By HH Mohrmen
There was an incident last week which missed the spotlight; it was a case of media persons missing the boat for a ship. The incident was the convocation of a private university that could have been major news with possible international impact, but sadly, it did not happen. The incident was something that had never happened before in the world. No, it was not because of an error the university made in selecting the recipient of the honour it had offered, nor was it a criticism that the person selected had no contribution to society and hence did not deserve the honour. The incident was indeed the rarest of the rare case, as something like this had never occurred anywhere in the world.
My first experience with the Musician
In the 80s and early 90s, during the heyday of organizing fetes in Jowai to raise funds for various causes, it was popular to invite musical groups or rock bands from Shillong to entertain the audience. The managing committees of schools and even localities raising funds for their community projects would always invite groups from Shillong. The more popular the band, the larger the audience it attracted, helping to raise funds for the cause. The groups invited to perform at these fetes largely depended on their popularity. Among the most popular bands of the time were Blood and Thunder, the Rebel Souls, the New Era and The Great Society to name a few.
The Man in shorts
In the managing committee where I was a member, we had an elderly gentleman named Ma Karen Passah, who remained active even at a ripe old age. Whenever there was a discussion about who to invite to entertain the public during the fete, he would always insist on inviting “u tbian patlun.” “U tbian patlun” in Pnar means a man who wears shorts. He had only completed primary education and did not know the artist’s name, nor did he care what music the artist would play, but he always insisted that this particular musician be invited. Later, I learned that he liked the man in shorts because of his discipline—Lou Majaw was always punctual, a natural entertainer, and not one for nonsense. Ma Passah, too, was disciplined, punctual and a no-nonsense person and spoke very little. Like him, Lou was always on time, and that could be why this gentleman liked the musician.
The Great Society, led by its front man Lou Majaw, was very popular in Jowai then, but it was also mostly about Lou. What was special about this man was that he was his own person and did not succumb to pressure. To this day, he remains the Lou Majaw we knew as kids—a man with long hair who always wears shorts. Before torn-out short jeans became popular, Lou had been wearing his for as long as anyone can remember. In a way, Bah Lou was a pioneer—what he wore many decades ago is now a fashion statement for the younger generation. He even wore them in winter, which makes one wonder how he manages to keep warm during those cold months.
The news that didn’t make the headlines
It would have been a major news item if reporters had spotted the unusual incident that occurred that day during the convocation. The adage, “If a dog bites a man, it’s not news, but if a man bites a dog, that’s news,” did not apply that day. It should have made headlines because it was the first time in the history of the world that something unusual happened at the convocation. The strange incident was that one of the recipients of the honoris causa (honorary doctorate) did so while wearing torn-out shorts and socks of two different colors on each foot.
It was the first time in the history of any university in the world that a person receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (D Litt) came in shorts and mismatched socks. The honoris causa given to the renowned musician and music icon of the state was not unusual, but the way this recipient accepted the honour was certainly unusual.
Lou deserves the honour
We are proud that Lou Majaw, the artist and our music icon, was honored by the USTM University. Anyone who has followed music in the state knows that Lou deserves it. He composed songs and released many albums under the banner of The Great Society. He is also known for organizing gigs every year to celebrate Bob Dylan’s birthday, and during a time when being a musician was challenging because it didn’t pay well, Lou shone brightly as part of that generation. While other musicians of his time have stable jobs to keep the hearth of their homes warm, Lou depends and lives solely on his music.
During the convocation when he received the honour, Lou, as usual, did not say much, but those who follow him know he is a man of few words who lets his life speak for itself.
The other musician’s legacy
Another musical group from the State that has made a name for itself is the Shillong Chamber Choir. The group, started by Neil Nongkynrih, has made the city and the state proud. If Neil were alive, he too would deserve recognition for his contribution to the music history of the state.
I admire people who had the opportunity to study abroad. In Neil’s case he not only studied music in the UK but could also have worked and lived there but he decided to return to his native land. The charm of the Western world, the opportunities it offers, and the prosperity it promises have tempted many to stay permanently in the land of opportunities. With the kind of training and talent Neil had, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to migrate to the UK. More importantly, in the late 1980s, when he was in the UK, migration to that country was not as difficult as it is now. The question no one asked is, why did Neil decide to come back to his native land? What charm did Meghalaya hold for him that he was willing to leave the hills of Derbyshire and Scotland for the hills of the Khasi and Jañtia? To leave the Thames for Wahumkhrah, the Lake District for Umïam, Trafalgar Square for Khyndai Lad, and the ancient marvels of the UK for the sacred forests in the land of his birth?
Generally, people who have the opportunity to study and work in the western world can be broadly divided into two types. There are those who dream all their lives of getting an opportunity to study or even visit the western world and never return to their native land. But there are people like Neil, who went abroad to study, trained themselves well in their field of study, and then returned home to share what they learned. The very fact that he decided to return home was a major decision, and everyone knows he was right in making that choice.
It takes a person with strong willpower and a clear vision of what they plan to do with their lives to make such an important decision. It’s not easy to leave behind all the charms of the western world and return to his land and people.
Congratulations and Thank You
As we congratulate Bah Lou and express our pride in his achievement, we must remind ourselves that we missed the opportunity to say the same to Neil. They say if you want to express your gratitude to someone, it’s better to do it while they are still alive, while they can still hear it with their own ears. Nevertheless, there is no better time than now to thank the duo for the music and entertainment.
We must all thank Neil for his decision to return and start the Shillong Chamber Choir and Lou for his music. It is clear that both musicians had a vision for what they wanted to do with their lives, and more importantly, they achieved their goals. It is for their achievements that we are now celebrating, and we will always cherish the rich legacy that these two great musicians left behind. Thank you for a life well lived; your legacy will live on.