Wednesday, December 11, 2024
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Need to enrich and promote Khasi literature

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By Louis Pyngrope

At the outset I want to make the readers aware as to why this article is published in English when its contents are clearly concerned with the Khasi community. The reason is because the vernacular newspapers cannot accommodate the Khasi version in their publications.
The reason we are unable to enrich our own literature is because of our inclination to use English both as our written and spoken language because of a false pride and because there is no societal imperative to make us value our own language. Hence our propensity to use English instead of Khasi in both spoken and written form becomes automatic. Further, our society and government does not make it compulsory for the Khasi students to opt for Khasi as one of their optional subjects till they pass Class XII standard examination.
As a race, we should also remember not to encourage our children to speak in any language other than Khasi when they are conversing among themselves or in their own community gatherings. If the mentioned restrictions are in place and followed strictly by all, then there will not be anything like the Rynsan Iathir: Balei ym pat lah ban ithuh ia ka ktien Khasi and success of whatever we planned will favour our community.
There are still many facts needed to be unearthed. The most important part that we need to research is to discover our original script and alphabets as the existing Roman alphabets cannot do justice to the spellings of many Khasi words in the different Khasi dialects (especially the words used by the Pnars). We cannot simply rule out the fact that we do not know anything from the past that our forefathers/uncles left for us to research or were they so careless that they have not left anything for us to explore so that we can find our own alphabets? The memory stones (in Khasi called Mot) erected in all parts of Khasi and Jaintia hills may give information about any individual who might have contributed a great deal to the clan, community, etc.
From the maw bri, erected to demarcate the boundaries between the different Hima under the governance of the Syiems/ Dalois, are also indicated the extension of the kingdom of the 30 syiems/himas. We can therefore gain information about the extent of the area which was under the kingdom ruled by the Syiems/ Dalois. All these were left untouched till date and are still available for study and research. There is no information yet that could be extracted from them. Again, many Ossuaries (Maw shieng) that are found especially in Riwar areas can provide information of the clan such as the bones of a particular clan which were interred there; the place where they grew up, and their contributions if any; the total no of males, females, children, and causes of their death like epidemic, etc. So far, from these memory stones we have not tried to extract information and hence no accurate statistics on clans or people living in a particular kingdom at a particular decade/time could be obtained.
Further, it is a general observation that our dialects are very melodious and the melody changes with the change in altitude of the places we live in. For example, as we descend from a place of high altitude viz. Smit towards lower altitude areas like Riwar, we can observe the change in the melody of the dialects. Whereas in Smit, the our dialect is rather crude, it becomes more melodious and sonorous as we enter the areas of Riwar. The change in melody not only happens in Khasi and Jaintia Hills; it appears to be a global phenomenon where the dialects becomes more or less like a song in the areas of lower altitude.
Again, as we move from Smit towards Guwahati, we observe more or less the same change. I believe all these can be considered as our new findings with proper documentation. Similarly, we can also document our matrilineal system, customs and blood relationships between different clans as it seems to have been supported by scientific frameworks. Again, we can find similar links on behaviour and food habits of people within our state who also have a somewhat similar behaviour.
In the near future, I am sure this article will be considered so precious as to wake up the Khasi Authors’ Society so that they will remember this for life. Let this be the wake up call to all respectable members associated with the researchers of some departments of NEHU viz. Khasi, Sociology, Anthropology, etc. The mentioned departments can jointly formulate a Research Scheme for which they may get funding when approved and passed by the Academic Council and Executive Council of the University. The concerned departments can open up the scope for our students to do their research on the above-mentioned topics or on any other relevant topics.
As reported in newspapers, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya had assured the Khasi Hills District Council to give funding for doing research on any issue pertaining to culture, traditions, custom and practices of the Khasi community etc. The District Council should take advantage of this so that it can offer scholarship/fellowship to research scholars of some departments of NEHU viz Khasi, Sociology, Anthropology, etc., so they can pursue their research on the above-mentioned topics. This may help in enriching Khasi literature which we are still lagging behind in.
Prestigious associations like the Khasi Authors’ Society should encourage good write-ups from knowledgeable people to enrich our literature. We still lack books that provide us information on blood relationships like pyrsa, pyrsa ksiew, etc. as they do not seem to have any existence in our modern society. These types of books are essential for our school students.
Another general observation is the wrong usage of the Khasi words ‘ialade’ or ‘ialajong’ as seen and heard on social media, film, plays, etc. There is a lot of work to be done to refine Khasi language and literature.
(The writer is Retired HOD Department of Physics, Lady Keane College)

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