By Fabian Lyngdoh
The Khasi social order was founded on the character of the Kur (clans) as basic social units, independent economies, primary political institutions, and independent religious institutions. The basic traditional Khasi society was established by the association of a number of clans (Ki Kur) within a particular geographical territory to establish independent village-states called the Raid or the Shnong. Hence, the Raid/Shnong was the basic functional society, and the basic political community among the Khasi. Strictly speaking, there can be no Jaidbynriew (Khasi society) without the institutions of the Kur.
Presently, the Khasi are under the protection of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India as a scheduled tribe. But currently an erroneous narrative has emerged that protection and benefits would be provided to people of a scheduled tribe only on condition that they maintain their identity in the political museum strictly on the basis of age-old beliefs, customs, thought and practices. That if some sections of the tribe deviate from age-old traditions and customs and recreate some improved ways of life according to emerging circumstances, then they violate traditions as well as the constitutional provisions; and therefore, they lose the benefits of scheduled tribe status. This deviation from tradition is being perceived mostly in the context of religion. The implication is that, the Khasi who have converted to Christianity which is a foreign religion, are no longer full-fledged Khasi, and have hence forfeited the scheduled tribe status.
The fact is that, long before the advent of the British rule and the coming of Christianity, the Khasi in many Raid and Hima have already deviated from the religious traditions of their ancestors. Adoption and enculturation of Hinduism had taken place in the community religions of many Raid and Hima. Hindu deities like Viswakarma (Biskorom), Mahadeva or Mahesh (Mahet), Lakshmi (Lukhmi), Shiva (Bari Bhai-Sari Bhai), Laxman (Lakhon), Kali, Chandi, Durga, Ram, Bisori and Ramshandi, etc., have been integrated in the community religion of some Raid in Jaintia Hills, in Ri Bhoi, in Hima Shella, in Hima Mawlong, and in some other parts of the Khasi Hills, including human sacrifices in some areas. In Raid Ïapngar, human sacrifice was offered to a god called, Baribhai-Saribhai. The Dimasa Kachari talk of Shiva by the name of ‘Brai Sibrai’ which is similar to Baribhai-Saribhai of the Ïapngar. Indeed, Bhairava is another name of Shiva. But in spite of the adoption of foreign gods at the community level, the Khasi during that period still maintained the matrilineal system which is the core of Khasi tradition, and did not lose their identity. Likewise, majority of the Khasi today have adopted the Christian faith, but they still believe strictly in the traditional principles of ka tipbriew-tipblei, tiphok tipsot, and tipkur tipkha, and strictly maintain the spirit of being Khasi. Hence, religion is not the basic foundation of Khasi identity. The Khasi Raid and Hima never had a common capital for the whole tribe. But during British rule, a new modern capital emerged. Individuals and families belonging to different Kur migrated from their original Raid and Hima to settle in Shillong, the modern capital emerging within the territory of Raid Mylliem. The social structure of the Khasi society evolving in this new-found capital began to be based on individual persons and nuclear-family households, and not on the basis of the Kur as used to be the Khasi tradition. These immigrant clans had no role to play in the traditional politics of Raid Mylliem until the emergence of the modern dorbar shnong. Cross-migrations of Kur from one Raid to another, and from one Hima to another began to take place incessantly, and continues till today. The immigrant Kur lost connection with their niam-kur (clan religions) and community religions that were established in their own respective original Raid. When the nuclear family with the father as the head emerged, the Kur began to lose its institutional character, and the institution of the ïing-khatduh (natal household) as the centre of the Khasi niam-kur, has lost its meaning. Community religions meant to sustain the traditional social order, have been abandoned in most of the Raid and Hima. All the changes that have taken place in the new-found modern capital in Raid Mylliem, transmitted waves of changes to all other Raid and Hima, and induced cultural shocks in the entire Khasi society.
In the year 1899, some educated Khasi leaders who lived mainly in Shillong, founded ‘Ka Seng Khasi Association’ which originally was not a religious institution, but as a body to preserve the Khasi socio-cultural structure in the midst of emerging modern influences, especially by the spread of the Christian faith. But in the later period the name was changed to ‘Ka Seng Khasi’, and the emphasis was shifted to that of a new kind of religious institution. This happens because of the wrong interpretation that ‘a Khasi is a Khasi because of his religion’.
On the other hand, there were also attempts to interpret the religion of the Khasis in line with other religious philosophies, especially with Hinduism. According to Jeebon Roy the performance of rites and rituals in every Kur is not a true religion, but only a ‘Niam’. True Khasi religion according to him is not ‘Niam’, but ‘Dharma’, that grows and develops within the persons’ hearts. Jeebon Roy also wrote that when a person dies his/her soul goes to the house of God and merges with divine consciousness. This is an adaptation from Hinduism. The Khasi religious belief says that the departed souls do not go to the house of God, but they go to eat betel nut “ha dwar u Blei” (in the portico of God). That means that the human soul would not merge with divine consciousness but retains his/her personal entity as an individual soul.
Sib Charan Roy made an effort to streamline the Khasi religious thought in tune with the tenets of Hinduism and Christianity. He says that God is within in us and we are in God. He taught people in sickness to pray to God who resides within the self. But the Khasi do not believe that God resides within human beings. This concept is borrowed from Hinduism, and Christianity. He also suggested that those persons who are born crippled may have been criminals and oppressors in their previous lives. This is a Hindu doctrine of rebirth and transmigration of souls in the cycle of the wheel of existence (Samsara). Sib Charan Roy also instructed his followers that when they pray to God, they should not pray in front of other people, but to go into a room, close the door and pray to God, who is unseen.” This is inspired by what Jesus said in the Gospel. He also opined that God created man last, after He has created everything that man needs. This concept is also adopted from the Biblical creation account. The Khasi traditional thought pre-supposes that man already existed in heaven as the Khathynriew Trep before the creation of the earth.
The fact is that much of the original Khasi religious traditions have been lost and disappeared from the tribe. According to Khasi traditional religious belief, the collection of the bones of the deceased members in the Kur’s ‘mawbah’ (clan ossuary) is a strict religious necessity for the spirits of the departed to find eternal rest with the ancestral mother in the spiritual realm. All the religious rites and ceremonies of the Kur must be performed within the ambit of the Kur, and cannot be performed by another Kur. H.O. Mawrie, one of the great thinkers of Ka Seng Khasi also pointed out that the Khasi religion is instituted in each Kur independently. There is no temple or religious building for the common worship of all Kurs, because each Kur has its own religious house in the ïing khatduh (natal household of the clan) for the performance of all religious rituals. J.K. Tariang, a leader of the Seng Khasi also submitted that according to the traditional belief of the ancestors, the rituals of interring the bones of the departed members in the main clan ossuary was essential for the spirit of the deceased persons to reach the abode of God. But he also sincerely admitted that since the interring of bones of deceased persons into each clan’s ossuary has become very difficult and expensive, many rites, rituals and ceremonies have been modified and even discarded altogether to suit the needs of the times and the prevailing circumstances.
So, we find that Khasi Hindus, Khasi Christians, Khasi Muslims, and believers of the new Khasi indigenous faith have almost all deviated from the original religious traditions of their ancestors. But the Khasi of all religious faiths still maintain the cultural traditions of the tribe. Though today, around 70 per cent of the members of all clans have embraced other religions, clan relationships are still being maintained between clan members. Christian church denominations have largely replaced the role of the clans as religious institutions for guiding the moral and spiritual life of the people in villages and urban localities. The Seng Khasi and Seiñ Raj also emerged as guiding institutions of the reformed indigenous faith for the Khasi who do not want to convert to Christianity or any other religion. So, if the Scheduled Tribe status is to be maintained, it has to be maintained for all the Khasi. If it has to be abolished, it has to be abolished for all Khasi because ‘Niam’ is not the basic foundation of Khasi identity.