By Ubahunlang Dkhar Tmar
Social-Cultural Ecologies: The environment, ecology and future(s) of our children(s) is not the recurring and active part of our personal and collective psyche, it pinches our nerves only if it directly affects our own children and our own kith and kin. We also fail to understand that the environment is not only the immediate natural surroundings, but it is the ‘most crucial’ life support system.
We exist and flourish because of this ‘natural support system’ (Deep Ecology). Wangari Mathai a Kenyan social, political and environmental activist and a 2004 Nobel laureate stressed on the need for eco-restoration and she alluded to and attributed this objective by also referring to the Biblical origin of mankind, where God first created the natural and environmental setting so that mankind can flourish, prosper and multiply for without it, life ceases to exist. This we know is not only a Biblical or theological underpinning but a scientific fact.
The irony is we participate collectively to flamboyantly celebrate Environment Day only once a year on the 5th of June. As a matter of fact, saving the environment is not about the environment per se but ourselves and the destiny and future of our children, because without ‘nature’s support system’ we cease to exist.
Observing our natural and ecological settings we find that most of the lands/forests that belong to the community (ri raid, ri bamlang) which were meant to support the needs of the members of the community, (shnong, hima, raid, elaka) especially those from the economically weaker section are now under threat of usurpation. We have seen and read how these lands are being commercialized and sold to the highest bidders. The so-called tribal/native ‘egalitarian principle’ is totally dead.
The concept of community too (we feeling, sense of belonging) is at its death bed. Those who still think we have a community (sense of brotherhood, the ‘we’ feeling, well-knitted/ tightly-bound homogeneity of feelings and objectives), must be living in the past where hunting-gathering, agriculture is still a dominant activity. This sense of community cannot be revived under the present state of economy and trend of consumerism (conspicuous consumption) and competition. God forbid, but only when a natural disaster hits us to the bone, then, maybe this sense of belonging and dependency might revive or much worse, we are entering a dog-eat-dog war.
We identify and define (surreptitiously or explicitly) ourselves by which clan we belong to and which village (trai shnong/soh shnong), elaka, locality, political ideology, business interests, seng-bhalang, religious denominations. Community as we see now is more of a collection of individuals who bind together for their own objectives (manifest and latent). People look at community from a beneficiary point of view (to gain something by being part of community) not from a constructive point of view (where community objectives must overwrite personal/familial objectives). We now live in a social-political world that favours individualism/groupism and adherence to competitive bargaining; In the area of trade and commerce, this means, “the buyer wants to pay as little as possible, while the seller wants to receive as much as possible.” In a nutshell, this is the epitome of a ‘dog eat dog world’.
Deep down under the skin, we are still mammals utilizing our primitive aspect of the brain with a ‘culture’ draped from above; for culture too is also a tool/structural stratagem. ‘Being cultured’ is now a rare phrase/phenomenon that cannot be attached wholeheartedly to person-hood, courtesy, or way of conduct. Culture (material & non-material) too is also a product of nature (natural world/surroundings) through the process of socio-cultural evolution and revolution.
In comparison, looking at the animal world (esp., some group of mammals) who only have a society but do not have a culture, they fare better when it comes to shared bonding (inter and intra-species). A famous socio-biologist; E. O Wilson once pointed out that the main problem of humanity is that ‘we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology”
Give & Take toxic relationships or Trade-offs: In relation to how our society relates to the natural surrounding and their understanding on the value (intrinsic, potential etc.) of the ecology/environment; natural vegetation/forests, rivers, lakes, streams, landscape/topography etc. this can be viewed from a few examples (rivers, vegetation/forests, topography..) of how we deal with these aspects of nature as something to be exploited, utilised rampantly without any qualms or sense of responsibility on the ramifications and after effects.
In this context, we lack leadership to steer us and our society to be better guardians of our natural surroundings and the endowed natural heritage. With the exception of a very few, ecological and environmental issues are now only a political ploy, a pedestal for personal and party gains; it is no longer a quiet daily individual practice of how we consume and dispose our resources (from water to garbage disposal). We have a narcissistic tendency that wants to look good in the eyes of the public; we love to ceremoniously celebrate environment day, water day etc., to project and fulfil our deprived psychological/emotional needs. The political dispensation only cares about cosmetics and populism. This reminds us of P.B. Shelley’s poem ‘Ozymandias of Egypt’. The irony is, as a State we love to imitate the Japanese, cherish and celebrate the annual ritual Cherry Blossom Festival but we totally lack the Japanese sense of community, civility, dedication, respect for nature, tradition and aesthetics values.
The neglect and abandonment of our rivers, streams, springs and catchment areas is now a frequent phenomenon, all in the name of development and livelihood issues. We are a society that glorifies our respect for nature and speak aloud with pride on the wisdom of our ancestors but yet we the present lot failed miserably. We are a society who consciously destroy our roots of existence for some short-term greed and myopic objectives. Development and livelihood are sensitive and politically loaded words that are used cunningly to justify malpractices and claims of ‘righteous’ interventions and development justice. Politics is now so deep, down and dirty, it seems that in our state there are many so-called ‘development foundation stones’ than our Monoliths that have been here in our landscape for hundreds of years of our cultural history.
Coming back to the plight of rivers, hills and forests, wherever we go we see how nature has been ransacked and exploited. Nearly, every kilometre from Shillong we will spot the disappearance of nature, look at google earth/ map and see the distribution of settlements, scar/denuded exposed landscape we will see how this landlocked State of ours is at the mercy of our own doings. This ransacking of our natural surroundings has been the factor of livelihood, pure greed, lack of implementation of environmental governance/ policy and development projects that ravage the landscape.
Livelihood is a serious issue in Meghalaya. Dig a little deeper and see how people are deprived of their basic needs and amenities. Even if these amenities are available, we will find most of the time they are not functional. We have also heard and read a survey (Assam Tribune July 20, 2025), that the average income of households in Meghalaya is Rs 5000 per month. Just a casual visit to any village will inform us how people live. We can look at Poverty Index (Absolute and Multi-dimensional) to understand the state we are in; we are like any African Country under the King of Belgium. This environment of deprivation acts as a catalyst that pushes people to seek a livelihood even at the cost of harming the natural surroundings. It is not their fault; it is the fault of those in power. About 50 plus years of Statehood we are still in shambles fighting for daily bread and the increasing income disparity between a few and the majority.
This rat race of economic growth without ethics and concern of our natural surroundings and natural assets (Springs, Rivers, Forest.) is a dangerous trend. Who has this economic growth enriched and which section of our populace (rural and urban)? have been deprived? Has this economic growth percolated to those who are deprived and for general development? Are there cartels of development or economic hit-men to deepen someone’s pockets or creating an environment of debt-ridden economy? These are questions that need to be dealt with. In a Democracy, investigative journalism, social auditing and transparency are the hallmark of true economic development and growth. I am also not totally against economic growth and development, but it should not be at the cost of Human Development. Education and Health which are a crucial aspect of a sustainable and vibrant economy.
As a society and a community, the relationship between us and nature has now been commodified. In the past, people go to fish and swim in the rivers and lakes, now in commercialized ponds/lakes/pools. We have created artificial environments; this has disconnected us from nature thereby the loss of respect for nature. I am not against private ventures to generate income and employment but we must also give equal respect to the protection and perseverance of hills, rivers, lakes and forests. We also require a nuanced and balanceD approach to how we utilise these economic and life assets.
This boundary between our perception of nature and our real-life existence creates an unhealthy gap. This is a trend that our children will inherit from us and how they treat the natural surroundings. This behavioral change and attitude towards nature will cost us in the long run. Every advanced country that is at the top of the Human Development Index treats nature as part of their daily existence. Nature is not a park to be visited but a crucial part and parcel of our being and existence. We have to go back to nature and its hidden gems that heals both the soul, body and mind.
