By HH Mohrmen
There are two things that one must understand to be able to appreciate the reason behind the recent protest against the plan to construct a dam on the Wah Umngot. One must first understand the ancient and profound connection that the community has with the rivers and the ecosystem. And the second is of the resurgence of this connection that people have with the rivers in the two major towns of the Khasi Jañtia hills. Reader of the Shillong Times who follow the news in Khasi Jañtia region, would notice that there are people both in Shillong and Jowai who try to revive or protect the rivers in their respective areas.
The move to revive wah Umkhrah as it is the case in Shillong and the movement to protect the river Myntdu in Jowai is the sign of the resurgence of this ancient relation that the locals have with the ecosystem and the river in particular. Hence one will miss the most important point if one does not see the protest against the dam over the Wah Umngot in the light of these developments.
There are those who question why Umngot is important. A careful analysis would reveal that Wah Umngot is one of those rare rivers where one sees no human settlements on its banks except at the end of the river before it flows to the plains of Bangladesh. From the place of its origin on the foothills of the Shillong peak till it reaches Shnongpdeng, the nearest village will be many kilometres away from the rivers. In other civilizations first human settlements were always found on the banks of the rivers, but in the case of Umngot it is not so. The reason people avoid settling on its bank is perhaps out of respect for the river.
Maybe Umngot is like a maiden who is shy of humans and lives her own life and flows through the rough terrain to serve the people. This perhaps is the reason why the River remains clean and crystal clear till it reaches Dawki. Throughout the length and breadth of the River, it created beautiful canyons on both sides. Even the tributaries of the rivers which flow to Umngot from every direction are clean and clear which helps maintain the crystal clear condition of the river. This is perhaps why the famous Wah Umngot is unique in its own right and is special to the people.
Indigenous people around the world have their own understanding of nature and that which surrounds them. One of their very unique understanding is that plants and even rivers are sentient beings. They are not just beings but animate beings which they treat like their relatives. They have hundreds of stories about these rivers in which they personify as humans. Even in the way they speak to or about the beings around them, they give them the same respect that they give to fellow human beings. For example unlike in English where the pronoun used when referring to beings other than human is ‘it’, in Khasi Pnar language, the same pronoun is used for both humans and other animate beings.
One can see the respect that the culture gives to other beings when they use the pronoun ‘u’ or he/him for male and ‘ka’ or her/she for female even for other animate beings. They do not consider them as lifeless so the pronoun ‘it’ is not used when referring to other sentient beings. Not only is the sentient world treated equally but even rivers, hills, mountains and rocks too are referred to as living beings in the Khasi Pnar milieu. Myntdu and Kupli rivers were also worshipped as deities by the people.
What better example can best illustrate the profound connection that people have with their rivers than the song composed by Shemphanghun Mukhim from Mawdulop village who is also a member of farmers on the banks of the River Umngot (ka kynhun nongrep harud wah Umngot). The song which was first used in the protest against the recent proposed public hearing at Singkhnai, has become like a protest song of the people who live near Wah Umngot. The song also resonates both the ancient and the present bond that people have with the river.
It is a pity that the song is in Khasi, but then language is another important medium through which one can connect with nature. This writer will attempt to translate the same to English so that all the readers of the Shillong Times will be able to appreciate the profound relationship that people have with the river. The song is a classic case of Shemphanghun’s connection with the River or rather how the river speaks to his heart.
Ko wah Umngot wah kaba kyntang/Ko wah ba don la ki khanatang/Ko wah basngur ba ithiang/Kum pha ngan shem pat shaei?/U khaw u kba shilynter jong pha;/Ki shnong baduk pha ai bam pha bsa,/Ko wah Umngot naduh mynhyndai/Harud jong pha don ki mawlynnai. The first stanza basically talks about the sacredness of the river which has many stories. The condition of water which is clean and clear, a river which is rare and surrounded by paddy fields which feeds the poor villages. It also says there are also precious stones in the river.
Chorus: Ah ko wah Umngot badon nam ka ri Khasi;/Naduh hyndai pha aibam pha bsa ïa ngi/
Ki bor ba hakhlieh ïa pha ki thmu ban wan pynjot,/Balei phan sah tang jingkynmaw ko wah Umngot? Umngot the famous river which has fed the people since time immemorial. Now people in power are planning to destroy you Oh River. Oh why should you be reduced to memories only?
Nga jaw ummat haba peit ïa pha;/Jinglong kyntang kin jah noh na pha,Pynthor badon ki ïngtrep; ka um kan tap,/Shaei ngin phet ah da ei ngin bam?/Ngin sa ïongsngew tang ki sur ba ïam,/Masi ki blang ba ju shad mastieh;/Ki mrad ha khlaw ah shaei kin rieh? Tears fall from my eyes when the sacredness of the river will go and one we will only hear people’s cry. Where will the cows and the goats which used to dance in the fields and the animals in the forests go?
Ka hok bla buh da u longshuwa;/Ngim shah kiwei kin pynjot pynpra,/Ka spah bala buh U Blei ban duh ngim shah da lei lei,/Ngin ïeng pyrshah la ngi duk ne biej,/Ka hok jong ngi, ngin ym tieng ym riej,/Ko wah Umngot jingkyrkhu ïa ngi,/Ngi ieit ïa pha ngin sumar ngin ri. We will not let others take away the rights we have inherited from our ancestors. We will not allow the wealth that God has bestowed on us to be taken away from us. We will fight even if we are poor and illiterate. We will not let people take away our rights from us.
U khaw u kba shilynter jong pha;/Ki shnong baduk pha ai bam pha bsa,/Ko wah Umngot naduh mynhyndai,/Harud jong pha don ki mawlynnai. Rice grows along the river which feeds the poor villages. Umngot, since time immemorial on your banks there are precious stones.
Like Umngot; Kupli also has its story and when the Kupli Hydroelectric project was made, a large part of the river on the Jañtia side was also submerged but the pertinent question to the government is how has the state benefitted from the Kupli project? The other question has to do with the cost of construction. The cost of the Myntdu Lechka hydel project had escalated three times the original cost. Obviously when one loses one’s respect for the river one also loses respect for other values system like ‘kamai ïa ka hok’.
In the indigenous culture all the rivers have stories and if we lose these stories then part of people’s identity too will go. Similarly people who live on both sides of the river have stories and if the river is dammed then all these stories will vanish away. The Government claimed that the dam will not affect the land and its people, but has it taken these important points into consideration? With regards to the villages downstream of the river where tourist spots have emerged, the question that begs the answer is – what about the USP of all the tourist spots in the area. The truth is the crystal clear condition of the water is the only USP of all the tourist spots downstream of the dam. Hence any construction upstream will cause turbidity of the water and it will no longer be crystal clear.
If the Khasi Pnar really wants to protect their identity, maintaining the deep relation that they have with nature is also their identity. If one loses this bond then one is no longer an indigenous Khasi Pnar because protecting the river and the entire ecosystem is also protecting one’s identity
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