By H.H.Mohrmen
Prelude
Interestingly in the Khasi-Pnar culture rain is not worshipped as god. In fact the people worship the Thunder as god. Although rain has many names in the Khasi-Pnar culture, it is Thunder which is being offered sacrifices on an annual basis. Thunder it seems is believed to be the source of rain hence it is considered to be divine. In the contemporary society of the tribes the politicians are sometimes called ‘ki blei khyndew’ or the Clay gods. The unfortunate incidents in the last few weeks which caused damage to houses, roads, bridges and caused untold misery have been interpreted by some as the sign of the Thunder god not being happy with what is happening in the state. The act of the clay god is not being appreciated by the Thunder god.
The different
names of rain
In the context of the culture of the Hynñew Trep, people different names are given for the kinds of rains that they experience throughout the year. The names are given based on the varieties of the rain as they perceive it. A certain types of rain is called u slap laproo, still another is called u slap ïahthah, slap rymphu, u pylliang, u slap kynnrong lymbong kba and u slap ksi. The different names of the rain are given, based on the period or the time of year it falls in and the intensity of the downpour. (Mohrmen H.H, Cultural History of Jañtia in Story, Stones and Traditions, 2021)
The different types of rain
Pylliang is the mid-summer rain when it rains cats and dogs and people cannot even get out of their houses. According to the local wisdom, pylliang could rain continuously for three days and if it does not stop, then it will continue for five more days and again it can rain continuously for seven days and for nine days altogether. Rain which falls very heavily and for a very short time is called u slap laproo. Slap laproo is rain which falls suddenly and generally does not last more than an hour. Last rain of the year or rain at the onset of winter is called slap ïahthah, or rain which brings ice or frost and u slap kynnrong lymbong kba is rain before harvesting of rice and u slap ksi is rain like snowflakes which is not rain as such but more of a thick cloud. There are times when rain falls while the sun shines which is called u slaprymphu and it rains for a brief period of time only (Mohrmen HH, 2021).
The story of the Civet
and the Thunder
In the same study (Mohrmen HH, 2022) there is a story according to the traditional narrative, of how Thunder was attracted to the glittering sword of civet called kui in Khasi and the celestial being stealing the sword from the poor animal. The story has it that while the animal was performing pastieh a warrior dance organized by both humans and animals, the Civet joined in the dance and proudly displayed his sword. The reflection from the sword attracted all the animals and humans who were part of the gathering. The thunder that came down from heaven was also attracted by the swords and he couldn’t help but asked kui to let him hold the sword and dance with it for few moments.
The Thunder steals Civet’s sword
When he was done with dancing in good faith the Civet lent his sword to the Thunder to enable him to take part in the dance. But the thunder while dancing and holding the dazzling sword upright like any dancer would do, flew away to the sky taking kui’s sword with him. So, according to the traditional belief of the people, the lightning and the thunder that we see across the sky and on the horizon is actually the thunder performing his warrior dance in the sky with the sword he has stolen from u kui. While Thunder every summer displays his skills and reflection of the sparkling sword reaches the Earth, the poor civet continues to lament at the stolen sword that Thunder god has stolen from him. The Pnar people also believe that the reason that kui always defecate in the same place is because he hopes that he will one day be able to turn it into a mountain. The pile of defecation which turns to mountains will one day enable him to reach the sky and take the sword back from the thunder. Then he would be able to reclaim what is rightfully his.
Rain a divine intervention
In the culture of the tribe rain can be considered a divine intervention caused by Thunder which is considered to be a deity. Sacrifices are also performed every year to appease the Thunder god so that the deity showers his blessing upon the earth. This only proves that rain is considered a divine intervention. Whether the recent natural calamities can be considered as divine interventions – a sign that the gods are not happy with what is happening on Earth is for the readers of this esteemed paper to decide.
Rain exposed the
rot of corruption
There is no denying that what has happened has only exposed the truth that corruption is rampant in the state. And it was the Thunder god with the incessant rains that followed (like somebody said) exposed the skeletons which were hurriedly buried under the ground. Unlike Midas who turns everything he touches to gold, everything this government touch turns into a disaster.
Illegal Coal mining
The illegal mining which this column has tried to bring to public discourse since this government came to power is still being debated in the public domain. And it was this column which also brought to light the allegations of the people in Jañtia Hills of the presence of the dealers called the high level and in local parlance the ‘hai lebel’ who facilitated the illegal business. To say that the skeleton in the illegal coal mining case has started to tumble from the cupboard is to state the obvious.
Shoddy repair of roads
The substandard construction of Jowai bypass road from Thadlaskeñ to Mihmyntdu which was again repaired last year is in the news for the same reason. The road was not well constructed in the first place and neither the contractor nor the engineers who supervised the work have even a semblance of aesthetic sense. It is one of the ugliest roads in the state. Compared to this road the Shillong bypass is not only well constructed and well maintained but is also beautifully made and pleasant to drive on. And the road has not had any major repair work since it was commissioned more than five years ago. The less said about the Jowai-Shillong road the better. The road has been regularly repaired all throughout the year. The road which was repaired last winter is now in the worst condition and it is not even summer yet.
The ISBT
The leakage on some part of the ISBT has exposed another sub-standard work undertaken by the contractor right under the very nose of the government. In this government there is no concern for conflict of interests even when the contractor is also the person related to the minister. That the minister refused to institute an inquiry into the sub-standard construction of the building has only exposed this government’s attitude towards public property. “It is only a minor leakage,” the minister said, but it is a new building constructed from public money which they expect to be in the best of condition.
The Dome of Doom
The final nail in the coffin is the collapse of the dome of the under-construction august House of the Meghalaya State Assembly. The incident has made the MDA a laughing stock of the state. It has also exposed the major partner in the government; both the NPP and the UDP are like two sides of the same coin when it comes to this major disaster. The government’s dream to have the autumn session of the house in the new building is now dashed to the grounds and along with it the reputation of the MDA Government also came down crashing to the ground. The rain has indeed caused trouble for the demi gods of Meghalaya. Is this a bad omen or a sign of things to come for the government? Only time will tell.