By Toki Blah
For us tribals, tradition and culture are integral to our perception and understanding of ourselves and our own identity. It is something that differentiates us from others and identity is something we can call our very own. We speak with great reverence and pride about aspects of identity such as our way of life, the matrilineal system followed by the tribal communities of these hills; how lineage flows down from the mother’s side; the land tenure system we practice; the strong social bonds and the influence that the clan system has on our day to day life; the language we speak, the apparel we wear, the dances we perform. These are tangible aspects of indigenous behaviour that we love to showcase on stage performances, writings and our interactions with others. They win us national as well as international accolades. Yet in all of this, the uneasy feeling that there is something we have somehow missed out, refuses to go away. Perhaps it’s something we overlooked, forgot or just something else that need to be done relating to our cherished tradition, customs, culture and identity? Question is, Is there?
Let me try and speak out for the tribe I belong to, the Khasi Pnars. When one tries to converse with wise elders of the tribe and attempt to bring to light their views on the current state of affairs we find ourselves in, their usual response is that the present generation seems to have lost ownership over, “Ka Tip Briew Ka Tip Blei”. It literally means that we have lost both our social as well as our moral moorings, and Khasis are deeply concerned over this cultural deficit. Socially we have discarded long cherished traditional practices on how to interact with our fellow human beings. Till about 50 to 60 years ago, social etiquette; the way we conduct ourselves in public as well as in private; good manners and social protocol were considered as hall marks of belonging to the Hynniewtrep family. People took pride in our traditional value systems and took pains to cultivate them. In clan (Kur) meetings this aspect was always flagged. In the Shnongs and in governance, rationale, logic and common sense were key on how we interacted with and governed each other. Common sense based decisions on the welfare of the whole community were usually the outcome of democratic debates and deliberations. Tolerance and respect for each other was important. Today disparate voices of constituency politics, religion, race and blatant self interest has vanquished the sense of collective responsibility the Khasis once upheld. ‘Ka leh Tip Briew’ which means to act sensibly and reasonably no longer reigns in our mental makeup. We call ourselves, “modern, democratic and academically educated” and then come up with the interpretation that Freedom means licence to do whatever we want. The fact remains that the quality of sensible social responsibility, the forte of U Hynniewtrep, has been jettisoned and lost. These need to be rediscovered and reclaimed if we are serious about preserving culture and tradition .
My forefathers and their generations, tucked away in the pine clad isolation of these hills, were bestowed with and in possession of a wealth that those of us in the 21st century can only envy and be jealous of. They had “Time” and plenty of it. For them time literally stood still! For us of this generation, time is an ever dwindling resource and ever waning and the saying “Ym don por phi” ( I’ve no time, dear) the most fashionable maxim used by Khasis today. Used within the context of the clan, its devastating impact on the psychological well-being of the poor or marginalised clan members is yet to be assessed. Hard to believe but in my childhood I never could recall anyone ever using this phrase. My parents always had time for me, for the family, for being together. 60 years ago everyone had time for everything. We found time as a family to have our meals together. We found time to pray together. We had time in the evening to sit around the fireplace and talk. We had time whiling a lazy afternoon by the riverside with a rod and a line. We had time for social gatherings like community outings and picnics; for coming together on any pretext; for regular visits to friends and relatives; forever revitalising social bonds and relationships; continuously strengthening the fabric of our identity as children of U Hynniewtrep. Traditionally we always found time and also were adept in managing it. Today, “Time” manages us instead. We have lost the skill of Time management and as a community we are poorer for this loss.
There is no shame in admitting that as a society we are beset with challenges and problems that basically spring from our inability to cope with change. Perhaps societal change has come too fast but one of the biggest challenges faced by the tribe today is its decreasing ability to identify leaders endowed with vision, foresight and the gift to lead. This is especially true within the context of political leadership; the format from which we are constitutionally ordained to elect our cadre of leaders. As a community we really struggle to identify traditional qualities of leadership with the political candidates we usually end up with. On the other hand we are quite comfortable and at ease when it comes to electing leaders for our traditional institutions. Antecedents on social service; the respect one commands; the social credibility one carries, are aspects easily recognisable when we decide on a Rangbah Shnong/ Waheh Chnong and on members of the Executive Committee of the Dorbar. The ability to serve is the criteria and the ‘synshar khadar’ or governance and the security of the shnong is then left safely in their hands. Ironically we don’t exhibit the same level of confidence, trust and reliance on the MLAs or MDCs we periodically elect. This has resulted in a new class of elected political leaders profiled not so much by the ability to serve through appreciation of merit and worth but for their promptness to bend and succumb to applied pressure. Money also usually plays a dominating role in their election to office. This has played havoc with our tribal sense of priority on leadership issues. No wonder the common man turns to Pressure Groups for redressal of his grievances. No wonder that we prefer to confront Government rather than engage with it. No wonder that we fail to equate Government with the delivery of social services and good governance. No wonder the search for leaders who can lead the Hynniewtrep people is now as good as searching for a needle in a haystack .
In the absence of leaders endowed with the vision to lead and the wisdom to counsel, the Jaitbynriew views with trepidation the future that awaits us. The future will undoubtedly usher in new challenges; new things will start happening; the future will definitely introduce change in our ways of life. But Change for a leaderless society is traumatic; easily seen as a threat; it is taboo; something to be resisted at all costs. In such a situation tradition becomes the only buoy to cling on to irrespective whether it still has relevance or not. All of us are familiar with and accustomed to such a scenario. It happens in Meghalaya every day. It’s happening to all of us. No railways for Meghalaya please. The rest of the World might see it as development but for us its a threat, so No thank You! No Municipal elections. Elected Municipalities might serve with distinction every town and city in the entire World, but it’s not for us. We have tradition. Let our traditional bodies serve our civic requirements and even if they are not equipped for it, it doesn’t matter. Better to be buried in garbage and filth than to yield to change! A typical reaction of a headless society! No doubt tradition is important but only up to a point. It also has to be applicable and pertinent to the requirements of the present. Someone has to drum this bitter truth into our heads.
We are now in the 21st century. The call is for leaders who can blend the technology of the present with the vigour of Tradition. The need of the hour is to bring forth such leaders. Can we do it? Or to be more precise, do we have the will and determination to do it?