Meghalaya Not A Christian State
Editor,
Meghalaya is not a religio-political state or Church-state. India is a secular country with no state religion. We have often maintained, both in private conversation and in our writings, that no one can claim for Meghalaya the name of a Christian state, in the legal sense of the words; which does not say that the whole people of the State might not, for all that, be Christians, or sectarians of an especial branch of Christianity. All the words mean to convey is, that Christianity does, as such, not enter into the polity of the government; and that the Constitution, the fundamental law, has no necessary connection with either the dogmas or precepts of Christianity. Nevertheless, it is not an atheistic State. At all events, it is foolish to pretend to assert that there is a state religion: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Niamtre, Niam Khasi, or anything else.
Is Meghalaya a Christian State? No, it is not a Christian State; it never has been and should not be one. For the present, we must close the debate and deserve a society of all men who love truth, liberty, and religion. All religions are equally valid ways of knowing God or truth. External differences between religions are only accidental, while their inner core lies in one thing – in the knowledge of the Divine or the Higher Reality.
Yours etc.,
Marbianglang Rymbai,
Via email
Much ado about Sunday
Editor,
The news ‘Groups warn of stir; Pauls smell politics” and the special article ‘Lest we forget Meghalaya is still part of India,’ (ST October 20, 2023) made interesting reading. Having gone through the news item I found that the argument of the Hon’ble Minister Tourism, Paul Lyngdoh is very rational on the purpose of holding the Cherry Blossom Festival. “Robibar” as a Khasi puts it, is the first day of the week for half of the world population in 67 countries with a population of 4 billion that includes countries like United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Saudi Arabia and United Arabs Emirates while 160 countries with a population of 3.3 billion considers Monday as the first day of the week and among these 160 countries includes Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Congo (DR), Kenya and Uganda to name a few.
Almost all countries in North and South America start their week on Sunday, while countries in Europe and Oceania overwhelmingly start on Monday. The world’s most populated continents are split: roughly half the countries in Africa and Asia are on team Sunday, the other on team Monday. There are countries starting neither on Sunday nor on Monday: Countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Somalia start their week on Saturday.
Discerners are aware that Sunday came about on March 7, A.D. 321, when Constantine the Great issued the first civil Sunday law, compelling all the people in the Roman Empire, except farmers, to rest on Sunday. This, with five other civil laws decreed by Constantine concerning Sunday, set the legal precedent for all civil Sunday legislation from that time to the present. Sunday worship is not commanded in the Bible. It is Constantine’s edict. But wait here is what Astrology says about Sunday. “Sunday is ruled by the sun, which represents warmth, ego, and your personal truth. This is the perfect day to embrace your individual light, and what really makes you happy. Most people can get a bit anxious on Sunday, since it’s the day before Monday, but it’s highly suggested to kick back and take it easy on this day. The solar energy of the sun is meant to recharge us for the week ahead, not deplete us. Ever heard the term “easy like Sunday morning?” This is precisely why. It’s a day to unwind and get centred for the upcoming week ahead.
The special article by Patricia Mukhim ‘Lest we forget Meghalaya is still part of India’ was excellent and factual. Those who think that Meghalaya is out of India are kidding themselves. Let it be known that according to the Reserve Bank of India out of every Rs 100 in the 2021 Accounts, the State’s Own Tax Revenue is Rs 19.40 paisa and Non-Tax Revenue is Rs 4.90 paisa. Both these revenues add up to Rs 24.30 paisa. While Rs 42.60 paisa is Central Taxes and Rs 33.10 paisa is Grants-in-aid from the Government of India both these add up to Rs 75.70 paisa. In percentage State’s revenue works out to 24.3 percent while the rest 75.7 percent comes from the Government of India. It is exactly for this reason that the Government of India has in place a ‘steel frame’ to administer India. The administrator may be Kumar or Lyngdoh it does not matter but they have to administer. Ms Mukhim has correctly said that it is advantageous to be on the ruling side. After all it is a win-win situation to be with those who are in power in New Delhi at a time when ideology no longer matters. After all, money is what money does. She has also rightly pointed out that policy is never debated in the Assembly and “it is pointless to blame the bureaucrats” when “politicians cannot think long term” in Meghalaya or even “come up with a white paper on any sector.”
Yours etc.,
V.K.Lyngdoh,
Via email
Festivities and the moral conscience
Editor,
A firestorm has been brewing over the past few days related to holding the concluding event of the Cherry Blossom Festival on a Sunday. Opposing groups are seen as zealous crusaders of a church going community. For proponents of the event this is seen as a one-time money churning opportunity for a state that is being starved of funds to even pay salaries to muster rolls and others down the line. The opponents should realise that religion or beliefs are purely a personal and independent choice and one cannot impose any norm on anybody, just as God created humans to choose between good and evil. The choice of people to either attend church or to enjoy themselves is none of anyone’s business; nor can anyone impose their religion on everyone else. If a section of people who are practicing Christians feel it’s okay to attend a festival or event on a Sunday because it’s the only day possibly that affords them time to spend out, I personally see it as a non-issue just as Tourism Minister, Mr. Paul Lyngdoh stated that we cannot demonstrate our holiness on a Sunday while the entire week we become unholy. Therefore, a government that is secularly bonded by the Constitution cannot bend just because a majority feels aggrieved about events being held on a particular day based on their faith. Period.
Yours etc..
Dominic S. Wankhar,
Via email