By HH Mohrmen
The Coronavirus is a new disease and it has only been four months since its presence was officially made known to the world. But what is most extraordinary about the virus is not that a cure for the disease is yet to be found, but the fact that till today after it has affected millions of people and also killed thousands across the world and people are still learning about it. Everyday people learn new lessons about the virus and its effects and there is still so much to learn about it. This in some way or the other makes all of us covidiots.
Since there is still so much to learn about the virus and the pandemic it caused, hence we all need to open our minds to new information and continue to learn about the virus. It is therefore important to not make hasty decisions without consulting experts in the subject. But the problem is when people think they know everything about the virus and its effects, and make decisions which not only cause hardship to those affected by it, but later regret the decisions taken.
The internet made possible the presence of different social media platforms in cyber space. The internet and the different social media platforms create a level playing field in the way people get their information. A man or a woman with internet connection and a smart phone can access the same information irrespective of their differences or even their whereabouts. Today, one of the major challenges that the administration and even the common people are facing is information overload. This is true with regards to the pandemic too and this information has instead created more problems than it solves. The information is so much that even educated people find it difficult to process it and if they find it difficult to digest the tsunami of information, then think of the less educated folks in the society.
Now that churches, dorbar shnongs, and even families have their own facebook page and WhatsApp group, it has helped these organisations in quick disseminating of information amongst them. The coming up of different Social Media platforms as much as it helps people to gain access to information, also becomes a haven for those with ulterior motives to spread wrong information or to purposely misinform people. Now we know that there are people whose job is to manufacture fake news and use different social media platforms to spread them. Therefore people must be very careful with kind the kind of information they consume.
People must understand that not all that is being shared or posted on different social media platforms is gospel truth. This indeed is a very heavy responsibility on the shoulder of all those who use these platforms. The number one responsibility on each and every one of us is to separate truth from untruth and that is not easy. All the wrong information is deliberately spread by people to change the narrative of the story to suit their own vested interests and if we believe all that is being posted or shared without asking question, then we become covidiots ourselves.
A case in point is the protest against the plan to cremate Dr Sailo at the Jhalupara crematorium which is unfounded because in the first place, it is a government crematorium the construction of which is partly funded from MLA-LADS of Paul Lyngdoh. There are also no grounds to protest against this particular cremation because COVID -19 victims were cremated and buried all over the world. The protest is merely because of the lack of knowledge about the issue at hand which makes one a covidiot.
While the Dorbar Shnong all over the Khasi Jaiñtia deserve the much needed praise for the role they played and are playing in tackling the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the incident which has to do with the last rites of Dr Sailo brought to light the fact that there are certain Dorbar Shnong which still need education on the subject. Of course there are also many instances where the Waheh Chnong take the law in their hands and took to beating people on the grounds that they violated the lockdown. But incidents with regards to the last rites of the late Doctor top it all. The decision of the Dorbar Shnong of Nongpoh to disallow the family to bury the mortal remains of the COVID -19 victim on flimsy grounds is not only because of the lack of knowledge on the part of the dorbar shnong but it also shows that those at the helm of power do not understand the limits of their authority.
If they are not aware that there are clear instructions on how the remains of a COVID-19 victim is to be disposed, the Dorbar Shong should have taken expert advice from the competent authority before coming to the conclusion. But the question that begs the answer is – who has given the Dorbar Shnong the authority to prohibit people from burying the body of their loved ones in their own land? It is true that the Dorbar Shnong has often over-reached their jurisdiction and decided on issues which are not within their purview. To prevent similar incidents from happening again, the government should come up with a mechanism to guide the function of these institutions.
The Traditional institutions are the subject of the District Councils; hence the respective Autonomous District Councils should come up with some sort of a standard operation procedure or TOR for all the Rangbah Shnong or the Waheh Chnong. In the absence of guidelines or a clear-cut procedure from the authorities concerned, now the Dorbar Shnong functions on two principles convention and on consensus. If the issue is unprecedented the only alternative is to go by consensus and it is certain that this is how the Dorbar Shnong Nongpoh has arrived at this infamous decision. Consensus is not always right especially if it is not an informed decision, and although there is unanimity in the decision, it was however a wrong decision on all counts.
After this fight has come to an end and we come out victorious against the coronavirus, the Autonomous District Council and the state government should work together to look afresh on how they can help improve the functions of the Rangbah Shnong. I have mentioned this in my article earlier and I reiterate that the concept of Dorbar Shnong/Chnong is not traditional, in fact even the word Dorbar is borrowed from the language of our neighbours. If Dorbar means meeting then we already have term to describe the same in the different local dialect, in Pnar they say ‘ka Ïalang ka ïabi’ or in War Jaiñtia ‘ka Ïahlang ka ïahtoh’ and in Khasi ‘ka Jingïalang,’ but there other evidences which confirm that the institution was something that was incorporated later into the tradition. A study has been done on this subject and it will come up in a book which is expected to be published by the end of this year or the beginning of the next year.
The truth is grass roots administrative system in the Khasi Pnar community has evolved and the Dorbar Shnong is now an integral part of our society. We have embraced it as our tradition and the Dorbar Chnong and the office of the Rangbah/Waheh Chnong are now part and parcel of grass roots administration in the Khasi Pnar region of the state.
The job of a Waheh Chnong is a challenging one for an individual especially since he is taking the mantle on a voluntary basis. The offices of Waheh Chnong or Rangbah Shnong function on pro bono basis because they are not being compensated for their efforts and the time that they have given for performing their jobs. The active participation of the Dorbar Shnongs and the Rangbah Shnong in supporting the administration in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic should serve as an eye opener for the government and compel the same to find out ways and means to improve their performance.
The state government should collaborate with the ADCs to empower the Dorbar Shnong by organising regular capacity building trainings for the heads of these institutions. The office of the Rangbah Shnongs are like the hands through which the government can reach out to the people. It is therefore in the interest of the government that they be empowered so that they in turn can prevent others from becoming covidiots.