By HH Mohrmen
On his own he had only published one book but what is remarkable about this man is the fact that he has his hand in almost all the important publications produced during his time. It is like saying that every important publication in the Khasi and Jaintia hills region during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century is incomplete without his contribution. From petitioning the government to allow the students to appear for their exams in their own mother tongue to contributing in the making of the dictionary, he was part of all these important projects. We are talking of Hajom Kissor Singh.
Any learner who wishes to understand the Khasi Pnar people cannot avoid one important book; in fact it is like a primer to understand the Khasi Pnar people. In the preface to his book ‘The Khasis’ PRT Gurdon listed many names of people who have helped and supported him in his work and the brothers u Nissor and Hajom Kissor Singh also find mention in the list (PRT Gurdon the Khasis p-vi). Gurdon in his momentous work mentioned very little about the Pnars or Synteng because he had more contact with the Khasis than the Pnars of Jaintia Hills (Namita Catherine Shadap-Sen, the Origin and early history of the Khasi-Synteng people p-7) Hence it can be safely said that most of the information about the people who live in Jaintia hills were contributed by HK Singh and u Job Solomon who earlier worked at the office of the SDO of Jowai Sub division.
The Government in the early 1900s constituted a Textbook Committee and in this connection, “U Khasi Mynta,” wrote that it was surprised that the Committee comprised only of the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) of Schools, the Deputy Commissioner and JC Evans as members. Earlier a Khasi, U Babu Jeebon Roy was made member of the Committee but after his demise the government never appointed any native to the Committee. The report in U Khasi Mynta requested the Governor to appoint a member from the local community to the Committee. Later U Khasi Mynta in its September 1903 issue reported that the DPI has made some correction and nominated Hajom Kissor Singh as member of the Textbook Committee along with Dr. Roberts. H.K. Singh replaced Babu Jeebon Roy and become the native member of the Textbook Committee which was responsible for selecting text books for use in the schools in the region.
The first English- Khasi Dictionary was published in 1920 and it took the Committee about 11 years to complete the arduous task. In the preface to the Dictionary the then Deputy Commissioner of Khasi and Jaintia Hills A.W. Dentith wrote the story of how the project was started till the dictionary was completed. Dentith remarked that according to the Government letter Number 4445C Dated 30th March 1907 a Committee was constituted to work on the project of producing the first ever English-Khasi Dictionary which comprised of Messrs FE Jackson, LO Clark and BC Allen representing the Deputy Commissioner and the other three members were Rai Sahip Dohory Ropmay, HK Singh and U Nissor Singh the author of the dictionary.
In the later part of the project a Committee to revise the manuscript was constituted with Rev. Walter Firminges, Rev. C L Stephens, Rev. J C Evans and Khan Sahip Amjad Ali as members. The preface also mentioned that the author U Nissor Singh read the part of the manuscript sent to him from the Printing Press and was able to proof read only from alphabet A to O. Unfortunately Nissor Singh died on the February 20, 1918 while serving as the Inspector of School in Tura, Garo hills. A.W. Dentith in the preface concluded that proof of the remaining letters from P to Z was read by his brother HK Singh. Singh not only completed the unfinished task but he also wrote the keys to pronunciation and the list of abbreviation in the dictionary.
While still working in the SDO Civil, Jowai office; he started an Upper Primary School in Jowai called Unitarian Free School which caters to the needs of the students in Jowai. HK Singh was also a signatory to the petition sent by the school administrators in Jaintia hills which pleaded with the Government to allow Khasi Pnar students to appear for their Upper Primary School examination in their mother tongue. Prior to the intervention, the Khasi Pnar students had to appear for their examination in English language while others wrote their exams either in Assamese or Bengali.
The application was signed by HK Singh Manager, Unitarian Free School, u Soso Tham Headmaster Shangpung U.P. School and Samuel Challam officiating Headmaster Jowai. In a letter to the Director of Public Instruction, Assam (Through the Sub Inspector of Schools, Jaintia hills) dated Jowai, February 8, 1902 the administrators of the three schools in Jaintia hills requested that the Khasi Pnar students be allowed to write their exams in Khasi.
The Director of Public Instruction, Assam W. Booth in his letter to the Sub-Inspector of Schools, Jaintia hills, Jowai number 7327 dated Shillong October 21, wrote: ‘In reference to your Memo. No. M7, dated the 8th February, 1902, from the manager, Unitarian Free School, Jowai, and the Headmaster of Jowai Middle English School and the Shangpung Upper Primary School, I have the honour to say that I agree with the applicants on all points stated in their application, the children must be taught in the vernacular to the end of the Upper Primary standard.
Another important publication that he was involved in was a book on Khasi etiquette and along with Babu Jeebon Roy he wrote the introduction to the book ki Jingsneng Tymmen. The relationship between HK Singh and RS Berry grew deeper and stronger and the later ultimately became a Unitarian. Any study of RS Berry’s work will remain incomplete if his contribution to Unitarian Church is not taken into consideration. He composed 35 hymns in the Unitarian hymnal and has also written the chapter ki Kpieng Ksiar ban deng which was part of the Unitarian hymnbook.
HK Singh also composed 72 hymns for the Unitarian Church hymnal and he has also translated many hymns published in the hymn book. When HK Singh sent the first Khasi Unitarian hymnal to u Khasi Mynta, the journal reported that it has nothing to say about the book, because it is already known that it is a book of worship but added that it appreciated the beauty of the Khasi language used in the book. His translation of English hymns both by foreign and native composers also needs to be properly studied.
The only prose he wrote was a piece about his journey from Jowai to Jaintiapur and the journey was part of his assignment to address the grievances of the people in Jaintiapur. This piece was included in the Mawpun Jingtip which was one of the prescribed textbooks of the Meghalaya Board of School Education.
HK Singh was also an able administrator, observed U Khasi Mynta in its November 1905 issue and said that it was important to have a native appointed as the Head Clerk in the Deputy Commissioner’s office and the Courts in Jowai and Shillong because local people know the culture, tradition and religion of the Khasis. Moreover they can understand, read and write better in Khasi than the non-native head clerk. Having a native officer in the office will also help the government communicate better with the Syiem, the Wahadadar, the Sordar, the Dalloi etc. Perhaps it was also due to the lack of qualified Khasi candidate to take the job that no Khasi was appointed to the post till then. The Newspaper appreciated Major Gurdon for appointing HK Singh to replace Babu Radhanath who was transferred and posted in the plain areas.
The government also appointed HK Singh as the Dewan of Khyrim state for some time to help the Syiem of Hima Khyrim. S.E. Rita in his order dated September 23, 1902, stated that HK Singh is appointed temporarily as Dewan of Khyrim State by Chief Commissioner of Assam in a letter No. 156 confd dated 15-9-1902, 4219 on condition that the Khyrim State bears the cost of his pay at Rs. 150 P.M. and pensionary contribution as calculated under the rules in force.
HK Singh Nongbri was born to Bor Singh Malngiang and ka Bida Nongbri on the June 15, in 1865 at Saitsohpen, Sohra and was only known as the founder of Unitarian Church in the Khasi Jaintia and Karbi Anglong district of Assam. It is high time that his contributions to the nascent Khasi literature is given due recognition.