By HH Mohrmen
We are at the threshold of 2021 and people are anxiously waiting for the New Year with the hope that like a new day dawning, they will be able to leave behind all the bad experiences of 2020. Hope is what keeps the world going. After all life in the world revolves and evolves because hope is perpetual. But the pertinent question is whether the world is going to be the same as this year or the year before. The answer is yes and no. A lot will remain as it is and there will be not much difference. Yet there will also be subtle changes happening around us.
There is already a new term that is doing the rounds since the governments of the world put into operation their lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s called the New Normal. Just as a person cannot cross the same river twice, the world can never be the same again. Besides, change is also constant in the universe. The world has changed and in many ways it cannot go back to how it was. It is also not for humans to try to unwind what has happened and live in the past because the world and the entire universe can only move forward.
Many writers and thinkers are also of the opinion that the pandemic marks the end of an era and the beginning of another because in many way what has happened had changed the way people live their lives. Since the pandemic had hit the world very hard, it will definitely have a permanent impact on the culture and the way of life of every society. It is also true that government’s response to COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt affected every individual and in all strata of society.
The major effect of the pandemic on the way of life of the tribal people like ours is, with regards to the tradition that they have with bereavements. The tradition of laying the body in state (pynchong sngi) for at least one day especially when an elderly person in the family dies is now done away with. The customary practice of laying the body in state for friends and family to pay their last respects to the deceased person is no longer practiced as the cremation or funeral is arranged as soon as possible even if the person had not died of COVID-19. The most noticeable impact of the pandemic is the number of people visiting the bereaved family nowadays. This used to be a unique tribal tradition that people follow, but now people avoid doing so and visit only when the bereavement happens to close friends or a family member. Perhaps people avoid visiting the bereaved family also out of respect for the government SOP.
Another interesting development in Jowai which has a positive impact on the office of Waheh Chnong in particular and the Town is general is the empowerment of the headmen and their organisation. The secretary of ka Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong Jowai Urban, L.D. Lakiang has rightly said that the pandemic is like a blessing in disguise because it has strengthened and united the headmen of different localities in Jowai. It may be mentioned that the Waheh Chnong in Jañtia are already empowered by the Act of the Jañtia Hills Autonomous District Council which has also received the assent of the Governor, but Jowai as such is in a peculiar situation. Although it is an urban area and a cosmopolitan town, yet there is neither a Town committee nor a Municipal body to look after the general welfare of the town. Jowai has more than 22 two localities or dorbar chnong which function independently although they are all part of the same town. This leaves a vacuum in administration of the town that the council of Waheh Chnong has to fill.
In the absence of a town level committee or a municipal body, the Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong of Jowai town by virtue of it being an organisation of headmen elected by their respective communities is by default a town level committee. The government has many a time tried but failed to conduct the election to the Jowai Municipal board. Hence it should therefore treat the Synjuk as the Council of Headman of Jowai town. And by virtue of the office of Waheh Chnong being recognised by the Act of the Jañtia Hills Autonomous Distrcit Council the same should be treated as a legal entity.
Another interesting story from Jowai which needs to be shared is the lesson learned from the taxi owners and drivers association of the town. When the District Administration started easing the number of vehicles to ply on the road in the town and the odd even regulation was done away with, the taxi owners and drivers association decided to voluntarily continue with the plan. They decided to continue with the arrangement and carry on plying with the odd- even numbers arrangement. This has saved the people from prolonged traffic jams which happen on a regular basis. This is a win-win solution for both the people and the drivers and it happens without any government intervention but as a result of the association voluntarily deciding to do what they think is right and for the benefit of all.
While governments are calculating the pandemic impact on the economy of their respective countries, the poor and needy who do not have that luxury, have to move on facing all the challenges that come their way.
Also while the world is trying to defeat COVID-19, agencies and institutions are also trying to assess the damage the pandemic has had on the different aspects of society. Studies conducted in many countries suggest that mental and health problems and domestic violence have increased by 40% during lockdown and the major factor which contributed to this is alcohol. It was found that alcohol addiction has been a significant factor in both mental health issues and domestic violence. Even if no study has been done yet but it cannot be denied that a large section of the population in the state of Meghalaya too is either alcoholic or alcohol-dependant. This needs the immediate attention of the government. Just look around and one would realise that any person would at least have two friends or relatives who are suffering from alcohol addiction.
Although no agency or institution in the state has conducted any tangible study in this area, but suffice it to say that a large part of our health resources are spent on coping with alcoholism and alcohol related diseases. Records from hospitals and health centres will provide us with evidence on the grave reality of the issue. Apart from that there are other alcohol related crimes like accidents, domestic violence and other petty crimes which affect not only the individual but the family too. This is also a drain on government resources. Other consequences of alcohol addiction are – broken homes, unwanted pregnancies, neglected children, suicide, homelessness, debt, crimes, mental problems and un-timely and needless death.
Post COVID-19 the emergent issue that the government needs to take seriously is the growing number of people who have become alcoholics. Although both the state and the central government has allotted a huge financial resources to combat the drugs menace and alcohol addiction is also clubbed in the programs, but in the context of Meghalaya, alcohol addiction deserves to be treated separately.
Post COVID-19 the government should take the support of different institutes and universities and conduct a study to understand the effect that alcohol has on society. General observation gives one the idea that it seems that out of every two youth who die, the cause of death of one would be alcohol related. If the government can control alcohol addiction, it would save the state the much needed resource and more importantly precious young lives because alcohol is eating the vitals of the tribal society in the state.
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