SHILLONG, July 18: Invoking the legacy of U Tirot Sing Syiem, former KSU leader Donald Thabah has challenged the Meghalaya government to scrap colonial-era restrictions and grant Khasis the right to carry traditional weapons, seeking parity with other communities permitted to bear ceremonial arms.
Speaking at the 191st death anniversary of the Khasi freedom fighter on Friday, Thabah argued that while Khasis were historically an armed society, British rule imposed prohibitions that persist today.
“During British rule, the Khasis were barred from carrying their traditional weapons. That restriction has continued, and we no longer enjoy the right to carry our indigenous arms,” Thabah said. He noted that in the pre-colonial era, it was common for Khasis to carry the waitlam (sword), suloi tynsah (muzzle-loading rifle), khnam (spear), ryntieh (bow), and stieh (shield).
Thabah pointed to other communities residing in Meghalaya who are permitted to carry ceremonial items such as the khukri and talwar. He argued that the state government must extend the same recognition to the Khasi people to rectify a perceived double standard.
Recalling the First Anglo-Khasi War (1829–1833), Thabah spoke of the resilience shown by U Tirot Sing Syiem and Bormanik Syiem. He noted that the British were frequently caught off guard by the strategy and courage of Khasi warriors, despite their reliance on traditional weaponry against modern forces. Thabah maintained that the demand is rooted in the preservation of cultural identity and traditional rights rather than a call for violence. “If members of other communities living in Meghalaya are permitted to carry these ceremonial weapons, then the state government should also allow the Khasi people to carry their traditional weapons,” he added.
