, the productivity of workers of different professions is much below the salary paid. I say this because it has been the attitude of the working class in our society and anyone can do a research on this to ascertain the hypothesis. Let me further illustrate this by a simple example. A school teacher will always put extra effort for students in his/her tuition class rather than in the classroom. This is the same spirit that drives employees of various fields as well. And for this reason entrepreneurs in the state always encounter shortage of output from the service of labours employed. The reason is purely because the profession is seen as a service to self rather than to further the cause of the organisation and its noble objectives. This is a major challenge experienced by entrepreneurs who create jobs. This also has created a huge backlog for developmental projects and proposals in the state. In advanced and industrialized communities where people’s mindsets are different, work is treated as worship’. This implies that their entire commitment and devotion is to the job or employment they have acquired.
Few years ago I had the privilege to personally experience the growth of microfinance and to interact with the Nobel Laureate (Prof Yunus) from our neighbouring country at Grameen Head Office in Dhaka. In fact it is a great learning experience to witness how poor women were sincerely devoted to the cause of their mission without fear and favour and thus emerged a new model of banking system known as Grameen Bank that is owned solely by the poor people themselves.
The typical voluntary service of our ‘Dorbar Shnong’ is perhaps one of the outcomes of this concept but these days things have changed drastically and now is centered exclusively around personal benefit. No Rangbah Shnong will miss an opportunity to make a monetary gain from key areas such as sale of land, government schemes, etc. But no doubt there are still remnants here and there who feel that community service is strictly a voluntary contribution of free will. There are some individuals too who have also contributed immensely in many ways to the community or to the service they once belonged through their sincerity but such are rarely publicised. But much more than this is the challenge for every professional to test and measure their own conduct with relation to their job, their roles and responsibilities. Thus, the notion ‘ieid ri’ or patriotism, is meaningful only if we first embrace these indigenous principles sincerely.
The problem that we are facing today mostly is because we have lost track of the virtues that should define our individuality and personality. No worker would ever think about others first before thinking of the self. Whereas, virtue brings productivity and prosperity, status on the other hand categorises people and creates isolation and division. Some people need status to survive and retain their identity especially in our Indian context. Others need status to dominate over others to corner off opportunity and privileges over others. And the reality today is such that the ethos and morale of the Khasi work culture and ethics has diverted to a strange direction. And the famous aphorism cited above is now merely a part of history in Khasi society. Virtue strives for perfection and better connectivity, but status deviates and elevates oneself at the cost of others and therefore alienates people thereby creating a community chasm. Today employment or a profession is no longer a true service but a status to maintain one’s life in a society.
This further reminds me of the following quotation by former President Late APJ Abdul Kalam in April 2007 delivered at the European Parliament on the occasion of the golden jubilee year of the European Union. He says, “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world”. This is very true. Everything whether good or bad originates in the heart of a person. A righteous heart can transform the entire world around us be it in the home, locality, in the village or town, the church and community.