THERE are many guardians of tradition in Meghalaya but few if any care about the ecology. Now the state even wants to fund studies on tracing the roots of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities as if this is a question of life and death for the tribes. If the idea for the research is mainly to keep scholars and researchers busy because they are not gainfully employed then we can see the reason for the project. Else every study becomes another addition to the state’s list of funded projects that are stashed in the library and are hardly read. Instead of studies into the past the Government would do well to invest in issues affecting the present. Meghalaya is a data-starved state. It is well known that there is a huge number of school drop-outs in the state but there is no statewide data on the numbers. Without data how can any intervention take place? Now drop-outs at the college level are rising. Students tend to stop their studies after Class 12 because they see no point in having a certificate that does not fetch them a job. What’s the way forward for such drop-outs? Does Government have an action plan?
That’s one part of the problem. The state actually needs robust data on the state of its rivers and also explain to the public why the river Lukha in East Jaintia Hills has not been detoxified using scientific methods so that it is cleansed of the acid mine drainage and other toxins that render it a dead river. The rivers in the rest of the state too, particularly those flowing through the city and district headquarters are all loaded with garbage which is a sign of a failed garbage collection system; the failure of the Dorbar Shnong to restrict their residents from dumping garbage into the rivers and the complete dereliction of duty of the Autonomous District Councils which claim custodianship of the rivers, to actually be the conscientious gate-keepers that would prevent the horrific pollution of rivers as they are seen today. The Government should be in a position to inform the public about the condition of each of the 250 plus rivers in Meghalaya – how many are still alive and how many are dead rivers.
Interestingly there are guardians of tradition who wax eloquent on social media about the sanctity of tradition and customary practices. Were rivers never an important part of tradition that they are now left to be treated as drains? Is there nothing sacred about rivers in the tradition of the three tribes? No wonder forests are brought down at breakneck speed because those who get permission to cut those forests have perhaps never been told that forests are catchments that retain rain water and on which rivers rely on for their constant flow. In Meghalaya, tradition has drifted away from ecological responsibility. Hence rivers are now being leased out for sand mining by the very custodians of tradition – the Syiems, Myntris and Rangbah Shnong. And all in the name of livelihoods. This even while the same authorities cannot even prevent forest fires. Today in Meghalaya, symbolism has replaced stewardship. Even the sacred groves are now over-exploited by curious tourists who do not understand that sacredness resides in silence. At this rate there will be nothing sacred to protect anymore and culture and tradition will be reduced to festivals, songs and dances.
