By D Pyngrope
It is intriguing to see the political turn of events in our country. I for once would like to make it amply clear that I am a person who never subscribed to any discrimination of persons due to ethnic disparity. I am silently aggrieved on the occasions of such discriminations that are meted out to the non- locals in the state or any divide amongst citizens on ethnic lines.
The current scenario in the Bri u Hynñiew Trep is worrisome, I see an unhealthy communal divide taking place not merely between tribals and non-tribals, but also amongst tribals. Some entities with vested interests are now dangerously trying to create fissures in our society on religious lines with elements from within that are conniving with the elements from outside the state and are trying to be architects of a Manipur like situation in our state.
The Hynñiew Trep/Khasi people had lived in harmony for centuries amidst differences of clanship (KUR), region, dialect, traditions and customs and most recently religion. The bonding of the Kur; the Hima, the Raid and ultimately the Dorbar Shnong is so ingrained in our blood that the religious alteration of individuals could not interfere or divide the bonding.
It is pertinent to note that the Hynñiew Trep/Khasi people are a conglomeration of the clans from across the Bri u Hynñiew Trep (Khasi Pnar) region that are well knitted into one Community called as above and comprise the Khynriam(s), the Pnar(s), the Bhoi(s), the War(s), the Maram(s), the Lyngam(s) , the Mawïang(s) and a few others and are identified by the region to which they belong.
It is also important to note that the Hynñiew Trep form of indigenous religion is monotheism and not polytheism. Any form of religious rituals are carried out at the maternal house by the maternal uncle who is the chief priest (celebrant) and the entire form of worship revolves around the individual family only and not the entire kur. Rituals at different strata such as the Raid or the Hima or the Kur take different forms and are performed with specific intentions or purposes. There an uncle of a specified clan as bestowed by divine revelation holds the office of a celebrating Priest and he carries out the rituals as per customs on behalf of the Raid or the Hima so on and so forth. No one from outside the designated clan or family would dare to interfere with the religious activities of a family or a clan or a Raid or a Hima lest it leads to some unfortunate incident.
There might be individuals who wilfully wish to do away with customs and practices that befits the Hynñiew Trep for their conveniences due to individual choices and no one can stop such persons in the absence of codified laws. In such an event the Kur is the only entity that could intervene, that too, subject to the willingness of such persons to listen else we must leave such individuals to divine judgement.
We are a race and we unite as one to foster a collective effort to strive forward. We had faced testing times under the British who cunningly had fooled us in different ways but could not touch our customs and practices. Prior to the British we had hardly been touched by the different invaders of the powerful kingdoms. We co-existed side by side with the neighbouring kingdoms before the advent of the British. And in 1947 our rulers (Syiems, Sirdars etc) individually and collectively acceded into the Indian Union amidst shady circumstances subject to the terms and conditions that would apply.
From then on the Hynñiew Trep People had persisted through rough weather as citizens of India. Our agreed terms and conditions were tried to be diluted or ignored with the passage of time. Our people including the other North-eastern tribals were/are regularly bullied by the dominant race in almost every corner of the country. We are unknown to the masses in the nation and we feel intimidated always by the majoritarian attitude of the Indian brethren.
Being a matrilineal society the Khasi male is looked down upon not only by our own but by whoever is aware of our weak familial bonding. The male members of mainland India that know of our lineage tend to even use our system to their advantage to feed their economic or carnal appetites. A glaring example of which is available about 100 meters from the house that I stay. A Khasi lady is sheltering a man from the other part of the country in her house for over 10 years. He is identified as her husband; incidentally the man already had a wife and kids in his native village. His kids come for schooling here and are looked after by the lady and they call her aunty. This lady even has the guts to visit her husband’s village in the guise of an aunty.
We the Hynñiew Trep and the Northeast Indians do not matter to the mainland Indians and their words of comfort and encouragements do not synchronise with their deeds.
We thought things have changed with the advent of the current Union Government which showed some interest in our people and our region but we feel betrayed yet again. This time the betrayal comes as a bolt from the blue with the move to rename our Great Nation from India to Bharat.
As citizens of Meghalaya and the states of the Northeast we must not subscribe to this move but we must put forward our objections instead. Whilst the name may be suitable for the rest of the country, it is not suitable for the Northeast because we were never under the different Rajas and Maharajas at any point of time before the British colonisation. And our people/race have no common historical or religious or customary or traditional background to share with the different kingdoms of pre- British or the pre-independent era of India. We are different from the rest and our nation is home to many ethnic communities that are also different from the majority therefore let us be as we are.
I further appeal to all the Hynñiew Trep people to wake up and feel the pulse of the dominating majority and stand steadfast to the cause of preserving our identity before we get submerged in the ocean of majoritarianism. I also appeal to the other North-eastern brethren to consider this very important matter and voice against it before it becomes too late.
As a nation India had done well in many spheres, and we hold our country in high regard but imposing on us this generalization will be an act of tyranny towards the tribals of Northeast and the ethnic minorities of India.
