Editor,
A few evenings ago, we had the most adventurous concert at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi, India’s prominent intellectual and artistic hub. The organisers were preparing us for the audience who we are told are a highly cultured, well travelled people who have seen it all and were known to be one of the toughest crowds to crack. Daunting enough as it already sounded, moments before the show, major technical glitches started revealing their ugly faces and there we were, the mountain growing even taller before our eyes as the over packed thumb-twiddling spectators anxiously waited for us to perform.
Onto the stage we went and from the outset we could sense that the sound was far from decent. Our past experiences, however, taught us to soldier on and the crowd was treading it along with us. The sound got better and what we were beginning to see was similar to a gentle sunrise seeping over the darkness with each passing song. Late Gen Sundarji’s wife, Vani propped her 90 year old self up on her walking stick and started jiving to our music soon to be followed by an 89 year old lady on her walker swaying to our melodies. Towards the end there was a resounding joy of triumph; the response was electrifying.
And this is where the evening unfolded itself in a most unexpected manner, an evening that will forever make a mark on our lives as artists and to the responsibility that we all have. Our most venerable fans began to tell their stories that have touched us since. An 87 year old terminally ill cancer patient who had been listening to our music while in the hospital made it a point to get her niece to take her straight from the hospital to our show, after which this fine spirited lady said she wished to live another 10 years just to be able to listen to such music. There was an elderly gentleman who could now tick one off on his bucket list and another lady in her early 60’s who said we had inspired her to join a choir, which has since enriched her life.
But one might ask, ‘Why only stories of the elderly?’ Well, in such a youth centric generation, our dear old folk are being pushed to the dimly lit wings and given lesser time, when in fact they deserve even more of our attention and kind indulgence. The Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) doesn’t often speak out on issues because we wish remain focused on our music, however, looking after the elderly is a matter we feel deeply about and would like to urge our friends to give those around you a small fraction of your undivided attention and see the joy that you’ll bring. We’d like to end by saying – “Let’s give them a reason to live, for they are the reason we are living.”
Yours etc.,
William Richmond Basaiawmoit,
SCC member
Via email
What a futile journey!
Editor,
The state of Meghalaya will soon be half a century old but the main objectives of the statehood movement remain unfulfilled. According to what I have learnt, the statehood movement was started when the erstwhile Assam government declared Assamese as the official language of the state. This was met with fierce opposition and gave birth to the 12 year non-violent struggle for statehood. The main objective of the statehood movement was to promote the use of the Khasi language and to protect it from extinction. Also, another objective was to protect and propagate Khasi culture and tradition. The movement also wanted to spread development into the interior hill regions which were “neglected” by the government. However after over four decades of statehood, the Khasi language has not made much progress and remains where it was in 1972.
It is now 2018 but our politicians and government have not yet been able to make Khasi an official language under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. They have also not been able to create a Khasi Sahitya Academy which is one of the most important criteria for language to find a place in the Eighth Schedule. Also, there is no educational institution which uses Khasi as a medium of instruction and interaction. Even though the Khasi language is a part of the MBOSE syllabus under the MIL (Modern Indian Languages) subjects, very little seems to have been done to promote the propagation of this language. Khasi textbooks are of very poor quality as compared to English and Hindi textbooks. The letters seem to have been composed using a typewriter and then made into horrible photocopies as a form of “mass publication”. Khasi newspapers are of a satisfactory quality and sell at higher prices as compared to English dailies. Most students are also discouraged to take up the language as part of their education because of too many books (Class 12 Khasi-MIL has 7 books as compared to 1 book of Alternative English) or people saying, “Khasi lah kut ha Khanapara” (Khasi ends at Khanapara).
Even though Khasi is an official State language, it is rarely used or used only on the Secretariat bulletin boards ordering the people to maintain decorum and to not spit. The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), the prime autonomous government body in charge of protection and promotion of local languages and culture, seems to have failed in its principal objective. All of this can also be applied to the Garo language too. The Garo language also lacks recognition. The State Government itself uses these languages very rarely. Also, most advertisements on DD North East and few private radio stations are in Assamese, Hindi or English.
Now, the only option the Government has is to fulfill all necessary conditions for the incorporation of Khasi and Garo languages into the Constitution of India. The government should also start a process of incorporating the history of these languages and their respective cultures in the school syllabus and they should be taught in detail. It also depends on the citizens to spread awareness and help in the promotion of not just our own language but also of the others. Introducing resolutions and just passing them will not make any difference. Recognition will be given if we all work hard, especially if our representatives in Delhi use their platforms to voice the need of the Meghalayan people and to fulfill the dreams of the leaders of the Statehood movement.
Yours etc.,
Earic W. Sohtun.
Class XII
St. Anthony’s HSS
