By Jonty Rhode Sangma
As an ardent supporter of 100 Drums Wangala festival, I am sad to read the letter,“Much ado about Wangala,” (ST Sep 22, 2020). I have been following 100 Drums Wangala for the last many years as a diehard fan and I have not come across any internal disputes on organisational matters in the past. It was smooth sailing all along under the able stewardship of our former Chairman Mr LK Marak, who ran the office consecutively for the last few decades without any mishap. It is perhaps for the first time such a rift has surfaced in the organisation since its inception and this is not a good sign for the future of 100 Drums Wangala.
In the meantime, a new internal problem has emerged out of organising committee in the form of misappropriation of 100 Drums Wangala Festival fund by the Chairman, in the run up to hold the festival at Chibragre amidst the Covid pandemic.
There have been serious allegations against the Chairman LRC Momin for his dictatorial working style and abuse of his official power at the same time as an elected Chairman. The matter has come to light when the Head Assistant of the Rongram Block Development office representing the Ex-officio secretary of 100 Drums Wangala Organising Committee has replied to the query of one of the members present at the meeting at Asanang. He informed that the Chairman has withdrawn an amount of rupees ten lakhs on two occasions from the Wangala fund without the knowledge of the Committee members. The amount was spent on some unauthorised constructions in the new site at Chibragre, etc.
Why is the self styled working Chairman hell-bent on organising 100 drums Wangala festival even with 30 drums? The very name itself says 100 Drums Wangala Festival and definitely not 30 drums Wangala festival! Perhaps he doesn’t know the history of why and how it was started! Every year 11 group of dancers are present wherein one group of 10 drummers and 10 dancers performed and one group is kept on standby so that the very purpose of the name 100 Drums Wangala Festival is not broken! They say that if the annual festival is organised the funds will come from the Centre. Is it all about money? Why put hundreds and thousands of people at risk? Will the self styled Working Chairman Ronald Rikman Sangma or Nokma Council President Skylance Momin take responsibility should anything happen?
Why don’t they get this that 100 Drums Wangala Festival is just a showcase of the dance of the forefathers and not the actual Wangala that the traditional Garos practice! Nobody’s stopping the real Wangala happening in the Songsarek villages as it’s their religion and not just a symbolic dance. But to even think that by not organising 100 Drums Wangala Festival for one year, the Committee will be losing the funds is disgusting and selfish. How could one even think of dancing and merry-making when the rest of the world is suffering? Do Ronald Rikman Sangma or Skylance Momin think they are safe? And that the virus cannot touch them? God forbid! I welcome the move from the people of Asanang not to host 100 Drums Wangala festival this year by putting people in danger! Hence every right thinking citizen should object to this mindless act of certain people in the organisation just for the objective of getting money from the centre! The lone surviving founder member of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Mr Leander K Marak also objected to Organising the festival during pandemic.
Some argue that even the Behdenkhlam festival was organised so why not the Wangala. Those who say that should know that Behdienkhlam is a religious festival of the Niamtre (indigenous faith) of the Pnar devotees in Jaintia Hills, organised by the Sein Raij whereas the constitution of 100 Drums Wangala Festival Organisation clearly states that it is a purely non-political non- religious observance. It’s just a symbolic representation on how our forefathers used to dance and hence the misinterpretation of the real Songsarek Wangala dance and the display of 100 drums Wangala dance should be clarified to one and all! But this is what happens when mindless self-proclaimed failed politicians try to make political capital out of a festival. When everybody is objecting to holding the festival, why make it an ego issue and push for organizing even 30 Drums Wangala Festival? Money shouldn’t be the only agenda here. What happens if the Wangala festival becomes the reason for the spread of Corona? In the Oct 2 meeting some dancers were brought in a pick-up truck with absolutely no social distancing! God save the villagers who innocently followed what a section of organizers directed them to do! The original members of 100 Drums Wangala Festival still object to organising the festival during the pandemic and the decision has been taken with the host villagers of Asanang. Only a handful of “new members” who have just joined the Organisation without following the Constitution want the festival to happen at any cost. There are people who joined the organisation so that they get the videography photography project; there are self- proclaimed designers who are trying to get their designs included for all the dancers which was not accepted by the original members of the Organisation. These are the disgruntled members who are creating a rift with the help of a businessman who will obviously look for greener pastures.
The Chairman was unwell for some time and during his absence, he has intentionally (illegally) appointed his friend (businessman) as Working Chairman, which is against the Constitution as there’s no post for Working Chairman there. Actually he should have handed over charge to his Vice Chairman to run the office as per the Organisation’s Constitution. Since then, they have been carrying out illegal transaction of 100 Drums Wangala festival fund for the project which has not been even submitted to the Government, as informed by insiders.
The members have expressed their unhappiness at sudden emergence of internal politics being played by the Chairman and his cohorts openly which is against the spirit of promoting our rich traditional culture like Wangala dance. Some members of the new faction are reported to be claiming themselves as the founding members of 100 Drums Wangala Festival Organising Committee. The fact is that Mr Leander K.Marak, former Chairman is the lone living testimony of the said Committee which was started was back in 1976.
The general pulse of the Wangala Committee members and the well wishers is that the Chairman should resign from his post immediately on moral grounds and a general body meeting be convened to elect new office bearers to save the Organisation from complete disintegration. Meanwhile the office of the Wangala Committee at Asanang should be sealed till an amicable settlement is reached in the Organisation. The Chairman should clean up his backyard before going for Wangala at Chibragre.