By Toki Blah
If there is, at this very moment ,any society on the planet that is in the middle of a societal crossroad, then it must is the Hynniewtrep people. The Hynniewtrep are made up of the Khynriam, the Pnars, the Bhois and the Wars, in short, a tribal ethnic grouping of North East India popularly known as the Khasis. We as Khasis inhabit a piece of prime real estate known as the Khasi and Jaintia Hills that is now encompassed within the state of Meghalaya. It is a land that nature has bestowed with scenic beauty comparable with the best in the world. Colonial empire building by the British gifted these hills with one of the most charming hill stations of India – Shillong the erstwhile capital of undivided Assam, with the reputation of being the pearl of North East India, once the health and education centre for the entire region. This is what the state of Meghalaya inherited in 1972, but within a short span of 47 years we managed to turn this social capital into garbage. Today we are on the crossroads of socio-political change and we just don’t know which direction to turn to. We pause to think and come up with the sobering realisation that our unlettered forefathers were more farsighted and more confident than this present lot of pretentious intellectuals. So what happened? Where and when did we take the wrong turning in our tryst with destiny? Do we as a Jaitbynriew (community) have a goal or are we simply drifting aimlessly in the currents of time? Time to ponder.
The Khasis as a people believe that in the distant past, they lived in a golden era. They call it Ka Sotti Juk. It was an age when man lived in close proximity with nature. He even could converse and talk with the animals around him. Peace, harmony and unity reigned . It was Paradise on Earth. The Garden of Eden. This however is not unique to only the Khasis as most indigenous people the world over believe in similar epochs in their own respective pasts. Turning away from the realm of myth and fable one can honestly claim that according to documented history Khasi renaissance actually began from the mid nineteenth century with the advent of the British and the introduction of the Khasi script and modern education along with it. Khasis took to them like ducks to water. Myth no longer dictated history. The written documented word now held sway and handed down to us the heroic patriotic sagas of U Tirot Sing Syiem and U Woh Kiang Nangbah. From the written word flowed the cogent eloquent verses of the Khasi poet laureate U Soso Tham. As a society from the mid 1800s till late 1900s we continued to produce historians, administrators, educationists, men and women of letters and persons of substance. It can be claimed as the golden age of Khasi history, an era of expectancy and hope. It was the most productive period in recorded Khasi history. Sadly the flow now seems to have ended. Hope started drying up ever since we attained statehood. Why, wherefore and what went wrong is definitely worth a PhD or two!
With hindsight, it can now be claimed that with the attainment of full statehood in 1972, two significant developments took place simultaneously within Khasi society, each influencing the outcome of the other. On the one hand the realisation gradually dawned that we were different. Within the settings of the Indian political setup we were defined as a Scheduled Tribe, a minority community. We were Indians but with different looks, outlook, culture and habits. We occupied a different landscape with a language of our own. In short as Khasis we had a distinct identity of our own that we were proud of and that there was need to preserve it. This realisation had a profound impact on the psyche of post statehood Khasis. To protect and defend identity gained precedence over everything else. The influence that this realisation has had on the politics of Meghalaya and its political elite is something that we as a community have yet to understand and far less admit. Opportunistic politics however was quick to grasp the fact that projection of fear over loss of identity offered better electoral returns than any manifesto based on hope and optimism. It is the one single factor that helped saviours of the community (Nongpynim ka jaitbynriew) gain precedence over promoters of the community (Ki nongialam ka jaitbynriew). Time and again fear over loss of identity was used to create chaos, mayhem and confusion in the minds of the electorate. Talent, capacity, education and merit singularly gave way to fear mongering. Today Khasis yearn for credible leaders who can lead. Our obsession over fear of loss of identity prevents us from electing them. Should we be surprised?
The time has perhaps come for the Khasis to ask themselves what is the need of the hour and as to what sort of leaders have they foisted upon themselves to fulfil this need. If truth be said we have to accept the fact that our future needs are many and varied but foremost is the need and ability to adapt to the rapid changes taking place around us. These range from climate (the environment); economic (changing livelihood scenario); geo political ( the Look East Policy) and cultural ( the growing demand for gender equality) . Times are changing and we have to accept that change comes along with time. No one can prevent change. Change however can be managed and what we need are leaders who can manage change not fear-mongers who are scared of change. For this to happen we need leaders who can at least peer into the future; people with imagination, vision and insight as to the requirements of tomorrow. Sadly the humbugs we have elected for ourselves today seem totally incapable and unqualified for such expectations. We need leaders who can inspire Hope for tomorrow. We need leaders with a roadmap for the future together with the milestones we need to cross. The trouble with the people we have elected to lead is that they have no vision for the future. They seem to be more comfortable speaking about the myths and legends of an imagined glorious past and with simply maintaining their own economic status quo. Question is don’t our elected leaders have anything else to talk about except lifting the NGT ban on coal? Is that the only important issue for the state and its people? For a change why can’t we have discussions and debates on how Govt and civil society can engage with one another instead of confronting each other. How the Govt and the ADCs should co-operate with each other instead of accusing each other? How can our traditional grassroots systems of governance be empowered to give better service to the people? I believe these are issues that can bring about better governance in our state. Aspects that are urgently needed! Are there leaders prepared to take up such issues?
Aside from the above I sincerely believe that as a society we need to sit and discuss about the future of Shillong. Shillong is not only the capital of Meghalaya it also represents the soul of the Jaitbynriew and what happens to this city will willy-nilly affect all Khasis. It is our city yet we have allowed this scenic hill station to wither and die before our very eyes. Shillong is turning into a slum and tragically everyone is actively contributing to this eventuality. Slums are characterised by the absence or total breakdown of urban amenities. The water supply system of our city is collapsing. We have no drainage or waste management system worth the name. Our roads are getting choked up and commuting within the city is a daily nightmare. MeECL, the energy provider is expected to give up the ghost anyday yet nobody is prepared to challenge its lackadaisical management. Everyone speaks about the “Big One” that might hit us any day, yet none seem bothered about the safety of structures that continue to mushroom sans technical supervision and approval. If Meghalaya has no leaders, Shillong, the heart of Meghalaya has no champions! Our urban durbars continue to act as ostriches with their heads buried in the sand. They seem more at ease dabbling in the ridiculous political nonsense emerging from KHADC than in discussing the deterioration of Shillong and in the process their own localities. Again another case of misplaced priorities! Again the Nongpynim vs the Nongialam syndrome. What we need is a body of elected members ready to look not only into the woes and problems but also the future issues of Shillong and greater Shillong city. The Govt seems helpless; MUDA dead and inert; the urban durbars blind; KHADC incapable of understanding the problem. Working together, for the common good, seems impossible. Where is the voice of the people?