By Benjamin Lyngdoh
The Khasi dorbar shnong (locality/village governance) needs to reinvent itself when it comes to participation of women as equal stakeholders in a democracy. This is an issue where many have had to cut a sorry figure when it came to explaining to other Indians (and foreigners alike) the rationale behind not allowing women to participate in the proceedings of the dorbar. That we simply go by ‘traditional customs and practices’ is not a sufficient argument. The defense that some villages/localities do allow limited participation of women (like attending meetings and having voting rights in the election of headmen) fails to cut any ice.
However, this column is not about charting the future of the Khasi dorbar shnong in terms of what the others think. On the contrary, the aim is to do a soul searching as a community to rectify this lacuna.
The Khasi community has changed over the decades and this change is mostly driven by the women. As such, do they not deserve a voice in the village/locality governance? The failure to bring inclusiveness will be a crying shame for the current generation of thinkers and law makers. The future will look at us with disdain.
If we look closely at the Khasi community, we will find that in almost all walks of life women are performing better than the males. Talk about the weaker gender. Which one is that? Today, it is the male! Physical strength in terms of twelve units of power (khad-ar bor) means nothing. Now, it is about who has the drive and will power to excel in life. Boys, wake up and smell the coffee. If we look at academic performance right from matriculation till higher studies, girls tend to do better. In NEHU, girls have consistently been bringing better results than the boys for years together. If you enter any government/private office (one can try the Meghalaya secretariat), the administrative sections are dominated by women. In Iewduh (Shillong’s traditional market), the ratio of women run outlets to the males is 5:1 (approx). In household decision-making, the Khasi woman has always been playing a major role. So, why is there discrimination at the dorbar shnong in terms of leading it and/or even participating in it? There is no rationale/logic that explains the situation. Well, the hardcore Khasi men will never agree that women are better than them. Fine, but at least please agree that women are at par with men!
Are women fit to play a key role in the dorbar shnong? If we go by the contribution of Khasi women, this question is a no brainer. However, it is disturbing to find that in this era, women are pushed and swept aside as far as dorbar shnong affairs are concerned. The dorbar is a male bastion. In a dorbar, the women have hit a glass ceiling. They can see the potential of contributing and leading it as a head, but they cannot get past the arguments of traditional customs and practices. In some cases, the men say that the women can attend but they cannot speak. How medieval is that? Hence, it is hypocrisy to think that only the women of other communities have to deal with the problem of a glass ceiling. In truth, this problem is more pronounced in the Khasi community. To this end, the demand of Mawlai Town Dorbar and Seng Kynthei Mawlai Pyllun to give a prominent role to women is highly commendable. Now, this demand must run its course. This demand will be more effective if the women of other localities join ranks. Yes, enforcing this change may be difficult and time consuming. But, Shillong city must lead the way. It is high time for the dorbar shnong to move with the times; after all, the times they are a-changin’.
Now, to the question of who really is a ‘rangbah’? In common parlance we are made to conform that the term rangbah only refers to the males. The word ‘rang’ is equated to a male. In any walk of Khasi life wherein the term rangbah takes centre-stage, there is no place for the female. But, we need to properly define the gender significance of the term. Does rangbah only refer to being a male or does it have a bigger connotation? In truth, it is possible for the term to be considered holistically and beyond its gender biasness. Many a times we have heard/come across the statement ‘da pyrkhat rangbah’ (think maturely). It is in such a situation that the real meaning of the term starts to strike a chord. Rangbah does not refer only to a male; rather, it indicates ‘a way of being or a manner of action.’ Rangbah is an action verb. As such, it can be said that rangbah actually resonates with thinking capacity or far-sightedness or being matured or having reached a certain age, etc. It is in this context that it is proposed that the term is gender neutral. The extension of this argument is that we can say ‘u’ rangbah shynrang (male) and ‘ka’ rangbah kynthei (female). Similarly, we can say ‘u’ rangbah shnong (head-man), ‘ka’ rangbah shnong (head-woman), ‘u’ tymmen shnong (elderly male) and ‘ka’ tymmen shnong (elderly female).
The ones who are against active participation of women have always harped upon the traditional customs and practices. Customs have their place but, it does not mean that we continue with things that are archaic and adverse to societal development. If things need to change for the better, then customs are to be tweaked (or disbanded altogether). In any case, there is no objection to the male domination. It is just a demand for a fair and just share for women with a dignified place at the dorbar. Recently, Acting Syiem of Hima Mylliem, Ainam Manik Syiem in an interview given to PCN said (while referring to the Mylliem Syiemship Act, 2007) that women cannot be given a role at the dorbar shnong. His take is that the said law does not permit for such a scope and that we cannot go against the traditional customs and practices. Well Sir, no law is ever set in stone. Even the Constitution of India is amended times over. Why not a law which is just confined to a territorial jurisdiction? In addition, it would have been better to listen to the subjects before making a damning conclusion. Here, the major voice to be considered is that of the women as they are the main stakeholders. After this exercise is done, then only can the final judgment come.
As it stands, the Khasi dorbar shnong of today is an epitome of inequality with utter disregard for freedom of speech and expression. If only we had more women legislators in the district councils and legislative assembly, then in all likelihood the laws as we see today (read Mylliem Syiemship Act, 2007) would not have been so biased against the women. What a blot on the Khasi community! Oh matrilineal pride. You exist only in name!
(Email: [email protected]; the writer teaches at NEHU)