Editor,
Last Friday I went to office for a little while and basically lost track of days. I had a mild argument with an immediate superior officer since I was fully convinced that that particular day was a Saturday, not a Friday. When I reached the office I was certain that I had mistakenly come out from my residence since I initially thought it was a Saturday. Then my immediate superior officer corrected my error in the reckoning of that particular day. All of the confusion that day made me realize that most people will lose track of time if the Gregorian Calendar is taken away from them. It has never always been like this. Our ancestors were able to identify a particular day of the week without the help of the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian Calendar was a modern invention. Before it the nations in the continent of Europe used the Julian Calendar. But the rest of the world did not have an official calendar to help them identify time during those days. All they had were the stars, the moon and the sun. Most ancient cultures reckoned time through the moon cycle. In fact the word month also comes from the word moon.
Most communities still celebrate the lunar new year based on the reckoning of time using the moon cycle.
As people living in the 21st century we tend to look down on knowledge which was passed down from our ancestors. But as with the reckoning of time, our ancestors possessed knowledge which can be considered as ingenuity and this is something which the current generation should not disregard.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Spare a thought for the poorest
Editor,
We are all fighting COVID 19 by staying indoors and strictly following the instructions given by Government of India and also of the respective State Governments. At this time of crisis, every section of society is trying to help the have-nots and the dispossessed in the society. Various religious bodies, community associations, NGO’S, MLA’s of respective constituencies are working earnestly to help those who cannot meet their daily needs of having their meals twice a day. But an interesting development has taken place here in our State. Many who are queuing up for free rations are actually not the most deprived but those that can push their way through. The have-nots do not have voice and are not connected to those in charge of the distribution process in the respective localities. Hence some families are getting all the benefits from all the organisations, NGO’S and their respective MLAs while there are families that are not getting relief aid from any of them. It is the moral responsibility of the privileged to think of the poorest in their localities instead of queuing up for the relief materials. They could, in fact, have adopted at least one poor family and provided them meals twice a day. Through this letter I request the more privileged in the society to help the have-nots who are in dire need of relief aid.
Yours etc.,
Anil Singh Roka,
Via email
Faith versus religion
Editor,
Apropos the letter by Khamniar Thangkhiew, “Right thing, wrong timing,” (ST April 6, 2020), I wish to first of all congratulate the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills for the notification banning use of loudspeakers for preaching etc., during the forthcoming Christian commemoration of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The reason I say this is because I am a mental health care counsellor and I know that noise can be very disturbing if it is constantly hitting one’s ear drums. Christianity has several denominations and each of them would want to connect to their followers. If they all come on at the same time there will be cacophony. If they come at staggered timings it would mean they would be preaching one after the other through the day.
Mention has been made that India is a secular country and people have a right to practice and preach their religion and that some religions create noise during their festivals. Well, we hope that the above rule putting strictures on noise will henceforth cut across all religions. That too would be an example of a secular country. It is wrong to blame the Government of being anti-Christian here. Covid19 is a medical threat that demands discipline and orderliness and noise is detrimental to mental peace which is critical to quell the panic caused by the virus.
I have not been able to understand why personal faith which comes from going inside oneself and in searching one’s soul should be replaced by external spiritual feeding? Here I also take exception to the views of the two MLAs , Adelbert Nongrum and PT Sawkmie who have a problem with the government directive banning use of loudspeakers for preaching. Please don’t turn this into a political football at the first opportunity. Covid demands that we change our attitudes and give up long held concepts about religion. It is faith that will save humankind, not religion.
Yours etc.,
G Nongkynrih,
Via email