Book Review by Glenn C. Kharkongor
Khasi Ethics 3rd edition
by Barnes Mawrie
100pp Rs 449
MLCU Press
This comprehensive treatise, Khasi Ethics brings together several strands of indigenous knowledge and customary tradition. It has woven a vivid tapestry of the essence of Khasi existence. According to Dr Barnes Mawrie, “ethics makes social life possible and gives integrity to a person in his/her social life.” This book is a guiding light towards that goal.
Inherent in the tribal worldview is our closeness to nature, and another of the author’s books, The Khasis and their Natural Environment, is essentially a companion volume to this book. Reverence for nature, as exemplified in our protection of sacred forests, is an ethical imperative, not only for harmony with all living creatures, but eventually for saving our planet from climate change devastation.
The author draws on the rich oral traditions that have been transmitted through generations. These have sustained our tribal communities through the intervening centuries of domination by so-called mainstream but alien influences, and have helped to preserve our unique way of life. In an article in the Shillong Times, he has explained the value of oral tradition, as the best way to preserve tribal history and culture, and has provided examples to illustrate this point.
This book will be an invaluable addition to the curriculum of higher education for many disciplines, especially philosophy, theology, social studies, cultural studies, and environmental sciences. Most of all, it provides an ethical direction and mandate for tribal and other societies to live by.
