Editor,
I read the above article. All I can say is, is that it is a well-intended writing, nothing more. Yes, like many mundane talks on the issue of language, dialect, culture, it wakes us up to some critical points which need thread-bare discussion.
This Culture is not a material one, or the one which can be reclaimed as said by the author. Our knowledge system is, one can say, metaphysical. That a majority of us fail to understand it, is because of the same nature of it. One professor of Philosophy, NEHU, in a journal said that the tribal philosophies don’t measure up to its Indian counterpart in that according to what he said, “we have only metic intelligence”. But after I told him about our philosophy, he agreed to my view. In a capsule form, our culture can be classified under the two layers- The phenomenal and the noumenal. The apparent sides of it are those that rise and fall like the waves in the ocean; while the noumenal side is the ocean water in which all changes take place. Our cosmology, nature of existence in the cosmos, tell it all. The language of our shamans, mainly in dialects is a storehouse of the quintessential knowledge and wisdom living in its oral form.
Another is – not having the script cannot be equated with being backward ; a belief that needs a revisit. Language, from my layman’s knowledge, comes first, and the scripts are only a devise to translate the spoken language into a written form. I believe all human civilizations begin from this root.
The Roman scripts are not sufficient to transcribe the pronunciation of dialects. I studied the phonetics of British English (queen’s English) and can pronounce unfamiliar words just by looking at the transcription including the accents. Hence English is rich in vowel sounds, but not rich enough to transcribe the pronunciation of some local dialects of ours. Some words from Mawphu, Tynrong, Mawshuit, maybe more, will never be sufficiently, correctly be represented by such phonetic symbols.
This is the richness of Khasi language. Funnily, if there’s a place where the story of the “Babel of words” originated from, it must have been from here.
The Roman scripts have served us for nearly two centuries, and we are grateful to Thomas Jones for having given us the simplest scripts which even three-year olds can write. No turning back!
Yours etc.,
Iasaid Khongjee,
Via email
A Call for Equitable Justice in Meghalaya
Editor,
The brutal killing of 29 year old Raja Raghuvanshi in Cherrapunji brought forth a strong and swift reaction from the Meghalaya police. A Special Investigation Team was constituted within days, drones and sniffers were put to work, and media attention highlighted the public assurances and swift apprehension of the suspects.
While speedy action in this case is an admirable demonstration of the urgency for justice, there have been calls questioning why this speed is never accorded when women or children are victims of heinous crimes. This is especially distressing given the statistics on violence against these vulnerable populations in Meghalaya.
For Meghalaya, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4 2015-16) reported that 14% of women reported experiencing violence, of whom only 12% sought help. Statistics from NFHS 5 (2019-21) reveal that 16% of women had experienced physical or sexual violence; but only 36% of them had sought assistance. According to Meghalaya police data for 2023, 512 crimes were committed against children, and 628 crimes committed against women.
The vigorous investigation into the murder of a man and an outsider stands in sharp contrast to the comparative lack of attention given to local women and children victims for which there is sobering statistical evidence.
The question is, why are crimes against women and children in Meghalaya considered differently? Why aren’t they getting the same instant, high level response? Local activists claim that the majority of such cases are dismissed as ‘family matters,’ and under reporting is due to social stigma and insufficient support services. The absence is indicative of institutionalized barriers and prejudices in police and society.
The following changes are called for: 1. Prompt and open investigations into all violent offenses irrespective of the victim’s age, gender and community. 2. Increased protection and reporting systems, including help lines, legal assistance, and outreach. 3. Generating awareness to counter victim silencing norms and gender-sensitivity training for police. 4. Use of NFHS and National Crime Records Bureau data as a roadmap for evidence based interventions.
The rapid investigation into the killing of Raja Raghuvanshi shows what can happen when political will, state resources, media and public pressure converge. The same rapidity and transparency must be applied to Meghalaya’s silent victims: women and children whose lives are at risk daily. If justice has to be equal, all lives have to matter equally.
Yours etc…
Ardonister Lyngdoh
Via email
Challenges Faced by Meghalaya’s Hill farmers
Editor,
I write this to highlight the unseen challenges faced by hill farmers in Meghalaya who play an important role in growing food and supporting the local economy. But they face many problems that make farming difficult and reduces their income.
One big problem is the hilly land and poor roads. It is hard to transport crops to the markets, so farmers depend on middlemen. These middlemen often pay very low prices. For example, in places like Mawthadraishan, when farmers grow a lot of squash, they are not able to sell everything. There are no proper markets or storage places, so the extra squash rots or has to be sold cheap..Farmers in Laitlyngkot, East Khasi Hills also face similar problems. Many of them grow vegetables like cabbages, carrots, and potatoes. But due to bad roads and no proper transport system, they find it hard to take their produce to big markets like Shillong. Sometimes, they have to throw away fresh vegetables because they spoil quickly and there is no cold storage. The farmers here also say they get very little support from the government and have to depend on their own efforts.
Climate change is making things worse. Rain does not come on time, and the weather is becoming hotter. This affects the usual time whenever farmers plant their crops. Also, there is no special farming policy for hilly areas. Therefore many government support programs and various schemes are not used properly.
Farmers also use traditional and labor-heavy methods because there are no machines or help from the government. This makes farming harder and more expensive.To help the farmers, the government needs to build better roads, create cold storage and markets, promote farming methods that can handle changing weather, and make a special plan for hill farming. These steps can help hill farmers, including those in Laitlyngkot, Mawthadraishan etc., get better prices and improve their lives.
Yours etc.,
Nafisa Marwein,
Via email