Pedro Arrupe and the Eucharist
The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life. And this Sacrament is all about an expression of purest love, the highest characteristic of our Jesuit life as companion of Jesus. The spiritual exercise 289 states this “Eucharist” as the greatest sign of His love and urges us to live it out as our first companions. Peter Faber writes our Lord wishes to enter into us and lead us to a heart-felt conversation so that following him we should renew in us our very being our life and activity, thus changing me for the better everyday. He also highlight “If Christ communicates Himself to me in my daily celebrations and gives himself in every way I also should give myself and abandon myself to him in every possible way and not only to him but for him to every one ……”. This is what very well understood by Arrupe and he did practice it. It was the Eucharist that made Arrupe enter the society ;it was the Eucharist that sustained Arrupe in the society; it was the Eucharist that made him break himself and give himself to others.
Arrupe shares that Mass was the centre of his life and he could not think of a single day without celebrating or participating in the holy sacrifice. For him Jesus was everything mean to say the Eucharist was everything. Whatever circumstances he may be he never missed Eucharist. For instance- During the Second World War, when the atomic bomb explosion took place, next day Arrupe before he could go out and help others he first celebrated the holy mass, prayed to the lord to give the affected people the strength to bear the pain and then he gave himself to them. His sermon was more of a conversation simple but very profound and sublime. Arrupe realization on the divinity of the Eucharist was much more strengthened at the sight of a little whose skin burnt and sores all over her body was waiting for Arrupe to give her the holy communion. On receiving the communion she died a peaceful death. From the Eucharist he drew inspiration and strength to continue his jobs and tried to become another Christ. Eucharist, the centre of his life, illuminated the emptiness of his life and gave him strength.
The Eucharist for Arrupe was an intimate conversation and his personal colloquy with Christ who is truly present in the Eucharist. Arrupe always felt that the Lord has always been waiting for him in the Eucharist of inspiration and strength. Arrupe gives sole credit to the Eucharist for able to hold on and bear the burden of his responsibilities. He says without which “I would not be able to hold on and much less to bear the burden of my responsibilities” (Lewis sj, 142).
What make Arrupe’s life centered around the Eucharist are his experiences and his personal encounter with Christ in the Eucharist - for example the miracle at Lourdes. As in Arrupe’s words, “One day, before my entrance into the society, I was in the front area of basilica with my sisters. A few minutes before the procession of the Blessed Sacrament was to be held.
Just before the procession, when a middle-aged lady passed in front of us, pushing a wheelchair one of my sisters noticed and remarked “Look at the poor boy in the wheelchair!” He was a young man about 20 whose body had been deformed by polio. His mother was reciting the rosary aloud, and from time to time she would sigh and say “Holy virgin, come to our aid”.
It was a truly moving sight which called to mind the sick begging Jesus: “Lord, cleanse me of this leprosy.” She took no time in reaching her place among those who were waiting for the bishop carrying the Blessed Sacrament to pass. Then the moment came when the Bishop was about to bless the young invalid with the Blessed Sacrament. The boy looked at the monstrance with the same faith that the young paralytic, the gospels speaks of must had had. When the Bishop made the large sign of the cross with the Blessed Sacrament, the boy got up from his chair, completely cured, while the crowd shouted with joy: “It’s a miracle, it’s a miracle” (Jean-Cloude, 31). They embraced challenges just like Jesus kissed and embraced his redemptive and sublime cross. They all owned Jesus who is personally present in the Eucharist for each one of them. “I find that all of them have looked upon the Eucharist as the sacrament par excellence, the source of inspiration, comfort and energy for the carrying out of so many enterprises all over the world”. (Lewis sj, 142).
Arrupe confesses that many things he learnt from the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist that made him come out of himself and reach out to the needy. I think today Arrupe invites us to perceive and encounter Jesus in the Eucharist and draw strength and inspiration from it. In the words of Peter faber “if Christ gives himself fully to me in the Eucharist I also should give myself and abandon myself to him and not only to him but for him to everyone.
Bibliography
2. 1. Lewis Hedwig, sj, “Pedro ArrupeTreasury-Notes, Quotes, Anecdotes”, pub- Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2007
Dietsch Jean-Cloude, sj, “One Jesuit’s Spiritual Journey, pub- Gujarat Sahitya Prakash Anand India, 1986
December 08, 2007
Pedro Arrupe
Pedro Arrupe’s Way of the Cross
Way of the cross to the world automatically reflects the pain, suffering, persecutions and tortures. It reflects the situation that takes away life through punishments, insults, agony and humiliation. It also reveals the psychological suffering due to insults, criticism and shamefulness. Way of the cross can be said a way of suffering and death and thus it was hated, disliked and considered as the most shameful thing by people.
When the term ‘Way of the cross’ is used our minds are always directed towards the ‘Way of the cross’ that Jesus Christ, when living on this earth, went through. Though this way of the cross was a kind of humiliation to those saw Jesus undergone his way of the cross. Yet Jesus gave a new meaning to it that suffering does not end with death but there is Resurrection. Jesus tells us that through pains, sufferings, and difficulties and so on. we are drive to seek support and trust from some one. Way of the cross also helps us to search for God and to be in constant union with Him. Way of the cross can also be experienced by many people according to their own context. But the one thing that should be kept in mind is that way of the cross is not the end of life but it is a part of our journey on this world before we permanently bid farewell to this beautiful earth.
Pedro Arrurpe’s way of the cross becomes vivid and more intense when he became the superior general of the Society of Jesus. A cheerful, talented and a committed Jesuit began to suffer and made the way of the cross on this earth because of the changes made in the II Vatican council about the way of going about in the church and the challenges that he suffered from his own companions in the society of Jesus . The six stations of Arrupe were dark station and situation. The beginning of every station was a time of suffering for Arrupe but later he managed to get some hope and consolation almost in all the stations. The different stations of Arrupe’s way of the cross are:
First station: Rebellion and suspicion.
Fifteen months after Arrupe’s election as general the first station of his way of the cross started. As the II Vatican council made many changes in its way of going about, it urges religious organization to take steps and implement the new changes made. Arrupe after much discernment took steps to change the way of proceedings in the society and this was opposed by some, like the Spanish Jesuits, and they wanted to split from the group and formed a new group called “Faithful Jesuits”. This group began to go against Arrupe and against Jesuit charity by reporting negative things about Arrupe’s way of going about to the secretariat of state and to other church dignitaries. This creates a rebellious and suspicious spirit to other people who have very little knowledge about the society. Even his confidential information came to light from his own companions. All these were done to create pain, anxiety and fear in Arrupe’s life.
In spite of the objection, rebellion and suspicion from his own companions and church dignitaries he did not lack perseverance. He continued to trust his companions. He tried his best to keep the society united.
Second Station: An order to stop and a scolding.
It was enacted at the 32 General congregations. More than two thirds of the congregation voted in favor of the discussion on the grades and the vows. Many of the Jesuits were aware that this would hinder the approval of the Holy See. When the congregation voted and discussed about the issue, the Holy See, Paul VI, came to know and summoned Arrupe and blamed him for not preventing from the discussion. He even scolded Arrupe and considered as disobedience besides ordering Arrupe to make the congregation stop discussing about these issues. This encounter with the Pope as a sacrificial lamb for the society of Jesus made Arrupe go through bitter hours as he was accused of being disobedient and rebellion to the order of the Holy See.
Discernment came to his aid. Arrupe did not break himself down by these accusations instead he took them in a very positive way and he thanked the Holy See for the article for he said that it had ‘Shed light on the general’s dark night.’ To be obedient is a very difficult thing specially when people are in high positions or place. It requires great humility to obey. Arrupe as a general of the Society of Jesus, as a black pope, must have suffered extremely by the accusations and by the words of the pope and bishops.
Third Station: Resignation Rejected.
The decree 4 of the GC 32 that speaks about “The service of faith and the promotion of justice” caused a great disagreement in the society and even in the Vatican. The society faced criticism from every side and this urged Arrupe to set questions to himself about his resignation as a general though he was only seventy three years of age and enjoyed good health. When Arrupe wanted to have a general audience with the pope, to discuss about the desire to convoke a GC and to receive the general’s resignation, he was not given the opportunity. When he was given the opportunity the holy father Pope John Paul II, asked to give him time so that he could reflect about the issue, but the time for reflection was very long as the Holy See did not take interest. This prolongs decision of the pope paralysis the society and caused anxiety to the general Arrupe. While the pope made his reflection Arrupe also made profound reflection about his decision to resign as general of the society of Jesus. His resignation was later rejected and he had to go through tough and even tougher sufferings in his life.
Forth Station: Two Strokes.
On august 7,1981on arrival at Fiumicino airport from a trip to the Far East Arrupe suffered a cerebral thrombosis and instead of taking him to curia they rushed him to Salvator Mundi hospital. On October 6 when cardinal Casaroli visited him Fr. O’Keefe found that Fr Arrupe had received a second stroke. This attack had made him tenser. Arrupe tried his best not to show his feeling of impatience, he accepted and suffered silently.
The convocation of the GC on 8th December 1982 and the acceptance of Arupe’s resignation gave him much joy despite the two strokes that he received.
The two strokes did not make Arrupe to be tired of life. He tried his best to learn how to write with his left hand. This truly reveals the unending desire of learning and determination that this dynamic leader had.
Fift Station: Incommunication and loneliness
Sickness made Arrupe difficult to express himself. He could walk in the corridors but with the help of Bro. Raphael Bandera. Though Arrupe was unable to communicate, express or even walk, yet he received number of visitors and greeted them with great enthusiasm and this truly reveal that how Arrupe was young at heart and love people. Even at this difficult hour of his life. The community where he was tried their best to make Arrupe happy through reading, books of his choosing and provide whatever necessary. But as time passed Arrupe could not stop to feel lonely . He stopped taking a walk in the corridor or listened to the reading, he does not attend the community mass any more but celebrated Mass in his own room. It was only the motherly care and fatherly advice of Bro Rafael that gave him little consolation. A man who was used in giving command, advice and full of zest and zeal has to depend on others and has to allow whatever others decide.
Sixth Station: An eleven day agony.
He was struck by coma on 25 January 1991. Arrupe was in agony and this agony did not last only for a day but it went on for eleven days. He had frequent attacks of curious kind of epilepsy besides the effect of a cerebral thrombosis which momentarily isolating hid respiratory centre in the brain from the rest of the breathing system. This eleven day attack made him look like a dying man and he had received the prayer of the Ritual twice. He breathes his last breath at 7.45 pm on February 5, 1991 and ended his sojourn on this earth. Thus the way of the cross of Pedro Arrupe ended.
The way of the cross of Pedro Arrupe was one with physical violence like that of Jesus but it was more of a psychological on except the strokes. He was persecuted by his own people for whom he tirelessly give himself, they were the one who criticized by his own fellow Jesuit. The Psychological suffering or the way of the cross of Arrupe was a very painful and discouraging for him. But till the end he never loses hope because of the strength he received from the Eucharistic Lord.
Bibliography:
Ignacio Echaniz SJ, Passion and Glory, Volume IV, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash Publicaion,2000.
Way of the cross to the world automatically reflects the pain, suffering, persecutions and tortures. It reflects the situation that takes away life through punishments, insults, agony and humiliation. It also reveals the psychological suffering due to insults, criticism and shamefulness. Way of the cross can be said a way of suffering and death and thus it was hated, disliked and considered as the most shameful thing by people.
When the term ‘Way of the cross’ is used our minds are always directed towards the ‘Way of the cross’ that Jesus Christ, when living on this earth, went through. Though this way of the cross was a kind of humiliation to those saw Jesus undergone his way of the cross. Yet Jesus gave a new meaning to it that suffering does not end with death but there is Resurrection. Jesus tells us that through pains, sufferings, and difficulties and so on. we are drive to seek support and trust from some one. Way of the cross also helps us to search for God and to be in constant union with Him. Way of the cross can also be experienced by many people according to their own context. But the one thing that should be kept in mind is that way of the cross is not the end of life but it is a part of our journey on this world before we permanently bid farewell to this beautiful earth.
Pedro Arrurpe’s way of the cross becomes vivid and more intense when he became the superior general of the Society of Jesus. A cheerful, talented and a committed Jesuit began to suffer and made the way of the cross on this earth because of the changes made in the II Vatican council about the way of going about in the church and the challenges that he suffered from his own companions in the society of Jesus . The six stations of Arrupe were dark station and situation. The beginning of every station was a time of suffering for Arrupe but later he managed to get some hope and consolation almost in all the stations. The different stations of Arrupe’s way of the cross are:
First station: Rebellion and suspicion.
Fifteen months after Arrupe’s election as general the first station of his way of the cross started. As the II Vatican council made many changes in its way of going about, it urges religious organization to take steps and implement the new changes made. Arrupe after much discernment took steps to change the way of proceedings in the society and this was opposed by some, like the Spanish Jesuits, and they wanted to split from the group and formed a new group called “Faithful Jesuits”. This group began to go against Arrupe and against Jesuit charity by reporting negative things about Arrupe’s way of going about to the secretariat of state and to other church dignitaries. This creates a rebellious and suspicious spirit to other people who have very little knowledge about the society. Even his confidential information came to light from his own companions. All these were done to create pain, anxiety and fear in Arrupe’s life.
In spite of the objection, rebellion and suspicion from his own companions and church dignitaries he did not lack perseverance. He continued to trust his companions. He tried his best to keep the society united.
Second Station: An order to stop and a scolding.
It was enacted at the 32 General congregations. More than two thirds of the congregation voted in favor of the discussion on the grades and the vows. Many of the Jesuits were aware that this would hinder the approval of the Holy See. When the congregation voted and discussed about the issue, the Holy See, Paul VI, came to know and summoned Arrupe and blamed him for not preventing from the discussion. He even scolded Arrupe and considered as disobedience besides ordering Arrupe to make the congregation stop discussing about these issues. This encounter with the Pope as a sacrificial lamb for the society of Jesus made Arrupe go through bitter hours as he was accused of being disobedient and rebellion to the order of the Holy See.
Discernment came to his aid. Arrupe did not break himself down by these accusations instead he took them in a very positive way and he thanked the Holy See for the article for he said that it had ‘Shed light on the general’s dark night.’ To be obedient is a very difficult thing specially when people are in high positions or place. It requires great humility to obey. Arrupe as a general of the Society of Jesus, as a black pope, must have suffered extremely by the accusations and by the words of the pope and bishops.
Third Station: Resignation Rejected.
The decree 4 of the GC 32 that speaks about “The service of faith and the promotion of justice” caused a great disagreement in the society and even in the Vatican. The society faced criticism from every side and this urged Arrupe to set questions to himself about his resignation as a general though he was only seventy three years of age and enjoyed good health. When Arrupe wanted to have a general audience with the pope, to discuss about the desire to convoke a GC and to receive the general’s resignation, he was not given the opportunity. When he was given the opportunity the holy father Pope John Paul II, asked to give him time so that he could reflect about the issue, but the time for reflection was very long as the Holy See did not take interest. This prolongs decision of the pope paralysis the society and caused anxiety to the general Arrupe. While the pope made his reflection Arrupe also made profound reflection about his decision to resign as general of the society of Jesus. His resignation was later rejected and he had to go through tough and even tougher sufferings in his life.
Forth Station: Two Strokes.
On august 7,1981on arrival at Fiumicino airport from a trip to the Far East Arrupe suffered a cerebral thrombosis and instead of taking him to curia they rushed him to Salvator Mundi hospital. On October 6 when cardinal Casaroli visited him Fr. O’Keefe found that Fr Arrupe had received a second stroke. This attack had made him tenser. Arrupe tried his best not to show his feeling of impatience, he accepted and suffered silently.
The convocation of the GC on 8th December 1982 and the acceptance of Arupe’s resignation gave him much joy despite the two strokes that he received.
The two strokes did not make Arrupe to be tired of life. He tried his best to learn how to write with his left hand. This truly reveals the unending desire of learning and determination that this dynamic leader had.
Fift Station: Incommunication and loneliness
Sickness made Arrupe difficult to express himself. He could walk in the corridors but with the help of Bro. Raphael Bandera. Though Arrupe was unable to communicate, express or even walk, yet he received number of visitors and greeted them with great enthusiasm and this truly reveal that how Arrupe was young at heart and love people. Even at this difficult hour of his life. The community where he was tried their best to make Arrupe happy through reading, books of his choosing and provide whatever necessary. But as time passed Arrupe could not stop to feel lonely . He stopped taking a walk in the corridor or listened to the reading, he does not attend the community mass any more but celebrated Mass in his own room. It was only the motherly care and fatherly advice of Bro Rafael that gave him little consolation. A man who was used in giving command, advice and full of zest and zeal has to depend on others and has to allow whatever others decide.
Sixth Station: An eleven day agony.
He was struck by coma on 25 January 1991. Arrupe was in agony and this agony did not last only for a day but it went on for eleven days. He had frequent attacks of curious kind of epilepsy besides the effect of a cerebral thrombosis which momentarily isolating hid respiratory centre in the brain from the rest of the breathing system. This eleven day attack made him look like a dying man and he had received the prayer of the Ritual twice. He breathes his last breath at 7.45 pm on February 5, 1991 and ended his sojourn on this earth. Thus the way of the cross of Pedro Arrupe ended.
The way of the cross of Pedro Arrupe was one with physical violence like that of Jesus but it was more of a psychological on except the strokes. He was persecuted by his own people for whom he tirelessly give himself, they were the one who criticized by his own fellow Jesuit. The Psychological suffering or the way of the cross of Arrupe was a very painful and discouraging for him. But till the end he never loses hope because of the strength he received from the Eucharistic Lord.
Bibliography:
Ignacio Echaniz SJ, Passion and Glory, Volume IV, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash Publicaion,2000.
August 25, 2007
MARAM SUB -TRIBE OF KHASI TRIBE
When we discuss about Meghalaya, three major tribes comes out prominently they are the Khasis, Jaintias, and the Garos. When we discuss about sub-tribes or communities we find 26 communities are mentioned. Among them ‘Maram’ tribe of Meghalaya appears. Maram tribe or community is one of the cores of the Khasi tribe. When we discuss about the Khasi culture, economy or religion, Maram is part of them. Because of these reasons Maram stay hidden in the main Khasi tribe. Maram is a sub-tribe of the Khasi tribe. It has no record documents about its origin or its culture; it has lost its identity of its origination. The Maram dialect is slightly different from that of the main Khasi language or Sohra language (ktien Sohra). They occupy a large geographical area in the state and are in great number but their identity is lost under the roof of the Khasi and thus they found themselves backward in all spheres of life. Majority of the Maram are in West Khasi Hills District. They are also found in great number in the East Khasi Hills District especially in Mawlai, Ri Bhoi District and some of them are found in Jaintia Hills District and in Garo Hills District. Some of the Maram people have become great scholars but few of them have studied their culture and helping in bringing up the tribe by not migrating to the town. Many of the Maram people feel shy to reveal that they are Maram because they feel low; instead they make people to call them as Khasi.
Maram includes several clans and sub-clans under her roof. Some of them are the Lyngdoh, Syiem, Kharmawlong, Kharsyntiew, Lyngkhoi, Marbaniang, Marwein, Shangpliang, Iawphniaw, Nongbri, Kurbah, Diengdoh, Kharbani, LyngdohRani etc. Some of these clans and sub-clans have some connections with some clans and when there are some connections no inter-marriages are allowed. Each of these clans has their own interpretations about their origin. Folklores, folk stories, folksongs, chants and oral traditions tells one thing in common that is all the tribes once belong to the ‘Hynniew Trep’, ‘Hynniew Skum’ ,the ‘Seven Huts’ or the seven members who remain on the earth when the navel of the earth was cut. Almost all the clans believe to have come to exist due to some supernatural relationship or mixed marriages between human beings and animals. Some scholars say that the Maram people have migrated from South East Asia i.e. Mongolia many centuries ago. They would also say that being the sub-tribe of the Khasi the Maram must have come from T’Sintien and lived around the ‘Kameikha’ near Kamrup in Assam. The Anthropological study of the Maram shows that they are short statures in features m, mean for men is 1566.6mm and for women is 1471.5mm. They have mesocephalic, acrocephalic and hypsicephalic head. They have mesorrhine, platyrrhine type of nose and euryposophic and of tureen types of faces. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterized by very high percentage of genes and A blood group followed by B, O and AB.
The Maram belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family like the Mon-Khmer of the Khasi language. The Maram has no script of its own. The Khasi and Maram could understand the language of each other because of their similarities but some of the other sub-clans of the Khasi find it difficult to converse in both the languages.
The Maram considers the earth as the mother who provide and protects (Ka Mei Ramew ,Ka Nongbsa Ka Nong btiap bas Ka Nongda Nongpeit).They are land owning people. The primary occupation is agriculture, supplemented by sericulture, petty business contract jobs, basketry, fishing, hunting, and collecting forest products like honey, firewood, bamboo shot etc. The staple food of Maram is rice. Potato, one of the cash crops of this region was first brought by David Scott the British conqueror of Meghalaya. Jhumming is the chief mode of cultivation besides dry-land cultivation of rice .The major crops are rice, maize, Jute, pulses, potatoes, ginger, sweet-potatoes, tapioca, chilies, etc. They also cultivate betel nuts, betel-leaves, and soft broom. Plantation of oranges, Mangoes, bananas, pears, pineapples, plumes, jackfruits, Khasi oranges (Sohphoh Nongkhlaw) are also done. Vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjal, beans, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (red and ash) cucumber, leafy vegetables, roots and the Maram grows tubers. White-collar jobs are increasing as the state grows. They are also blacksmith, business people, and drivers. Maram are non-vegetarian they relish chicken, pork, beef, mutton sometimes buffalos, dogs, elephants and other animals from the forest, besides all sorts of edible fish and birds.
The Maram sub-tribe has many rich cultural heritages. Many of its festival are related with agricultural activities or activities of victory against the enemies or the devils. They are excellent dancers, skill hunters, fierce fighters and raiders. Their life was originally primal and isolated in their own ‘Shnong’ or groups amidst thick jungles with many wild animals ands birds. They live a nomadic life. Women found it very difficult to such a life. For better care of children, domesticated animals and in the family chores, they urged men to settle in one place and thus villages emerged. To maintain the religion ‘Ka Niam’ of the family, to be able to teach the children the religion, the laws of righteous living and to introduce the children to the clan system are some of the other reasons to form a village. Being an agrarian society \ community they are well trained how to defend themselves from being attack by wild animals or enemies. They are music lovers, they have many folksongs, poems, chants and unique musical instruments that are made by the indigenous people, they used them when they go for hunting or when any competition takes place with other villages. They sing these songs or chants so that they may get some animals or win the game or even defeating the enemies in case of war. These songs or chant are like mantras that brings good luck to them, ‘Ban Ieng Ka Daw’, so that the arrow may go straight to the desired place. There are different songs or chants that they use in ceremonies or during the clan sacrifices. The advancement of western Music has suppressed this beautiful traditional music very much. The songs and chants are replacing by western hymns and western musical instruments replace traditional musical instruments. Some of the Khasi traditional dances or dress is a mixture of the Maram, War, Khynriem and of the Bhoi dances or dresses.
Cultural Practices of The Maram regarding Death:
The Maram and the Lyngam of the state of Meghalaya, India, pays great respect to the dead people. Death is one of the biggest events in the society especially the clan. When anyone died many sacrifices and prayers are made to the gods, the ancestral deities, prayers are offered to the ancestress (Iawbei), the grandfather (Thawlang) and the great uncle( U Suitnia, mother’s brother). The sacrifices and prayers are done in a very diligent manner because they believe that if the spirits are not appease the Spirit will cause destruction to the family members, the crops, cattle and even haunt them and give them no peace. They believe that as long as the spirit is roaming around because he was not satisfied while living on earth, there will be no blessing to the clan.
They also believe in the ‘re-birth’ or ‘Karma’ teaching. So if a dead person has not been treated well with all the rituals and customs the person will be born as an animal or insect. The clan members are afraid of this very much for they don’t want to see any of their kiths and kin being born as animal or insects in the future life.
There is a strong believe in spirits or ghost. The people are frightened of this very much. Some live with this fear till they enter their graves. Even educated people who knows that it is a superstitious belief or even animistic have this fear. They will not talked anything regarding dead person, spirits or any queer stories that can frightened them once the weather is dark. Therefore, many people will not hesitate to spend any amount of money to appease the spirits.
The Maram belief that when a person dies he passes through various stages depending on the life he had lived on earth. If a person lived a good life on earth the people believes that he will go to heaven, an eternal home of happiness. If a person lived a life that is not so good he will be sent to purgatory called as ‘Nurok ka ksew’, ‘Mynkoi u Jom’, ‘Khyndai Pateng Niamra’ to be punished for sometime as a compensation for his sins. If a person lived a bad life he will be sent to hell, ‘Dujok’. A person who lived a bad life is frowned by all. When he dies there will be no sacrifices or prayer services offered for him. His body will not be burnt or burry in a common place. Even if the body is burnt or buried his bones will not be interned into the family bones repository, cromlech. It is believed that evil spirit will take control over his body and soul. He will not be at ease forever. This happened only when the person committed serious crimes like incest, murder etc. and he is excommunicated from the clan.
When a person breathes his last no sooner a cock is killed as a sacrifice for the soul of that person. The cock is killed because they believe that the cock knows the way home and thus the cock would scratch a way for the soul of that person. The cock intestines are also observed carefully whether it is good or bad. If it is bad they believe that something bad will occur in the family again. Prayers are offered for the dead person. The church bells are rung. The family members gather round the person and mourn for him. The family members and all his\her nephews or nieces, if they are grown up, come together and decide what to do. Some of them would be messenger to distant relatives and friends. Some would go and invite people to help them in cooking meals, digging grave, making coffin, collecting firewood, carrying water and other domestic chores. Some would be in charge of the prayer services and some for the relatives who have come from far. Different members of the family, to feed the people who come for the funeral, kill Bulls, pigs, chickens, and other animals, depending upon the income of the family. For example if the grandmother or uncle died, the brothers, sisters, nephew\nieces or grandchildren, and the relatives will offer something to help in the expenses made. Death is a costly affair in the society. On the first day or early on the second day the person is given a long bath. If the person is male the male members will give him bath and vise versa. The person is given bath with a warm water boiled on a big pot with few rice and lemon leaves in it, the pot is to be covered while boiling the water. When the bath is over the person’s body is wrapped with a new piece of cloth and make to lie on a bed that he usally sleeps or in the special room. The bed is curtained all round. Candles are kept on burning day and night on a candle stand above the persons head or on both sides of the head. Fruits, food, and the person’s medicine (if they die due to sickness) are kept on the person’s bed. A mother, wife, father or any relatives who are very close to the person will sit besides the dead body with one side of the curtain open.
The traditional Maram religion cremates the body while the Christian buries the body. In the Maram religion once the body is prepared for the burial, the body is kept on the coffin and brought outdoor in the verandah with only the head part of the dead body is shown. It is brought out to let the villager have their last homage to that person. Prayer service is conducted where, if the uncle died, his parents if still alive, his brother or sister, his nephew\nieces and his relatives will give a farewell speech for the dead person and beg from him to bless the clan. When everything in the courtyard is over the body is put on a bier (Ka Krong) with his head facing towards the east. The relatives will take the body to the cremation place with flowers and candles in front of the procession lines. On the cremation place there will be a farewell chanting then the body is kept on the pyre and the relatives will light fire on the pyre. All the clothes and personal things of the person are thrown in the pyre. The parents, relatives, friends and all those who attended the funeral ceremony will throw betel leaves and betel nuts; some will throw money into the pyre. Betel leaves and betel nuts are thrown so that the dead person may enjoy eternal bliss and happiness and he may not lack friends in their second life. When the cremation is done the unconsumed bones and the ashes are collected to intern them in the family cromlech. Sacrifices and prayers offered for the internment of the bones. On the dead anniversary prayer service will be held in the family and food will be offered to the people who attended the ceremony. The relatives will also take some food for the dead person and keep it on the tomb or cromlech. At present cremation is forbidden in the state but if the dead person by all means asked to be cremated when he was still alive the family members will burry the person for six months then the body will be removed and cremation will take place.
The Christian follow the same procedures till the procession. During the procession Rosary is recited or other prayers are prayed. When they reached the graveyard a prayer service is held then the body is lowered to the grave. The people bids farewell by throwing mud and some throw betel leaves, betel nuts or money. When the burial is done all the people will go to eat and drink in the person’s family. After one year the Christian also have prayer service for the repose of the soul of that person.
The Christian as well as those who are in Maram religion observed a period of purification for three days called as ‘Sngi Iew Ding’, soon after the person is buried or cremated. During these three days those who have touched the dead body or eat the food in the family where death took place will not touch the barn. The third day of purification is called as Miet Ap Rngai, literally ‘Night of waiting the ghost’. The family members will keep some eatable things in the pots, ashes will be kept on the doorway to see the footprints and the family members and friends will sleep early to wait for the coming of the ghost. Some would bring out with news that the ghost had come to eat, drink, and so on.
The Matriliny System Of The Maram.
The largest matrilineal unit of the Maram is the Kur Bah (main clan) followed by the Kur Nah, the Jait (sub-clan), the Kpoh (lineage), the Iing (family) and the Iing-Tnat (nuclear family). The Maram believed that ‘U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw’ (God the Creator) established the Kur through ‘Ka Iawbei Tynrai’(Root Ancestress), ‘U Thawlang’ (Primordial Progenitor)and ‘U Suidnia’ (Primordial Uncle, brother of Iawbei).Any sub-clan who adopted a slightly different title but still bound by the main clan, Kur, Iateh Kur comes together only in the Kur. Jait Iateh Kur, sub-clan that are bound by the clan has different Kpoh, Ing and Iing-Tnat.The Iing Tnat consists of a mother, father and children. The Iing includes the great grandmother, Meirad Tymmen and grandmother, the Khadduh (last daughter) the unclean, the unmarried sisters and brother .The Iing Tnat is split from the Iimg.The Kpoh or lineage includes the young ansestress, Iawbei Khynraw, her husband, the uncle and the Khadduh, From the Kpoh the Iing spreads. The Jait includes the Iawbei Tymmn, root ancestress, her husband ,her brother and the Khaduh. In the Jait, sub-clan all the different Kpoh are split. Those who belong to the same sub clan bears the same title or surname. The Kur clan includes the Iawbei Tynrai, root ancestress, U Thawlang, primordial progenitor, her husband; U Suidnia her brother and theKhaduh.The different sub-clans who have different titles or surname are split from the main Kur. The children addresses their mother’s sister and female maternal cousins as mothers. The brother of the mother is called as uncle. The mother of the children’s father is called as Meikha and his (father’s )brothers and sisters are addressed as “Bakha or Kha”. The Khadduh and her husband are expected to stay in the Iing, while the other daughters can split into their Iing-Tnat.The Khadduh inherits the major part of the wealth. It is because she has to look after her parents, the unmarried brothers and sisters, the nephew and nieces, if her sister died, and she has to take care after the different religious rites and sacrifices that are to be performed at different occasion. Though the Khadduh inherits the wealth, she is only the custodian. It is the Kni who manages on her behalf besides being the priest and the chief celebrant in any family sacrifices. The Paduh (husband of the Khadduh) has few roles to play because he (uncle) is like a father. In fact the husband of the Khadduh plays a great role only in the procreation so that the children get their Meikha and Bakha (paternal kin) or pasan or pakhynnah (uncle). The Kur are strictly exogamous and any inter-marriage within the Kur is a taboo and the greatest sin a person can commit. It is believed that nature herself will punish the Kur with natural calamities like striking of a lightning to the members of the Kur.If such love marriage occur the Kur will immediately order the two to live separately. If they don’t the Kur will excommunicate them from the clan. This is the greatest punishment in the society. The Kur does not praise the child born of such relationship though the child is allowed to join the Kur. The child is known as “Khun Kha Sang”, incestuous child. If such a relationship is done secretly the people believe that nature will herself reveals by mild actions, if the relationship had just began. Major actions like killing the family members will occur if it is a matured relationship. The Kni of the Kur with all the clan members will find out the cause of such unnatural happenings or deaths. The Kni will offer sacrifices ‘Knia Khan’ using eggs, cocks, goat or a die (six sided coin) ‘shyieng khan’ to find out the person. This method is done only when no one confesses even after enquiring. The punishment for the person who doesn’t confess will be beating especially when his action has killed someone in the family. When the reason “Daw” is found out a cock or a goat is sacrificed so that God may not punish the clan any longer with deaths or any other punishments. Prayers are also offered so that the incestuous evil spirit may be washed out from the clan. Marriage with immediate paternal kin (bakha) is considered to be a taboo and natural calamities will strike the Kur directly without any warning like what it usually happens in inter –marriages with in the Kur. However after two or thee paternal generations they can marry with the different Kpoh of the father’s side. Some clans ‘Kur’ consider marriage with paternal kin, a good thing. Such clans prefer the Khadduh to have such marriages. If any male members marry any plain women or vise versa and bring them to the land of the Kur they are integrated to the Kur but their title or sure name will be slightly different because they can add dkhar (plain man or woman) or only khar with the main title of the Kur.
The uncle (Kni Rangbah) and the Khadduh (last daughter) are the two most important persons in the clan. The uncle has authority over residence, economic, social activities, welfare, and moral well being of the clan, uniting of the clan and in performing as a priest in the family religious rites, customs and sacrifices. He works for his sister and controls the family wealth. He teaches, advices, counsels and supports his nieces and nephews and is an intermediary between God and the nieces or nephews. He is the administrator of movable and immovable goods of the family. The Khadduh (last daughter) is the custodian of the family;,property, economy, Iing (family), ancestral house, and of the cromlech, Maw Shyieng. She epitomizes the family religion and is referred to as the one who “ Keeps the Religion” though she is not a priestess. She is responsible to prepare the necessary items for the rites and rituals. She is responsible to look after the older members, the handicapped, the widower, the unmarried brothers and sisters and the children of the deceased parents. No beggars or thieves exist in the Maram Society. With their own sweat and blood they live happily and share with the clan members. Any Maram and even the whole Khasi tribe with the leadership of the uncle and the support of the Khadduh leads their lives with the help of these simple rules;
(a) Tip Briew-tip Blei (Know man -; Know God)
(b) Tip Kur tip Kha (Know Maternal and Paternal relationship; respect your kinsmen)
(c) Tip Hok- Tip Sot (know and do what is right and pure)
(d) Tip Burom-Tip Akor (Know the etiquette of life, Know how to respect)
(e) Kamai ia ka Hok (to earn with righteousness)
Matriliny system in the Maram society has its strong roots because of some family bonds, symbols, and practices. Some of these forces are: -
(1) Having a common grandmother
(2) Having a common ancestral cult, cromlech (Mawbah, Mawshyieng, Mawbynna Niam, literally means religious stone, Mawbynna Nam, literally means honoring stone).
(3) Common household deities
(4) Common religion beliefs
(5) Common Iing Seng (root family) or Iing Niam (literally means religion house) in the ancestral home.
(6) Common priest, uncle (Marangbah)
(7) Common ancestral property
(8) Common administrator, leader, teacher, confessor, supporter (the great uncle and the subaltern uncles)
(9) Common meeting place (Iing Durbar)
(10) Common visiting place (Iing Khadduh, ancestral home)
(11) Common surname (Kajuh Ka Jait)
(12) Common sacred grove, (Law Kyntang)
Pure traditional matrilineal system ceased to exist in Meghalaya as a whole. Few Maram villages practice a modified matrilineal system. Majority of the Maram are adopting only few aspects of the Matriliny system but still they call themselves a matrilineal society. The Maram women are in trauma; the women are in trouble and their children are left uncared because the role of the uncle is being wiped out and the progenitor father is slow to take the uncle’s place especially regarding material needs. Some of the forces that hinders Matriliny system are:-
(a) The conflicts between the Iing-Tnat (nuclear family) and the Iing (family), the Kpoh (lineage) regarding social, religious, economic and political aspects.
(b) The conflicts between a progenitor father and uncles regarding power, administration, guiding the children and cooperation.
© The conflicts between mans’ loyalty to his wife and children and his loyalty to his Iing (family) or Kur (clan).
(d) With the coming of the British the Khadduh has legal right to claim the ancestral property and considered them as self-acquired properties and this created conflict in the Iing because the Khadduh is suppose to be only a custodian while the uncle is suppose to be the administrator,
(e) The conflicts between matri-local residence and a man’s lack of complete authority over his own conjugal family.
(f) Some Iing (family) has a conflict in marriage system with the patrikin because after some two or three generation they can get marry.
(g) The outgoing sisters (Khun Mihiing) are also given some of the ancestral property to be used therefore, there is conflict between the Khadduh and them especially when the Khadduh get less amount of property to take care of the Iing .
(h) Individualism, privatization, urbanization and globalization has made people selfish and greedy, therefore, a conflict arises when some welfare work is to be done, that is when we need to share some money to support the Iing during religious practices and to help the unfortunate members of the family.
(i) Conflict between the real wife and children with the concubines and their children.
(j) The conflict when mixed marriages between patrlineal and matrilineal societies take place.
(k) Conflicts arise when the number of cognates and agnates (Ki kur bad Ki kha) are not enough for inter marriages.
(l) The conflict between wife and children with the father because he comes only to produce but not providing any support. The wife faces great trouble especially when the children are sick because the uncles are out of sight.
(m) The conflict between changing the matrilineal system to patrilineal system like the Nairs in Kerela . The Seng Rympei Thymmai (Association of new Hearts) started in 1990 is formed for this purpose.
(n) the conflict to form a new family system that is keeping the patrilineal and matrilineal title together in the title of the family . For example if the father’s title is Marbaniang and the Mother’s title is Lyngdoh then the children will have the title LyngdohMarbaniang.
(o) Marriage is a social contract based on clan, religious rites and practices. The uncle and other family members have to approve it, therefore, a conflict arises among the youths who falls in love with members of other clans whom the Iing (family) does not favored may be due to some conflicts in the past. A conflict also arises for adult boys and girls who want to choose their life partner freely i.e. without any interference of the Iing (family).
(p) Even though the Maram women receives high respect and have great role in the society but still they have to suffered many untold sufferings and are forced to work even at the cost of sacrifices oneself because the uncle nor the husband are not at her side to support her. For example, a woman has to carry firewood or work in the field amidst the scorching sun or heavy rain even during pregnancy. Therefore, a great conflict or quarrel arises among them.
(q) There is a Conflict among those who have white-collar jobs, who become richer with the simple agrarian people. Division between the rich and the poor began to appear and the poor are engaged even as bonded laborers by the rich.
(r) The conflict between the Christian teachings, practices etc. and the Maram teachings, practices etc.
Maram people insist in the present day insist the father to stay with his wife and children. The child whose father ran away are called Khunrei,, (fatherless child) in the present day. The uncles are respected though they don’t possess the traditional authority any longer. The Khadduh still inherit the ancestral home. Ancestral properties are divided to all the daughters but still the Khadduh gets the bigger share. The children still adopt the mother’s title. This is the present matrilineal situation of the people at present.
THE END
By Shaining Lyngdoh
August 22, 2007
BOOKS AND READING
Books And Reading.
Happy is the man who acquires the habit of reading when he is young. He has secured a life-long pleasure, instruction and inspiration. So long as he has his beloved books, he need never feel lonely He always has a pleasant occupation of leisure moments, so that he never feel bored. He is the possessor of wealth more precious than gold. Ruskin calls books, ``Kings`-Treasures``-treasures filled, not with gold and silver and precious stones, but with riches more valuable than these-knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals. Poor indeed is the man who does not read, and empty is his life.
The blessings, which the reading habit confers on its possessor, are many.
Provided we choose the right kind of books, reading gives the highest kind of pleasure. Some books we read simply for pleasure and amusement-for eg, good novels. And novels and books of imagination must have their place in everybody’s reading. When we are tired, or the brain is weary with serious study, it is a healthy recreation to lose ourselves in dome absorbing story written by a master hand
But to read nothing but books of fiction is like eating nothing but cakes and sweetmeats. As we need plain wholesome food for the body, so we must have serious reading for the mind. And there we can choose according to our taste. There are many noble books on history, biography, philosophy, religion, travel and science which we ought to read, and which will give us not only pleasure but and education. And we can develop a taste for serious reading, so that at the end it will give us a solid pleasure than even novels and books of fiction.
Nor should poetry be neglected, for the best poetry gives us noble thoughts and beautiful imaginings clothed in lovely and musical language.
Books are the most faithful of friends, our friends may change, or die; but our books are always patiently waiting to talk to us. They are never cross, peevish, or unwilling to converse, as our friends sometimes are. No wonder a reader becomes a ``book-lover. ``
The Autobiography of a Rupee.
I am now an old coin, and have been in circulation, many years. I have become dulled and worn, and the Lion’s head on my face is very faint, and the lettering on my back almost rubbed out, with the years of hard work I have done. But I still remember my early youth. If you had see me then, when I was in Government Treasury, with my bright companions, soon after we had been issued from the Mint, you would not have recognized me as the same coin. I was shining silver, and the Lion’s head and all the lettering were very beautiful and distinct. I was very proud of my smart appearance.
My active life began when I was paid over the counter of a bank, along with other rupees, to a gentleman who cashed a cheque. I went of jingling in his pocket; but I was not there long, as he gave me to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked pleased when he had me in his handmaid said,``I had not seen a new rupee for some time``,and he banged me in the counter to see if I was genuine. I give such a clear ringing note, that he pick me up and throw me into the drawer with a lot of other coins.
I soon found we were a mixed company. I took no notice of the greasy copper coins, as I knew they were of very low caste; and I was condescending to the small change, Knowing that I was twice as valuable as the best of them, the fifty Pisa pieces, and a hundred times better than the cheeky little paisa. But I found a number of rupees of my own rank, but none so new and bright as I was. Most were old coins, and dull and worn as I am today.
Some of them were jealous of my smart appearance, and make nasty remarks; but one very old rupee was kind to me and gave me good advice. He told me I must respect old rupees and always keep the small change in the place-advice which he summed up with the remarks, ``A rupee is always a rupee, however old and worn.``
The opening of the drawer interrupted our conversation; and I was given in change to a young lady, who put me in her purse. But the purse had a hole, and I felt out as she walked along the street, and rolled into the gutter, where I was lost a long time. Eventually a very dirty and ragged boy picked me up; and for some time after that I was in a very low company, passing between poor people and small shopkeepers in dirty little streets. But at last I got into good society, and most of my time I have been in the pocket and purse of the rich.
I have no time to tell the hundredth part of my adventures. I have lived and active life, and never rested long anywhere. I am glad of this, for I should not have liked the fate of a rupee, born the same year as I was, who has been all his life locked up in the strong-box of a master. What a dull life he must have had!
.
Happy is the man who acquires the habit of reading when he is young. He has secured a life-long pleasure, instruction and inspiration. So long as he has his beloved books, he need never feel lonely He always has a pleasant occupation of leisure moments, so that he never feel bored. He is the possessor of wealth more precious than gold. Ruskin calls books, ``Kings`-Treasures``-treasures filled, not with gold and silver and precious stones, but with riches more valuable than these-knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals. Poor indeed is the man who does not read, and empty is his life.
The blessings, which the reading habit confers on its possessor, are many.
Provided we choose the right kind of books, reading gives the highest kind of pleasure. Some books we read simply for pleasure and amusement-for eg, good novels. And novels and books of imagination must have their place in everybody’s reading. When we are tired, or the brain is weary with serious study, it is a healthy recreation to lose ourselves in dome absorbing story written by a master hand
But to read nothing but books of fiction is like eating nothing but cakes and sweetmeats. As we need plain wholesome food for the body, so we must have serious reading for the mind. And there we can choose according to our taste. There are many noble books on history, biography, philosophy, religion, travel and science which we ought to read, and which will give us not only pleasure but and education. And we can develop a taste for serious reading, so that at the end it will give us a solid pleasure than even novels and books of fiction.
Nor should poetry be neglected, for the best poetry gives us noble thoughts and beautiful imaginings clothed in lovely and musical language.
Books are the most faithful of friends, our friends may change, or die; but our books are always patiently waiting to talk to us. They are never cross, peevish, or unwilling to converse, as our friends sometimes are. No wonder a reader becomes a ``book-lover. ``
The Autobiography of a Rupee.
I am now an old coin, and have been in circulation, many years. I have become dulled and worn, and the Lion’s head on my face is very faint, and the lettering on my back almost rubbed out, with the years of hard work I have done. But I still remember my early youth. If you had see me then, when I was in Government Treasury, with my bright companions, soon after we had been issued from the Mint, you would not have recognized me as the same coin. I was shining silver, and the Lion’s head and all the lettering were very beautiful and distinct. I was very proud of my smart appearance.
My active life began when I was paid over the counter of a bank, along with other rupees, to a gentleman who cashed a cheque. I went of jingling in his pocket; but I was not there long, as he gave me to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked pleased when he had me in his handmaid said,``I had not seen a new rupee for some time``,and he banged me in the counter to see if I was genuine. I give such a clear ringing note, that he pick me up and throw me into the drawer with a lot of other coins.
I soon found we were a mixed company. I took no notice of the greasy copper coins, as I knew they were of very low caste; and I was condescending to the small change, Knowing that I was twice as valuable as the best of them, the fifty Pisa pieces, and a hundred times better than the cheeky little paisa. But I found a number of rupees of my own rank, but none so new and bright as I was. Most were old coins, and dull and worn as I am today.
Some of them were jealous of my smart appearance, and make nasty remarks; but one very old rupee was kind to me and gave me good advice. He told me I must respect old rupees and always keep the small change in the place-advice which he summed up with the remarks, ``A rupee is always a rupee, however old and worn.``
The opening of the drawer interrupted our conversation; and I was given in change to a young lady, who put me in her purse. But the purse had a hole, and I felt out as she walked along the street, and rolled into the gutter, where I was lost a long time. Eventually a very dirty and ragged boy picked me up; and for some time after that I was in a very low company, passing between poor people and small shopkeepers in dirty little streets. But at last I got into good society, and most of my time I have been in the pocket and purse of the rich.
I have no time to tell the hundredth part of my adventures. I have lived and active life, and never rested long anywhere. I am glad of this, for I should not have liked the fate of a rupee, born the same year as I was, who has been all his life locked up in the strong-box of a master. What a dull life he must have had!
.
POITRY
POEMS
There is a call from heaven for you and for me,
To be the messenger of love and peace in this world.
To be friends and brothers to all creatures
It’s a day of joy, and of bright smile too
It’s a day of love and a day of hope
For the Lord has given us new life today
So we wish you a Happy B’day. X2
Happy (2) B’day
We wish you dear friends
Happy (2) B’day
We wish you today. X2
May good health be blessed to you
May good life be blessed to you
May friends around support you everyday. X2
Happy (2) B’day
We love you dear friends
Happy (2) B’day
We pray for you today. X2
1. May you bloom gloriously through out your life
May you smile happily through out your life
May you find friends easily through out your life
May you live joyfully life always.
Happy B’day tra la la la. X3
We wish you a happy B’day.
2. May you grow healthily thorough out your life.
May you sing melodiously through out your life
May the Lord protects you throughout your life
May you be blessed with long life too.
.
There is a call from heaven for you and for me,
To be the messenger of love and peace in this world.
To be friends and brothers to all creatures
It’s a day of joy, and of bright smile too
It’s a day of love and a day of hope
For the Lord has given us new life today
So we wish you a Happy B’day. X2
Happy (2) B’day
We wish you dear friends
Happy (2) B’day
We wish you today. X2
May good health be blessed to you
May good life be blessed to you
May friends around support you everyday. X2
Happy (2) B’day
We love you dear friends
Happy (2) B’day
We pray for you today. X2
1. May you bloom gloriously through out your life
May you smile happily through out your life
May you find friends easily through out your life
May you live joyfully life always.
Happy B’day tra la la la. X3
We wish you a happy B’day.
2. May you grow healthily thorough out your life.
May you sing melodiously through out your life
May the Lord protects you throughout your life
May you be blessed with long life too.
.
BIBLE
Quizzing with Bible age.
Ø Adam:930 years.Gen5:5
Ø Sarah 127 years. Gen23:1
Ø Moses120yrs. Deut.34:7
Ø Tobit 117yrs. Tobit.14:14
Ø Job 140yrs. Job.42:16
Ø Judith105yrs. Judith.16:23
Ø Joseph 110yrs. Gen.50:22
Ø Abraham 175yrs.Gen.25:7
Ø Terah 70yrs.Gen.11:26
Ø Enosh 912yrs.Gen.5:11
Ø Seth 807yrs.Gen.5:7
Ø Methuselah 969yrs. Gen.5:27
Ø Lamech 777yrs.Gen.5:31
Ø Noah 950yrs.Gen.9:29
Ø Adam:930 years.Gen5:5
Ø Sarah 127 years. Gen23:1
Ø Moses120yrs. Deut.34:7
Ø Tobit 117yrs. Tobit.14:14
Ø Job 140yrs. Job.42:16
Ø Judith105yrs. Judith.16:23
Ø Joseph 110yrs. Gen.50:22
Ø Abraham 175yrs.Gen.25:7
Ø Terah 70yrs.Gen.11:26
Ø Enosh 912yrs.Gen.5:11
Ø Seth 807yrs.Gen.5:7
Ø Methuselah 969yrs. Gen.5:27
Ø Lamech 777yrs.Gen.5:31
Ø Noah 950yrs.Gen.9:29
STORY
Mundane Turned Into Magical.
He is greedy and spares no opportunity to grab anything he can. He is returning from his friend’s house, where he had managed to convince his friend to sell his land for a meager price. He knew that is the land where there is a treasure, he had known from secret sources. He managed to grab the land, and on a new moon day, he is prepared to start digging the land in search of the hidden treasure.
He bought a heavy machine that was like a giant human being. The man put the giant on the place where it was believed that a priceless treasure was hidden. As he removed the soil to get hold of the treasure he found a coffin instead. He thought that was the treasure. With joyful heart, smiling face and a watery tongue he removed the coffin out of the pit with much care. As his desiring hands, controlled by his desiring heart, grab the box a hearty laugh and an angry bang frightened the joyful heart that he dropped the coffin. The coffin split into halves and from it dark blood with smoke oozes out from the smiling skeleton that was lying in the broken coffin. Horrified with the uncontrollable sight he lay unconscious. The red sweetish blood invited the rats into that hole. On seeing a bigger piece of meat the rat munched it and the man rose to life. Like a Parkinson patient he threw the coffin cover to its original resting place. A paper of hopeful treasure caught his sight. It ran out from the coffin with words of instructions to go deeper to find the treasure. Overwhelmed with joy he jumped into the giant machine and dug the mud with haze.
The tedious work had eaten up his strength that he was forced to take rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes when he saw a shiny golden box of six feet. His sleepy eyes were shining brightly like the sunrays at twelve. His health is weak but desire is wealth. He jumped into the pit kiss and embraced the box and lifted it up out of the hole. Blood and sweat smiled out of his bruised hands and legs but the joy of the treasure was the only pleasure. Crawling like a dying guerrilla he opened the box carefully with all his final strength. When the beautiful box gave him a way he saw beautiful linen covering the coffin. With satisfying heart he opened the linen and there he lay dead because his heart stopped beating on seeing his daughter who lived at home lay dead on that box of his treasure. The moonlit nights never come back to day for him. His spirit lived among the devils; maggots, rats, vultures and other wild beast, ate his body. He lost forever from his family and friends.
Wings of Poesy.
*Hatred
She makes enemy among human beings,
She kills like nuclear bombs,
Kill her!
And put her forever in her tomb.
*Leaves
My mother rejects me
For I am old and weary.
But uniting with Thee, Oh! Mother earth
New life benefit from me.
Sensing Sensation.
The pattering rain was a flea to my sleep till I jumped out of my bed at six in the morning. The breakfast aroma was tempting me even before it was ready. While waiting for the desirous breakfast I opened the T.V. As I opened the news channel, shocking news about Borjuli village alarmed my heart. I was dumfounded to see that the angry cyclone and the hungry flood had consumed the village and the people. Borjuli was about fifty K.M. from my village and thirteen K.M. from the Bay of Bengal. There was a huge river running from my village passing through Borjuli and takes its resting place in the Bay of Bengal. The route was familiar to me because I used to go fishing using my own strong boat. The Borjuli news had turned my salivating breakfast to a bitter dose of medicine. The weather in my village had not stopped crying since yesterday but the cry of my Borjuli friends urged my heart and will to enter into my raincoat keeping aside all the inconveniences the rain brings. I rushed to my boat along with some bread, juices and other food articles or clothes that my house storage offered. Like an airplane I rode my boast to Borjuli village. Borjuli, the garden of roses and the most colourful village in our region pierced my heart like a double-edged sword as I stepped into its flooded border. The sight of the stinking dead bodies of human beings, animal carcasses and the plants had torn my hope to see any survivor. Like a mourning widow I proceeded to the village to see the last ashes of my beloved village and people.
When I reached the village proper I suddenly heard a faint sound of ‘help’. I stopped my boat and give my ear to that sound. The sound directed me to the centre of the village where I saw the famished people who had survived because their once beautiful decorated house had become their immovable boat. Like a mad man without knowing what I do I found that my boat had reached the survivor. I lowered a laddered rope to them till they all find safety in my boat. The survivors were ten of them and five of them were from the same family. With tears of joy amidst the deadly flood I embraced them and gave them the food and clothes I had brought. The survivors told me that for three days they had held their lives in their hands and they had surrendered their lives to God. The stormy weather and the unmerciful rain had not stopped persecuting them till a few hours ago. They said that I was angel sent by God because as I entered Borjuli the weather started to brighten and the stinking muddy and bloody water had found its way to the Bay of Bengal.
While they were filling their stomach I told them to see and listen if anybody could survive while I started the engine and rode the boat around the village. After a few distance I found that two youths were sitting on two dying animals that floated and they supported themselves from a coconut branch. We rescued them and as they entered the boat their clothes smelled very badly because they had sat on the animals that started rotting. I told them to remove their clothes and I gave tem new ones. When the two were still feeding their stomach I rode the boat to rescue more survivor. When I with my surviving friends had rescued fifty skinny, famished and sick survivors I saw some relief workers coming towards us. I directed them to move round the village again and again and try to shout for survivors and I left with my heavy boat to my village for everything that I took was over and so that I can give some aid to them.
The whole day I had not fed my stomach and now it started pinching me. Now I took my meals with joy for having saved at least some of my suffering friends. As I talked to my surviving friends they told me that they had tasted resurrection because of my boat. They told that they were actually dead and reached God because the storm and the rain had taken their spirits away. The greediness of wealth led him to the tragedy of death.
By Shaining Star Lyngdoh Marshillong S.J.
He is greedy and spares no opportunity to grab anything he can. He is returning from his friend’s house, where he had managed to convince his friend to sell his land for a meager price. He knew that is the land where there is a treasure, he had known from secret sources. He managed to grab the land, and on a new moon day, he is prepared to start digging the land in search of the hidden treasure.
He bought a heavy machine that was like a giant human being. The man put the giant on the place where it was believed that a priceless treasure was hidden. As he removed the soil to get hold of the treasure he found a coffin instead. He thought that was the treasure. With joyful heart, smiling face and a watery tongue he removed the coffin out of the pit with much care. As his desiring hands, controlled by his desiring heart, grab the box a hearty laugh and an angry bang frightened the joyful heart that he dropped the coffin. The coffin split into halves and from it dark blood with smoke oozes out from the smiling skeleton that was lying in the broken coffin. Horrified with the uncontrollable sight he lay unconscious. The red sweetish blood invited the rats into that hole. On seeing a bigger piece of meat the rat munched it and the man rose to life. Like a Parkinson patient he threw the coffin cover to its original resting place. A paper of hopeful treasure caught his sight. It ran out from the coffin with words of instructions to go deeper to find the treasure. Overwhelmed with joy he jumped into the giant machine and dug the mud with haze.
The tedious work had eaten up his strength that he was forced to take rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes when he saw a shiny golden box of six feet. His sleepy eyes were shining brightly like the sunrays at twelve. His health is weak but desire is wealth. He jumped into the pit kiss and embraced the box and lifted it up out of the hole. Blood and sweat smiled out of his bruised hands and legs but the joy of the treasure was the only pleasure. Crawling like a dying guerrilla he opened the box carefully with all his final strength. When the beautiful box gave him a way he saw beautiful linen covering the coffin. With satisfying heart he opened the linen and there he lay dead because his heart stopped beating on seeing his daughter who lived at home lay dead on that box of his treasure. The moonlit nights never come back to day for him. His spirit lived among the devils; maggots, rats, vultures and other wild beast, ate his body. He lost forever from his family and friends.
Wings of Poesy.
*Hatred
She makes enemy among human beings,
She kills like nuclear bombs,
Kill her!
And put her forever in her tomb.
*Leaves
My mother rejects me
For I am old and weary.
But uniting with Thee, Oh! Mother earth
New life benefit from me.
Sensing Sensation.
The pattering rain was a flea to my sleep till I jumped out of my bed at six in the morning. The breakfast aroma was tempting me even before it was ready. While waiting for the desirous breakfast I opened the T.V. As I opened the news channel, shocking news about Borjuli village alarmed my heart. I was dumfounded to see that the angry cyclone and the hungry flood had consumed the village and the people. Borjuli was about fifty K.M. from my village and thirteen K.M. from the Bay of Bengal. There was a huge river running from my village passing through Borjuli and takes its resting place in the Bay of Bengal. The route was familiar to me because I used to go fishing using my own strong boat. The Borjuli news had turned my salivating breakfast to a bitter dose of medicine. The weather in my village had not stopped crying since yesterday but the cry of my Borjuli friends urged my heart and will to enter into my raincoat keeping aside all the inconveniences the rain brings. I rushed to my boat along with some bread, juices and other food articles or clothes that my house storage offered. Like an airplane I rode my boast to Borjuli village. Borjuli, the garden of roses and the most colourful village in our region pierced my heart like a double-edged sword as I stepped into its flooded border. The sight of the stinking dead bodies of human beings, animal carcasses and the plants had torn my hope to see any survivor. Like a mourning widow I proceeded to the village to see the last ashes of my beloved village and people.
When I reached the village proper I suddenly heard a faint sound of ‘help’. I stopped my boat and give my ear to that sound. The sound directed me to the centre of the village where I saw the famished people who had survived because their once beautiful decorated house had become their immovable boat. Like a mad man without knowing what I do I found that my boat had reached the survivor. I lowered a laddered rope to them till they all find safety in my boat. The survivors were ten of them and five of them were from the same family. With tears of joy amidst the deadly flood I embraced them and gave them the food and clothes I had brought. The survivors told me that for three days they had held their lives in their hands and they had surrendered their lives to God. The stormy weather and the unmerciful rain had not stopped persecuting them till a few hours ago. They said that I was angel sent by God because as I entered Borjuli the weather started to brighten and the stinking muddy and bloody water had found its way to the Bay of Bengal.
While they were filling their stomach I told them to see and listen if anybody could survive while I started the engine and rode the boat around the village. After a few distance I found that two youths were sitting on two dying animals that floated and they supported themselves from a coconut branch. We rescued them and as they entered the boat their clothes smelled very badly because they had sat on the animals that started rotting. I told them to remove their clothes and I gave tem new ones. When the two were still feeding their stomach I rode the boat to rescue more survivor. When I with my surviving friends had rescued fifty skinny, famished and sick survivors I saw some relief workers coming towards us. I directed them to move round the village again and again and try to shout for survivors and I left with my heavy boat to my village for everything that I took was over and so that I can give some aid to them.
The whole day I had not fed my stomach and now it started pinching me. Now I took my meals with joy for having saved at least some of my suffering friends. As I talked to my surviving friends they told me that they had tasted resurrection because of my boat. They told that they were actually dead and reached God because the storm and the rain had taken their spirits away. The greediness of wealth led him to the tragedy of death.
By Shaining Star Lyngdoh Marshillong S.J.
PEACE
Let peace flow like a river,
Let peace sing like the birds.
Let peace reign the world,
Let peace dwell in all.
Let peace shine like the sun,
Let peace multiply like the plants.
Let peace free us like the air,
Let peace make us beings that care.
Let peace be the source of joy,
Let peace be the source of love.
Let peace be the result of justice,
Let peace make us work like an ant.
Let peace of the ‘past’ be our stepping
stones,
Let peace of the ‘present’ be our tools.
Let peace in the ‘future’ be our goal,
To make this world a beautiful place for all.
Cheer Up oh my heart
The time of grace is here
Open wide my bosom
And give new life a way.
Wipe all my world of self
And let the world of love takes root
Unite my heart with Thine
That my heart be a mirror of Your being.
TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
TO FIGHT THE UNBEATABLE FOE
TO BEAR WITH UNBEARABLE SORROW
TO RUN WHERE THE BRAVE DARE NOT GO
TO RIGHT THE UNRIGHTABLE WRONG
TO LOVE PURE AND CHASTE FROM AFAR… BY DON QUIXOT
Let peace sing like the birds.
Let peace reign the world,
Let peace dwell in all.
Let peace shine like the sun,
Let peace multiply like the plants.
Let peace free us like the air,
Let peace make us beings that care.
Let peace be the source of joy,
Let peace be the source of love.
Let peace be the result of justice,
Let peace make us work like an ant.
Let peace of the ‘past’ be our stepping
stones,
Let peace of the ‘present’ be our tools.
Let peace in the ‘future’ be our goal,
To make this world a beautiful place for all.
Cheer Up oh my heart
The time of grace is here
Open wide my bosom
And give new life a way.
Wipe all my world of self
And let the world of love takes root
Unite my heart with Thine
That my heart be a mirror of Your being.
TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
TO FIGHT THE UNBEATABLE FOE
TO BEAR WITH UNBEARABLE SORROW
TO RUN WHERE THE BRAVE DARE NOT GO
TO RIGHT THE UNRIGHTABLE WRONG
TO LOVE PURE AND CHASTE FROM AFAR… BY DON QUIXOT
CULTURE
· Culture: Religion is the cream of culture. Religion is a belief to supernatural natural values.
· Tradition is a pattern of behaviors.
· Religious is an expression of culture Transcendential Religion =Christian, Buddhism
· Symbol contains a deep meaning, which differ according to culture.
· Religion is the deepest element of Culture.
· Culture also has to purify according to the time.
· We have to look, religion and culture side by side.
· We can give life through blood; we can take life through blood.
· Folk Culture: It is pertaining to small (culture) group, a Localize culture.
a) Religion is deepest element of culture.
b) It is and oral tradition “through stories”
c) It is express through art, song, dances, and literature.
d) They propagate the folk culture.
Healing the culture: In the culture there is an element of superstitions and theses block the people to grow (persevere) they go to for medicine instead they go to the temple. A genuine faith is to be given. The most important thing to heal the culture is education, medical science, psychology; culture does not prevail to grow in different things only thing is we need to know the root level (day-to-day living of the people. To know the culture we need to enter into it.
If we don’t heal the culture there are lots of enmity, rebellion, and extremist.
Reservation comes from the constitution. It presupposes because all are not equal because of caste, culture, and economy, the rich suppresses the poor. Dalits=16%, Tribal 9%, Sudras 52%, Muslim 15%, Christian 2.5%, Buddhist 1%.
With ness: living the word of God among the people.
Indian Ethos: secularism, equality of all religion, cultures.
Folk Music: music by and of the common people.
Holistic aspects: looking from all aspects of life.
Once we lose our culture and identity we will be easily abstract by other people.
Without fasting there is feasting. Four weeks of advent represent 4000 years of promising
Human beings are the crown of all creatures (a) rebellion, repentance, expectation, and happiness.
We don’t need many rituals and customs but we need devotion.
· Centrality of Christianity is Christ. Christ transience culture.
Christian communion comes from passion and love.
Kingdom of God: The human values the value of love compassion, equality, fraternity, and faith.
Absolutization: We have to adapt our own culture.
Nobody is degrading because of caste or tribe or place. Be rooted and grow wider above your own culture.
Christ Jesus: Refuge of poor, friends of the sinners, comforter of the sick. He is the priest, prophets and king of human relationship how because he goes to the house of the Pharisees and the poor for feast. Because he is at ease with everybody. He went to the prostitute Mary Magdalene and she wiped his legs with her hairs. He has no problem with any Jews, Muslim.
Most of the festival started from agrarian economy. Sowing the seed by emptying himself. Blood was sown in Easter and harvesting festival is Pentecost gift of love, peace, hope, and joy.
A Christian heals the culture through the Good news. Release from the clubs, (Christian) goes to the hospital for medicine.
Human values are Christian values. Monoculture is over each one is contributing to each other.
· The Christian goes according to the Bible.
B) We have to live with them learn their culture, behavior, feelings.
C) Take the faith, conviction, and theology to them. Experience of the living resurrected Christ.
· Enculturation: getting inside the culture and reform the good news. Inculturation comes from realization.
· The problem why there is no inculturation before is because we have thinking that culture and religion are one and the same. Everything is western.
Faith has to be inculturated is to give identity (Tribal, Indian Catholic) Except the creed we can have our own freedom.
Statue is from roman religion. During the 5reigh of Constantine the Roman religion disappeared. For Romans they have many gods.
· Tradition is a pattern of behaviors.
· Religious is an expression of culture Transcendential Religion =Christian, Buddhism
· Symbol contains a deep meaning, which differ according to culture.
· Religion is the deepest element of Culture.
· Culture also has to purify according to the time.
· We have to look, religion and culture side by side.
· We can give life through blood; we can take life through blood.
· Folk Culture: It is pertaining to small (culture) group, a Localize culture.
a) Religion is deepest element of culture.
b) It is and oral tradition “through stories”
c) It is express through art, song, dances, and literature.
d) They propagate the folk culture.
Healing the culture: In the culture there is an element of superstitions and theses block the people to grow (persevere) they go to for medicine instead they go to the temple. A genuine faith is to be given. The most important thing to heal the culture is education, medical science, psychology; culture does not prevail to grow in different things only thing is we need to know the root level (day-to-day living of the people. To know the culture we need to enter into it.
If we don’t heal the culture there are lots of enmity, rebellion, and extremist.
Reservation comes from the constitution. It presupposes because all are not equal because of caste, culture, and economy, the rich suppresses the poor. Dalits=16%, Tribal 9%, Sudras 52%, Muslim 15%, Christian 2.5%, Buddhist 1%.
With ness: living the word of God among the people.
Indian Ethos: secularism, equality of all religion, cultures.
Folk Music: music by and of the common people.
Holistic aspects: looking from all aspects of life.
Once we lose our culture and identity we will be easily abstract by other people.
Without fasting there is feasting. Four weeks of advent represent 4000 years of promising
Human beings are the crown of all creatures (a) rebellion, repentance, expectation, and happiness.
We don’t need many rituals and customs but we need devotion.
· Centrality of Christianity is Christ. Christ transience culture.
Christian communion comes from passion and love.
Kingdom of God: The human values the value of love compassion, equality, fraternity, and faith.
Absolutization: We have to adapt our own culture.
Nobody is degrading because of caste or tribe or place. Be rooted and grow wider above your own culture.
Christ Jesus: Refuge of poor, friends of the sinners, comforter of the sick. He is the priest, prophets and king of human relationship how because he goes to the house of the Pharisees and the poor for feast. Because he is at ease with everybody. He went to the prostitute Mary Magdalene and she wiped his legs with her hairs. He has no problem with any Jews, Muslim.
Most of the festival started from agrarian economy. Sowing the seed by emptying himself. Blood was sown in Easter and harvesting festival is Pentecost gift of love, peace, hope, and joy.
A Christian heals the culture through the Good news. Release from the clubs, (Christian) goes to the hospital for medicine.
Human values are Christian values. Monoculture is over each one is contributing to each other.
· The Christian goes according to the Bible.
B) We have to live with them learn their culture, behavior, feelings.
C) Take the faith, conviction, and theology to them. Experience of the living resurrected Christ.
· Enculturation: getting inside the culture and reform the good news. Inculturation comes from realization.
· The problem why there is no inculturation before is because we have thinking that culture and religion are one and the same. Everything is western.
Faith has to be inculturated is to give identity (Tribal, Indian Catholic) Except the creed we can have our own freedom.
Statue is from roman religion. During the 5reigh of Constantine the Roman religion disappeared. For Romans they have many gods.
DIAMOND GIFT ON CHRISTMAS(Story)
Christmas is a time when the world rejoices; the cities are dazzling with lights and people are busy preparing cribs and exchanging gifts. On a busy Christmas preparation day that is on 24 of December, there was a group of class 3 students who were busy preparing a crib in the house of Alfred, one of the students. This was to come and celebrate together there after the mid-night mass, as they were wont to do every year. They had also brought all their gifts they wanted to exchange with each other, after the mid-night mass, and hung them on the Christmas tree. When everything was ready they moved out from that house to get ready for the midnight mass and the celebration.
When some of them were trying to cross the road suddenly a truck came and hit Mohan, one of them. On seeing this incident the truck driver sped his truck for he was afraid to accept his mistake. Blood spread everywhere and Mohan lay unconscious on the ground with his torn pants and smashed legs covered with blood. When they saw the accident the boys ran towards Mohan and were frightened to see such a sight. In this helpless situation the boys picked up courage and try to wake Mohan up. Some of the boys ran to Alfred’s house to take some clothes to wrap Mohan’s body and some went to inform Mohan’s parents. When the boys couldn’t wake him up some of them lifted his body and wrapped it in the white cloth brought from Alfred’s house. As they were doing this with their trembling hands Mohan’s parents reached that spot with bitter tears. All of the children wept bitterly and some even fainted at the sight of the blood. Mohan’s parents told the boys to go and wash their hands while they rushed Mohan to the hospital.
The boys were so much shocked and frightened by the incident that they remained there like statues but when some of the people who had gathered there called and sent them away they decided to go to Alfred’s house. They kept silent and prayed for Mohan in front of the crib they had prepared. After prayer Luis said, “What shall we do now? Shall we celebrate Christmas in such a situation?” Most of them said, “No.” Some said, “Let’s give all the gifts to Mohan,” while the others said, “Yes, and we shall not celebrate Christmas.” Felix said, “Why don’t we celebrate Christmas? Let’s celebrate it with Mohan in the hospital, and cheer him up him and be with him.” They all agreed to this good suggestion.
They took all their gifts from the Christmas tree and went to the hospital. It was already dark and the city was shining with cribs, stars and many decorations. When they reached the hospital with their gifts in their hands they met Mohan’s parents who were so happy to see the young kids wanting to see their friend. Then they met a doctor and asked permission to see Mohan and give him the gifts. The doctor sternly said, “No, Mohan is still in a critical state. He is no longer unconscious but still his condition is bad. You should not take even a single kid in.” The boy’s father begged the doctor to allow the children to see Mohan for a few minutes and let them give their gifts by themselves. The doctor said, “No!” because he was afraid to let the children see Mohan in such a condition. Since they could not go in give the gifts to Mohan they gave them to Mohan’s father and asked him to tell Mohan, “We love you and pray for you.” Mohan’s father went in and gave him the gifts.
On seeing the gifts Mohan said to his Father with his shaky voice. “My friends have given me all these gifts. I thank God for such a love of theirs for me. Now these gifts are mine. So, from these gifts, please give a gift to each of them as my Christmas gift to them.” The father and mother and in fact everybody who heard it were stunned at such a great decision but to satisfy their son they did it. On seeing the gifts in Mohan’s father’s hands all the boys wondered. Mohan’s father told them what Mohan desired and gave each of them a gift. On receiving the gifts everyone wept at such love Mohan had for them. Mohan’s father told them, “Now go home my dears,” and he went in. The children said, “We shall go now. The time for Christmas Mass is nearing.” Some said, “Those who want to go may go but the rest of us shall keep vigil and celebrate the coming of Christ by praying here with Mohan.” On hearing this decision of some they all decided to do the same. Alfred said, “As Christ experienced the cold, the rejection and the bad smell so shall we on this Christmas night.” Some said, “Yes, also as Mary moved out from her comfort zone so also let us be with Mohan and give him joy and hope and be at his side.”
After the discussion they all sat on the stairs and began to sing the Christmas carols that they had practised with Mohan. When the Christmas bells were ringing in the Church they began to sing the song “Silent Night”, the favorite song of Mohan. Mohan who was barely able to speak heard that song and enquired from his farther about who were singing that song. The father on hearing that the song was sung close by went to see and was overwhelmed with pity for the poor boys that were singing that song and other carols in a cold open space covering themselves only with a jacket each. The father moved with tears rushed in and consoled the boy saying, “They are your friends. They want you to get well soon.” On hearing this, the boys exclaimed, “My Friends!” He told his father to call them in. The father told him that the doctors would not permit this.
The boy sent for the doctor and begged him to allow the children in for he wanted to hear and see his beloved friends. On seeing the condition of Mohan the doctor granted his request. The doctor was dumbfounded that the children were still there. He went out and called them in. He took the boys to the ward. They were so happy to see Mohan smiling and filled with joy that amazed everyone in the ward. All were happy with such a smile and gift of the new life and hope of Christ to Mohan that the rest sang the song “Silent Night” and “Come all ye shepherds.” When the singing was over they wished Mohan to get well soon and kissed him. Mohan in turn said with his broken voice, “Thank you my friends, I love you all.” He raised his hand with a smile and bade them bye.
The doctor took the children out and sent them home for their parents might be searching them. The children remained where they were. Mohan’s father on knowing their love went out to see whether they were still there. Indeed he found them there dozing. So he went into the hospital begged for some blankets for them. He went out and gave them to the boys. The boys thanked him profusely and they slept together as a large flock in one of the corridors in the hospital. When all were having a deep sleep all of them saw a vision. That vision was they saw Mohan carrying the baby Jesus and he was coming towards them with a bright smile on his face and with rays similar to that of the sun coming from his heart. The baby Jesus said to them, “Thank you for caring for me, having a place for me in your heart and for sacrificing the celebrations for the love of life on this Christmas. You have suffered with me so now I am born with joy in your hearts.” They saw Mohan was smiling and placing Jesus in their hands as a sign of gratitude and to bless them. When all had received Jesus Mohan bade them goodbye and disappeared. The boys began to explode with the hymn “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” in their dreams.
The doctor and other people from the hospital heard the song and went out to see. They saw the boys were sleeping but singing. They were wondering what had happened to them. So out of curiosity they woke them up and asked them why they were singing while sleeping. The children wondered at their question. They asked each other whether they dreamt about Mohan. Everyone said that they did and in fact they had sung the song in their vision. Then they replied that they saw Mohan in their dreams with Jesus in his hands. They inquired, “How is Mohan?” The doctor with his head bent and sad face said, “I am very sorry. Mohan died last night, a few hours after your visit. Last night itself his parents took him home to bury him today. ”
On hearing this, the children wept bitterly and were very sad. The doctor and the people consoled them and told them that it was God’s plan for Mohan. Suddenly Felix with tears on his eyes said, “All of us saw a vision. It means that Mohan has gone with Jesus last night. So why to cry now? Come on, let us rush to his house or we may even miss to see his face for the last time on this earth.” They all got up from that place and rushed to Mohan’s house.
When they reached there they saw Mohan was in the coffin and his parents were crying bitterly beside him. They all went to the coffin kissed Mohan and told his parent not to cry for Mohan had gone with Jesus to heaven and he was praying and carrying Jesus to them. The boys then joined Mohan’s parents but instead of crying they were singing all the Christmas carols they had practised together with Mohan. When every- thing was ready for Mohan’s funeral they took him to the cemetery and as his body was lowered they sang the hymn, “Holy Night”. The boys then bade goodbye to Mohan’s parents and departed.
Now they went back home with a joyful story to their parents and told them how Christ was born to them in a very special way on this Christmas. Though no fun and no cakes were there yet they had a momentous Christmas celebration that gave new meaning to Christmas.
By Paul George.
When some of them were trying to cross the road suddenly a truck came and hit Mohan, one of them. On seeing this incident the truck driver sped his truck for he was afraid to accept his mistake. Blood spread everywhere and Mohan lay unconscious on the ground with his torn pants and smashed legs covered with blood. When they saw the accident the boys ran towards Mohan and were frightened to see such a sight. In this helpless situation the boys picked up courage and try to wake Mohan up. Some of the boys ran to Alfred’s house to take some clothes to wrap Mohan’s body and some went to inform Mohan’s parents. When the boys couldn’t wake him up some of them lifted his body and wrapped it in the white cloth brought from Alfred’s house. As they were doing this with their trembling hands Mohan’s parents reached that spot with bitter tears. All of the children wept bitterly and some even fainted at the sight of the blood. Mohan’s parents told the boys to go and wash their hands while they rushed Mohan to the hospital.
The boys were so much shocked and frightened by the incident that they remained there like statues but when some of the people who had gathered there called and sent them away they decided to go to Alfred’s house. They kept silent and prayed for Mohan in front of the crib they had prepared. After prayer Luis said, “What shall we do now? Shall we celebrate Christmas in such a situation?” Most of them said, “No.” Some said, “Let’s give all the gifts to Mohan,” while the others said, “Yes, and we shall not celebrate Christmas.” Felix said, “Why don’t we celebrate Christmas? Let’s celebrate it with Mohan in the hospital, and cheer him up him and be with him.” They all agreed to this good suggestion.
They took all their gifts from the Christmas tree and went to the hospital. It was already dark and the city was shining with cribs, stars and many decorations. When they reached the hospital with their gifts in their hands they met Mohan’s parents who were so happy to see the young kids wanting to see their friend. Then they met a doctor and asked permission to see Mohan and give him the gifts. The doctor sternly said, “No, Mohan is still in a critical state. He is no longer unconscious but still his condition is bad. You should not take even a single kid in.” The boy’s father begged the doctor to allow the children to see Mohan for a few minutes and let them give their gifts by themselves. The doctor said, “No!” because he was afraid to let the children see Mohan in such a condition. Since they could not go in give the gifts to Mohan they gave them to Mohan’s father and asked him to tell Mohan, “We love you and pray for you.” Mohan’s father went in and gave him the gifts.
On seeing the gifts Mohan said to his Father with his shaky voice. “My friends have given me all these gifts. I thank God for such a love of theirs for me. Now these gifts are mine. So, from these gifts, please give a gift to each of them as my Christmas gift to them.” The father and mother and in fact everybody who heard it were stunned at such a great decision but to satisfy their son they did it. On seeing the gifts in Mohan’s father’s hands all the boys wondered. Mohan’s father told them what Mohan desired and gave each of them a gift. On receiving the gifts everyone wept at such love Mohan had for them. Mohan’s father told them, “Now go home my dears,” and he went in. The children said, “We shall go now. The time for Christmas Mass is nearing.” Some said, “Those who want to go may go but the rest of us shall keep vigil and celebrate the coming of Christ by praying here with Mohan.” On hearing this decision of some they all decided to do the same. Alfred said, “As Christ experienced the cold, the rejection and the bad smell so shall we on this Christmas night.” Some said, “Yes, also as Mary moved out from her comfort zone so also let us be with Mohan and give him joy and hope and be at his side.”
After the discussion they all sat on the stairs and began to sing the Christmas carols that they had practised with Mohan. When the Christmas bells were ringing in the Church they began to sing the song “Silent Night”, the favorite song of Mohan. Mohan who was barely able to speak heard that song and enquired from his farther about who were singing that song. The father on hearing that the song was sung close by went to see and was overwhelmed with pity for the poor boys that were singing that song and other carols in a cold open space covering themselves only with a jacket each. The father moved with tears rushed in and consoled the boy saying, “They are your friends. They want you to get well soon.” On hearing this, the boys exclaimed, “My Friends!” He told his father to call them in. The father told him that the doctors would not permit this.
The boy sent for the doctor and begged him to allow the children in for he wanted to hear and see his beloved friends. On seeing the condition of Mohan the doctor granted his request. The doctor was dumbfounded that the children were still there. He went out and called them in. He took the boys to the ward. They were so happy to see Mohan smiling and filled with joy that amazed everyone in the ward. All were happy with such a smile and gift of the new life and hope of Christ to Mohan that the rest sang the song “Silent Night” and “Come all ye shepherds.” When the singing was over they wished Mohan to get well soon and kissed him. Mohan in turn said with his broken voice, “Thank you my friends, I love you all.” He raised his hand with a smile and bade them bye.
The doctor took the children out and sent them home for their parents might be searching them. The children remained where they were. Mohan’s father on knowing their love went out to see whether they were still there. Indeed he found them there dozing. So he went into the hospital begged for some blankets for them. He went out and gave them to the boys. The boys thanked him profusely and they slept together as a large flock in one of the corridors in the hospital. When all were having a deep sleep all of them saw a vision. That vision was they saw Mohan carrying the baby Jesus and he was coming towards them with a bright smile on his face and with rays similar to that of the sun coming from his heart. The baby Jesus said to them, “Thank you for caring for me, having a place for me in your heart and for sacrificing the celebrations for the love of life on this Christmas. You have suffered with me so now I am born with joy in your hearts.” They saw Mohan was smiling and placing Jesus in their hands as a sign of gratitude and to bless them. When all had received Jesus Mohan bade them goodbye and disappeared. The boys began to explode with the hymn “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” in their dreams.
The doctor and other people from the hospital heard the song and went out to see. They saw the boys were sleeping but singing. They were wondering what had happened to them. So out of curiosity they woke them up and asked them why they were singing while sleeping. The children wondered at their question. They asked each other whether they dreamt about Mohan. Everyone said that they did and in fact they had sung the song in their vision. Then they replied that they saw Mohan in their dreams with Jesus in his hands. They inquired, “How is Mohan?” The doctor with his head bent and sad face said, “I am very sorry. Mohan died last night, a few hours after your visit. Last night itself his parents took him home to bury him today. ”
On hearing this, the children wept bitterly and were very sad. The doctor and the people consoled them and told them that it was God’s plan for Mohan. Suddenly Felix with tears on his eyes said, “All of us saw a vision. It means that Mohan has gone with Jesus last night. So why to cry now? Come on, let us rush to his house or we may even miss to see his face for the last time on this earth.” They all got up from that place and rushed to Mohan’s house.
When they reached there they saw Mohan was in the coffin and his parents were crying bitterly beside him. They all went to the coffin kissed Mohan and told his parent not to cry for Mohan had gone with Jesus to heaven and he was praying and carrying Jesus to them. The boys then joined Mohan’s parents but instead of crying they were singing all the Christmas carols they had practised together with Mohan. When every- thing was ready for Mohan’s funeral they took him to the cemetery and as his body was lowered they sang the hymn, “Holy Night”. The boys then bade goodbye to Mohan’s parents and departed.
Now they went back home with a joyful story to their parents and told them how Christ was born to them in a very special way on this Christmas. Though no fun and no cakes were there yet they had a momentous Christmas celebration that gave new meaning to Christmas.
By Paul George.
August 15, 2007
BUH THONG BAN KIEW
Kaei ka thong jong nga\phi?
Balei nga \phi khreh kot ? Jer ia ki daw.Nga \phi dei ban ioh banyngkong.
=>Ia ka jingstad ym shym la kha, ka don ha ngi iwei pa iwei ka dei ka kamram jongngi ba ngin pynroi ia ka da ka jing trei shitom jong ngi.
=>Thoh da ki minit bad kynta ia ki kam ba nga \phi leh ha ka 24 kynta.Kane kan plied ia ki khmat jong nga \phi ban tip haduh katno por nga \phi ai ia man la ka kam ba nga \phi trei.
=Sha ka jingsuk ,jingkmen,jingjop,ym don lynti ka basuk bad ba jem.Lada ngi \phi bah ia ka diengphna da ka jing iaishah, da ka jingaiti lut ia lade met bad mynsiem phin sa jop kum u Krist.
=>Ka jingtrei shitom ka long ka jadu ha ka pule puthi.Lada ngi minot bad trei tyngeh ym don eiei kaba lah ban khang lad ia ngi \phi.
=>Pyndonkam bha ia ka por.Ka jingpynsepei ia ka por ka long ka pop ka ba khraw tam .Ka jingpyniap ia ka por ka dei ka jingpyniap ia lade.
=>Tang shu khie na ba thiah phi dei ban pyrkhat lypa kumno phin pynlut dondor ne shongkun ia ka ne ka sngi rupa jong ka jingim ha kane ka pyrthei.
=>Ka jingtrei shitom bad ka jingpractice kan sa pynlyngoh ia phi ynda phi la poi sha ka kyrdan jong ka nam.
=>Phi dei ban buh rutin khrehkot (Nuksa 5.30-6.15 Jingkhein …bad leh kumjuh ia kiwei ki subject ruh.Phi dei ban buh por break kumba san minit eiei hadien 45 minit ne 1 kynta jong ka por khrehkot jong phi.
=>Phim dei ban pynkhein ia rutin khreh kot jong phi. Lada don kano ka no ka kam ba kyrkieh eh leh ia kata ka kam tang ba phi dei ban wat por pan pyndep ia ka jingkhrehkot jong phi ha kiwei pat ki por.Phi dei ban pynioh biang ia ka por ka ba phi lah duh.
=>Phi dei ban thoh artylli ki rutin Khreh kot, kawei thep ha ka pla ne tin ba phi rahborabor bad phi, kawei pat tah ha khmat ka miej khrehkot jongphi khnang ba phin ym lah ban lait ne iaid khlem da iohi ia ka. Kane kan sa iarap ia phi ban Khreh kot.
=>Ka rutin kan iarap ia phi ba phin ym kylla na kawei ka subject ne ki sla kopi sha kiwei .Ka jingkylla na ka wei ka sla kopi sha kiwei pat kan bam ia ka por jong phi.
=>Ka rutin ka dei ban long ka jong phi ym ka jong kiwei ,ka dei ban long ka ba phi lah ban bud ym ka ba palat ia ka jabieng jong phi.
=>Buh khambun por ia ki subject ki ba khameh. Phim dei pat de ban leh klep ia ki kham suk.
=>Ia ka jingkhein bad ka saian wat ym shu khreh lyndet hynrei phi dei ban iai practice man ka sngi .Ha ka jingshisha ki dei ki subject ha kaba ki answer ki lah don lypa ha ki.
=>Haba kut taiew (sngi saitjain ne sngiblei) phi dei ban leh revision ia baroh ki lynnong ki ba phi lah dep Khreh baroh shitaiew, thoh ia ki ba kham eh.
=>Khreh kot ha ka juh ka jaka, wat ym Shang Shane shatai namar kan ym iarap ia phi. Jied ia ka jaka ka ba kham kynjah.
=>Wat ia ki bor jinglah ,ki dor jongka jingim jong phi kine kin iarap ia phi ba phin sngew skhem bad shlur.
=>Phi dei ban buh porpynkut ia kano kano ka kam ba phi trei. Wat ym buh teng ia ki ioh ki duh ei ia ka dor jjong ki.
=>Ka jingshisha bad ka jingleh hok jong phi ia kano kano ka kam ba phi trei ka pyni ia ka dor jong ka jingim jong phi.
=>Ka jingkhreh kot shuwa ka exam (3 ne 4 bnai shuwa) kan iarap ia phi haka por exam lada jia kano kano ka jingjia ha ka por exam.
=>Ka jingpynkhreh jong phi kan iarap ia phi ruh lada phim khlain bha ha ka por exam lane phim
lahban Khreh kot na ki daw bapher bapher.
KHUBLEI SHIBUN.
August 14, 2007
Meghalaya
Capital
:
Shillong
Location
:
The State lies between 20º.1 N and 26.5º Latitude and 85º49 'E and 92º52 'E Longitude.
Total Area
:
22,429 Sq. Km.
Forest Area
:
8,510 Sq. Km.
Population
:
23,06,069 (2001 Census)
Density
:
79 Per Sq. Km.
Total Literacy
:
Total Literacy 77%(male : 79% & Female 74%)(As per National Sample Survey Organisation).NSSO, New Delhi - 1997.
Climate
:
4 SeasonsSummer 28ºC Maximum and Winter 3.8ºC Maximum. Average rainfall in the State is 12,000 mm.
Principal Languages
:
Khasi and Garo.
Official Languages
:
English.
Total No. of Assembly Constituencies
:
60 (sixty) 55 - Reserved Seat. 5 - Unreserved Seat.
Total No. of Parliamentary Constituencies
:
2 (two) Lok Sabha.1 (one) Rajya Sabha.
Total No. of Autonomous District Councils.
:
3 (three) (i) Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council. (ii) Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council. (iii) Garo Hill Autonomous District Council.
Meghalaya is one among the seven sisters that situated in the North Eastern Part of India. It is also known as “The Abode of the Clouds,” “ The land of Orchids,” “ The Scotland of the East” and the only Matriliny state in India. It is a small state but it holds more than 26 diverse living communities .The 26 communities can be combined to 4 major tribes that are the Khasi and Jaintia who inhibit the eastern and central part of the state ,the Garo who occupy the western part of Meghalaya and the Traders who occupy mostly in the town areas for business. Meghalaya becomes an Autonomous State on 2nd April 1970 and as a full-fledged state on 21st January 1970.Shillong is the state capital of the stste. The history of Meghalaya is mostly written and known only after the annexation of the British. It was made as the capital of Assam from 1874.It was also made as the summer capital of Bengal during the British rule. It was the first state of North Eastern India to have a University namely The North Eastern Hill University.
The geographical area of Meghalaya is 22,420sq.km.It extends about 300km in length and about 100km in breath. The forest area 8510.It lies between 200.1N and 26.500latiude and 85049E and92052E longitude. It is surrounded by the Goalpara and the Kamrup districts of Assam in the North, the south western part of the district of Goalpara and a part of Rangpur district (Bangladesh) in the west, the Mynmensingh and Sylhet districts of Bangladesh in the south and the north Cacher and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam in the east. A typical village of Meghalaya is a conglomeration of houses constructed on slopes of hills and hillocks and are generally build on a raised platform supported by big logs of wood or well shaped stones called us ‘Maw Khrum Iing’.(K.S.Singh on People Of Meghalaya Pg.10.!st pp.)Meghalaya is a picturesque landscape of mountains, plateaus, plains and rivers.Tress like pine, sal ,tita, teak, nim, almond and rich medicinal plants are found. Fauna like samber ,tiger bear, elephant, buffaloes, leopard etc. are existing in Meghalaya.The Khasi hills occupy 10,475sq.km with Shillong peak, which is 1965mm above Sea level and 6077ft., as its highest peak.Garo hills occupy 8077sq.km with Nokrek as its highest peak and Jaintia hills occupy 3877sq.km .20km of the land is occupy by 2,306,069 people.
Meghalaya experiences four seasons in the heaar viz.Spring , Summer, Autumn, and Winter. It is known to the world as the wettest place and the state who receives the heaviest rainfall in the world, in which Cherapunjee and Mawsynram are the main places who receive 1200mm of rainfall .The average rainfall is( varies from 4000 to 12000)12000mm.The average annual temperature is 17.5oC (summer 28oC and winter3.8oC).The climate changes from subtropical to semi temperate at higher altitudes.The temperature is low and thus it is cold during winter ,moderate during spring and autumn and hot during summer.
Meghalaya is a state with many clans. Each clan have their own interpretations about their origin. Folklores and oral tradition tells of supernatural origin. For example People of Meghalaya are said to be the Seven Huts that remained down from the Nineteen clans. The seven huts were left below when the navel of the heaven was cut. The saying “Ki Khyndai shajrong bad ki Hynniuew shatbian” (the 9 above and the 7 below)and the mountain “U Lum Sohpet Bneng” are one of the symbols that made the people think about this origin. The origin of some clans are told that the unnatural marriage between human beings and animals like monkey, pig, fox, merry maid occurred.Some clans evolved due to the mixed marriage between the Khasi and Garos or with any other non Meghalayans. “The pre-historic evidence found in Meghalaya has contributed towards establishing the fact that Palaeolithic man live here .Pebble ,core, flake, tools etc. are its evidence, though no human fossils have been found.”(K.S.Singh on People of Meghalaya Pg 2)Others like Nath (1948)trace the origin of the Khasi from Austric group who migrated from the North T ‘Sintien and lived around the Kameikha in Kamrup. Mr. Shadwell ,the oldest living authority on the Khasi land and one who has been in close contact with the people for more than half a century ,mention that they originally came from Burma via. Patkai range,having followed the road of one of the Burmese invasions’(Gurdon 1907:10-11). Some scholars would say that the origin of the Khasi is from south east Asia i.e. from Mongolia, Indonesia, Cambodia and from the bank of the Mekong river.The British entered Meghalaya as early as 1824 with the purpose of constructing a road to Dhaka. The People of Meghalaya signed the first Anglo-Jaintia Treaty in 1833 with the British.On seeing the British not keeping their words, the chiefs of Meghalaya under the leadership of U Tirot Singh, the king of Nongkhlaw, resisted and hindered their plans. U Tirot Sing and David Scott, the British’s leader,had a bloody fight in Mairang until U Tirot Sing was captured and imprisoned in Dhaka.Besides other kings wage wars against the British but the fall of Tirot Sing in 1833 the then 25 independent states came under the Bristish rule by 1835. From 1874 Shillong was made the headquarters of the Assam Province. And in 1905 Shillong was made the summer headquarters of the united Province of East Bengal and Assam.
The Garo legends tells that they were from the province in the North and setteled in Cooach Behar for about 400 years. Lthe king of Cooach Behar enslaved and persecuted them so they cross Bramaputra river and moved towards Guwahati . The stay in Assam was not a favourable one for the kings and princes treated them and persecuted them badly. It was the Khasi prince who helped them to fight against them.This made them to come and settle in Meghalaya.Some of the Garos are in Assam,Behar, West Bengal,and Bangladesh.
Meghalaya though it is a small state, it is diverse in its living communities .It holds 26 communities they are:-Khasi ,War,Lyngam,Maram,Jaintia,Bhoi,Khynrium,Khasi Muslim,Garo,Rabha,Hajong,Banai,Man,Koch,Dalu,Bengali,Behari,Sikh,Muslim,Nepali,Marwari,Assamese,Boro,Lallung,Mikir,and Mizo Biate.These communities connects each other and formed the three major tribes the Khasi,Jaintia,and the Garo.Some of these communities have their own identities like the Nepali,Rabha,and those etc.Those who have come for trade have migrated from the other places (some of them have found their permanent place in Meghalaya). The Khasi tribe is the largest tribe and the Man is the smallest tribe(Man migrated from Burma and are Budhist in religion ).Slome of these communities are hybrid because of mixed marriages in early days.Many of the communities are not originally from Meghalaya. They have migrated for trade, cultavation,jobs etc. or brought in from some places by the Khasi kings.
The total lpopulation of Mehgalaya is 2306069.1167840 are males and 1138229 are females according to 2001 census.The Antropological study of the Khasi shows that they are short statured in feature , mean for men is 1566.6mm and for women is 1471.5mm. They have mesocephalic,acrocephalic and hypsicephalic head; mesorrhine, platyrrhine type of nose and euryprosophic and of euryene, types of faces. Male and frnale are characterised by high percentage of loops. The mean total finger ridge-count of the male is 140.44 and that of female is 119.75. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterised by a very high percentage of genes and O blood group followed by A,B and AB.(Das 1978)The antropometric traits of the Garos are male average stature is 119.75mm. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterised by a very high percentage of B blood group followed by A, O and AB.
Every community have their own dialect and is used in their conversation within the village. Till now many of the dialects have no alphabets or script. For the communities under the roof of the Khasi there is a common distinct language of Mon Khmer and it is Thomas Jones, a Calvinist Missionary who have introduced the Roman script in 1842 as a script of the Khasi language.Some of the communities can adopt the Roman script to write their dialects but some of the alphabets are not sufficient to suffice a proper writing. The Garos belong to the Tibeto burman speech family which ais also an ‘lndo-Chinese Linguistic Family’ like the Mon-Khmer of the Khasi.Some of the communities speak mixed dialects for example the Lyngam and thus formed their own peculiar type of language. The migrated communities haave their own doalect brought from their orignal land for example the Bengali, Nepali, Assamese etc. The Meghalayans also speak or conversant with English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Garo, Mikir, Khasi, etc. besides their own mother tongue. English, Khasi, and Garo are the principal languages.
The People of Meghalaya considers the earth as the mother who provide and protects .Ka Mei Ramew ,Ka Nongbsa Ka Nong btiap bas Ka Nongda Nongpeit They are land owning people .The primary occupation is agriculture, supplemented by sericulture ,petty business contract jobs, basketry ,fishing, hunting, and collecting forest products like honey ,firewood ,bamboo shot etc.The staple food of Meghalaya is rice. Potato ,one of the cash crop of this region was first brought by David Scott the British conqueror of Meghalaya .Jhumming is the chief mode of cultivation besides dry-land cultivation of rice .The major crops are rice ,maize, Jute, pulses, potatoes ,ginger, sweet-potatoes, tapioca, chillies, etc. They also cultivate betel nuts, betel-leaves, soft broom. Plantation of oranges, Mangoes, bananas, prars, lineapples, plumes, jackfruits, Khasi oranges (sohphoh Nongkhlaw) are also done. Vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjal, beans, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (red and ash) cucumber, leafy vegetables, roots and tubers are grown by the people of Meghalaya. White collar jobs are increasing as the state grows. They are also blacksmith, business people, drivers.(The people of Meghalaya are non-vegetarian they relish chicken, pork, beef, mutton sometimes buffalos, dogs, elephants and other animals from the forest, besides all sorts of edible fish and birds.
The literacy rate of Meghalaya is 77%.As per national Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO, New Delhi 1997)the male literacy rate is 79% and female is 74%. The invasion of the British give way to the people of Meghalaya even before the alphabets exists in the state. The male literacy rate is 79% and female is 74%. The Khasi language is penned down only when Thomas Jones a Welsh Presbyterian Missionary introduce the Roman script in 1842 as the alphabets for the Khasi language.(The Khasi language has only 23 alphabets )The Garos also have adopted the Roman script as their alphabets. The invasion of the British give way to the people of Meghalaya even before the alphabets exists in the state. The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU),the first existing university in North East India, St. Anthony’s college, St. Edmund college, St. Mary’s college, and Lady kin college are some of the best Educational centres in the state. The Meghalaya Board of School Education has its headquarters in Tura with its branch in Shillong.
“ Meghalaya currently has 7 districts. These are:, East Garo Hills East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and the West Khasi Hills.
The East Garo Hills district was formed in 1976 and has a population of 247,555 as per the 2001 census. It covers an area of 2603 square kilometres. The District Headquarters are located at Williamnagar, earlier known as Simsangiri.
The East Khasi Hills district was carved out of the Khasi Hills on 28 October 1976. The district has covers an area of 2,748 square kilometres and has a population of 660,923 as per the 2001 census. The headquarters of East Khasi Hills are located in Shillong.
The Jaintia Hills district was created on 22nd February 1972. It has a total geographical area of 3819 square kilometres and a population of 295,692 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Jowai. Jaintia Hills district is the largest producer of coal in the state. Coal mines can be seen all over the district.
The Ri-Bhoi district was formed by further division of East Khasi Hills district on 4th June 1992. It has an area of 2448 square kilometres. The total population of the district was 192,795 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Nongpoh. It has a hilly terrain and a large part of the area is covered with forests. The Ri-Bhoi district is famous for its pineapples and is the largest producer of pinapples in the state.
The South Garo Hills district came into existence on 18th June 1992 after the division of the West Garo Hills district. The total geographical area of the district is 1850 square kilometres. As per the 2001 census the district has a population of 99,100. The district headquarters are located at Baghmara.
The West Garo Hills district lies in the western part of the state and covers a geographical area of 3714 square kilometres. The population of the district is 515,813 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Tura.
The West Khasi Hills district is the largest district in the state with a geographical area of 5247 square kilometres. The district was carved out of Khasi Hills District on 28th October 1976. The district headquarters are located at Nongstoin.”
Shad Suk Mynsiem: It is a social –religious organisation .It is to engender solidarity amongst the different groups of Khasi. It was established in 1899 to protect and preserve the Khasi way of life from the onslaughts of Christianity and Modernism. It is for “safeguarding the doctrine of truth and the essence of Khasi culture, religion and custom from the onslaughts of the western and Christian influences and for revitalisation of the Khasi usages, manners, folklore and finally, their dancing, on the basis of truth, love and service to their fellowmen.”(Marthur 1979-89) . “The annual spring dance, performed to celebrate harvesting and sowing. The Dance is performed in relation to the agricultural cycle (i.e. the harvesting period and the beginning of the sowing period). The participants in the dance are both male unmarried (virgins), while their male counterparts do not have any such restriction. The costumes and jewellery worn by male and female dancers and female. Drums, flutes and cymbals pick up the tempo in a corner of the arena and the male and female dancers in two separate circles - women in the inner, men on the outer - begin their ritual steps. Young virgins keep their eyes downcast and dance with minimum body movement, arms loose from the shoulders, body straight. The men, in sharp contrast, do a energetic, swift and galloping movement around the outer circle, slowing down and speeding up with the rhythm of the drums. At a change of beat they stop and resume and they move clockwise and anti-clockwise, always assuming a posture of "protecting" the women within the circle. Faster and faster move the dancers, as the end of the 'Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem' draws near.”
Wangla Festival: It is the most important of all the Garos festivals. The festival is held to propitiate Misi Sajong the god of agriculture and other gods at the closing of Jhum cycle, usually in the month of October or November. It is the moist joyful celebration that last for many days and is marked by the drinking of ricebear, feasting, music, dancing and merry making. Sacrifices are made for a good harvest. It uses to take place in Asananggiri. “ On the first day of the Rugala ceremony, the Nokma displays his valuable gongs covered with long banana leaves. The "second” ceremony is the burning of incense to revive the monsoon clouds. People throw cooked rice on the floor to symbolise hailstones. Story telling by bards and minstrels and, singing competitions are performed. It is a time for romancing for the young and choosing of life partners. Story telling by bards and minstrels and, singing competitions are performed. It is a time for romancing for the young and choosing of life partners. Do'KruSua: This dance symbolizes the "pecking of doves" enacted by two lady dancers. Two mimic doves, peck each other much to the enjoyment of all. It is another expression of how closely the Garos relate to nature as well as the simplicity of life.”
Christmas:It is the festival of the Christians. It is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ who was born to save humanity from sin. Among all the celebration Christmas is the biggest, most joyful and common in the state. The people share gifts, visit friends and go for picnics or organise cultural gatherings to show that the new life of Jesus Christ is shared with all.
Behdiengkhlam: It is the festivalto drive away the Khlam(Cholera), the evil spirit so that the pleoople would enjoy Prosperity and good health .It is celebrated In Jaintia Hills District. “ The festival is observed by non-Christian 'Pnars' who believe in the traditional faith of "Niamtre".Legend has it that Jowai town was once covered by thick forest, without human habitation. It was the home of five Deities - four huge stones and a river nymph. A week before the festival begins, a pig is sacrificed to "Thunder" (Knia Pyrthat). The "Wasan" or priests ring "Chew Chew", a brass bell, along the main road of the town till the forest begins.The main feature of the festival is the making of the "Dein Khlam", "Symlend" and "Khnong", which are rounded, polished and tall trunks of trees, felled in a preserved forest. Pine trees are never used. After letting them lie in the woods for a couple of nights, the trunks are brought to the town with great fanfare - drums and pipes play, there is also much dancing and yelling. Later these trunks are erected in each locality and even in front of individual homes.
Flora and fauna: “As per the State of Forest Report 2003, published by the Forest Survey of India, Meghalaya has a forest cover of 9,496 km², which is 42.34% of the total geographical area of the state. A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what is known as “Sacred Groves” Meghalaya has three Wildlife Sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary and the Bhagmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect eating Pitcher plant, the Nepenthes Khasiana. The important mammal species include elephants, bear, civets, mongooses, weasels, rodents, gaur, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar and a number of primates. The prominent bird species in Meghalaya include the Magpie-Robin, the Red-vented Bulbul, the Hill Myna is usually found in pairs or in flocks in the hill forests of Meghalaya, the Large Pied Hornbill and the Great Indian, which is the largest bird in Meghalaya. The common reptile varieties in Meghalaya are lizards, crocodiles and tortoises. Meghalaya also has a number of snakes including the python, the Copperhead, the Green Tree Racer, the Indian Cobra the King Cobra, the Coral Snake and Vipers.”(Fm. Information about Meghalaya of India)
:
Shillong
Location
:
The State lies between 20º.1 N and 26.5º Latitude and 85º49 'E and 92º52 'E Longitude.
Total Area
:
22,429 Sq. Km.
Forest Area
:
8,510 Sq. Km.
Population
:
23,06,069 (2001 Census)
Density
:
79 Per Sq. Km.
Total Literacy
:
Total Literacy 77%(male : 79% & Female 74%)(As per National Sample Survey Organisation).NSSO, New Delhi - 1997.
Climate
:
4 SeasonsSummer 28ºC Maximum and Winter 3.8ºC Maximum. Average rainfall in the State is 12,000 mm.
Principal Languages
:
Khasi and Garo.
Official Languages
:
English.
Total No. of Assembly Constituencies
:
60 (sixty) 55 - Reserved Seat. 5 - Unreserved Seat.
Total No. of Parliamentary Constituencies
:
2 (two) Lok Sabha.1 (one) Rajya Sabha.
Total No. of Autonomous District Councils.
:
3 (three) (i) Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council. (ii) Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council. (iii) Garo Hill Autonomous District Council.
Meghalaya is one among the seven sisters that situated in the North Eastern Part of India. It is also known as “The Abode of the Clouds,” “ The land of Orchids,” “ The Scotland of the East” and the only Matriliny state in India. It is a small state but it holds more than 26 diverse living communities .The 26 communities can be combined to 4 major tribes that are the Khasi and Jaintia who inhibit the eastern and central part of the state ,the Garo who occupy the western part of Meghalaya and the Traders who occupy mostly in the town areas for business. Meghalaya becomes an Autonomous State on 2nd April 1970 and as a full-fledged state on 21st January 1970.Shillong is the state capital of the stste. The history of Meghalaya is mostly written and known only after the annexation of the British. It was made as the capital of Assam from 1874.It was also made as the summer capital of Bengal during the British rule. It was the first state of North Eastern India to have a University namely The North Eastern Hill University.
The geographical area of Meghalaya is 22,420sq.km.It extends about 300km in length and about 100km in breath. The forest area 8510.It lies between 200.1N and 26.500latiude and 85049E and92052E longitude. It is surrounded by the Goalpara and the Kamrup districts of Assam in the North, the south western part of the district of Goalpara and a part of Rangpur district (Bangladesh) in the west, the Mynmensingh and Sylhet districts of Bangladesh in the south and the north Cacher and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam in the east. A typical village of Meghalaya is a conglomeration of houses constructed on slopes of hills and hillocks and are generally build on a raised platform supported by big logs of wood or well shaped stones called us ‘Maw Khrum Iing’.(K.S.Singh on People Of Meghalaya Pg.10.!st pp.)Meghalaya is a picturesque landscape of mountains, plateaus, plains and rivers.Tress like pine, sal ,tita, teak, nim, almond and rich medicinal plants are found. Fauna like samber ,tiger bear, elephant, buffaloes, leopard etc. are existing in Meghalaya.The Khasi hills occupy 10,475sq.km with Shillong peak, which is 1965mm above Sea level and 6077ft., as its highest peak.Garo hills occupy 8077sq.km with Nokrek as its highest peak and Jaintia hills occupy 3877sq.km .20km of the land is occupy by 2,306,069 people.
Meghalaya experiences four seasons in the heaar viz.Spring , Summer, Autumn, and Winter. It is known to the world as the wettest place and the state who receives the heaviest rainfall in the world, in which Cherapunjee and Mawsynram are the main places who receive 1200mm of rainfall .The average rainfall is( varies from 4000 to 12000)12000mm.The average annual temperature is 17.5oC (summer 28oC and winter3.8oC).The climate changes from subtropical to semi temperate at higher altitudes.The temperature is low and thus it is cold during winter ,moderate during spring and autumn and hot during summer.
Meghalaya is a state with many clans. Each clan have their own interpretations about their origin. Folklores and oral tradition tells of supernatural origin. For example People of Meghalaya are said to be the Seven Huts that remained down from the Nineteen clans. The seven huts were left below when the navel of the heaven was cut. The saying “Ki Khyndai shajrong bad ki Hynniuew shatbian” (the 9 above and the 7 below)and the mountain “U Lum Sohpet Bneng” are one of the symbols that made the people think about this origin. The origin of some clans are told that the unnatural marriage between human beings and animals like monkey, pig, fox, merry maid occurred.Some clans evolved due to the mixed marriage between the Khasi and Garos or with any other non Meghalayans. “The pre-historic evidence found in Meghalaya has contributed towards establishing the fact that Palaeolithic man live here .Pebble ,core, flake, tools etc. are its evidence, though no human fossils have been found.”(K.S.Singh on People of Meghalaya Pg 2)Others like Nath (1948)trace the origin of the Khasi from Austric group who migrated from the North T ‘Sintien and lived around the Kameikha in Kamrup. Mr. Shadwell ,the oldest living authority on the Khasi land and one who has been in close contact with the people for more than half a century ,mention that they originally came from Burma via. Patkai range,having followed the road of one of the Burmese invasions’(Gurdon 1907:10-11). Some scholars would say that the origin of the Khasi is from south east Asia i.e. from Mongolia, Indonesia, Cambodia and from the bank of the Mekong river.The British entered Meghalaya as early as 1824 with the purpose of constructing a road to Dhaka. The People of Meghalaya signed the first Anglo-Jaintia Treaty in 1833 with the British.On seeing the British not keeping their words, the chiefs of Meghalaya under the leadership of U Tirot Singh, the king of Nongkhlaw, resisted and hindered their plans. U Tirot Sing and David Scott, the British’s leader,had a bloody fight in Mairang until U Tirot Sing was captured and imprisoned in Dhaka.Besides other kings wage wars against the British but the fall of Tirot Sing in 1833 the then 25 independent states came under the Bristish rule by 1835. From 1874 Shillong was made the headquarters of the Assam Province. And in 1905 Shillong was made the summer headquarters of the united Province of East Bengal and Assam.
The Garo legends tells that they were from the province in the North and setteled in Cooach Behar for about 400 years. Lthe king of Cooach Behar enslaved and persecuted them so they cross Bramaputra river and moved towards Guwahati . The stay in Assam was not a favourable one for the kings and princes treated them and persecuted them badly. It was the Khasi prince who helped them to fight against them.This made them to come and settle in Meghalaya.Some of the Garos are in Assam,Behar, West Bengal,and Bangladesh.
Meghalaya though it is a small state, it is diverse in its living communities .It holds 26 communities they are:-Khasi ,War,Lyngam,Maram,Jaintia,Bhoi,Khynrium,Khasi Muslim,Garo,Rabha,Hajong,Banai,Man,Koch,Dalu,Bengali,Behari,Sikh,Muslim,Nepali,Marwari,Assamese,Boro,Lallung,Mikir,and Mizo Biate.These communities connects each other and formed the three major tribes the Khasi,Jaintia,and the Garo.Some of these communities have their own identities like the Nepali,Rabha,and those etc.Those who have come for trade have migrated from the other places (some of them have found their permanent place in Meghalaya). The Khasi tribe is the largest tribe and the Man is the smallest tribe(Man migrated from Burma and are Budhist in religion ).Slome of these communities are hybrid because of mixed marriages in early days.Many of the communities are not originally from Meghalaya. They have migrated for trade, cultavation,jobs etc. or brought in from some places by the Khasi kings.
The total lpopulation of Mehgalaya is 2306069.1167840 are males and 1138229 are females according to 2001 census.The Antropological study of the Khasi shows that they are short statured in feature , mean for men is 1566.6mm and for women is 1471.5mm. They have mesocephalic,acrocephalic and hypsicephalic head; mesorrhine, platyrrhine type of nose and euryprosophic and of euryene, types of faces. Male and frnale are characterised by high percentage of loops. The mean total finger ridge-count of the male is 140.44 and that of female is 119.75. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterised by a very high percentage of genes and O blood group followed by A,B and AB.(Das 1978)The antropometric traits of the Garos are male average stature is 119.75mm. In respect to ABO blood group system they are characterised by a very high percentage of B blood group followed by A, O and AB.
Every community have their own dialect and is used in their conversation within the village. Till now many of the dialects have no alphabets or script. For the communities under the roof of the Khasi there is a common distinct language of Mon Khmer and it is Thomas Jones, a Calvinist Missionary who have introduced the Roman script in 1842 as a script of the Khasi language.Some of the communities can adopt the Roman script to write their dialects but some of the alphabets are not sufficient to suffice a proper writing. The Garos belong to the Tibeto burman speech family which ais also an ‘lndo-Chinese Linguistic Family’ like the Mon-Khmer of the Khasi.Some of the communities speak mixed dialects for example the Lyngam and thus formed their own peculiar type of language. The migrated communities haave their own doalect brought from their orignal land for example the Bengali, Nepali, Assamese etc. The Meghalayans also speak or conversant with English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, Garo, Mikir, Khasi, etc. besides their own mother tongue. English, Khasi, and Garo are the principal languages.
The People of Meghalaya considers the earth as the mother who provide and protects .Ka Mei Ramew ,Ka Nongbsa Ka Nong btiap bas Ka Nongda Nongpeit They are land owning people .The primary occupation is agriculture, supplemented by sericulture ,petty business contract jobs, basketry ,fishing, hunting, and collecting forest products like honey ,firewood ,bamboo shot etc.The staple food of Meghalaya is rice. Potato ,one of the cash crop of this region was first brought by David Scott the British conqueror of Meghalaya .Jhumming is the chief mode of cultivation besides dry-land cultivation of rice .The major crops are rice ,maize, Jute, pulses, potatoes ,ginger, sweet-potatoes, tapioca, chillies, etc. They also cultivate betel nuts, betel-leaves, soft broom. Plantation of oranges, Mangoes, bananas, prars, lineapples, plumes, jackfruits, Khasi oranges (sohphoh Nongkhlaw) are also done. Vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjal, beans, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (red and ash) cucumber, leafy vegetables, roots and tubers are grown by the people of Meghalaya. White collar jobs are increasing as the state grows. They are also blacksmith, business people, drivers.(The people of Meghalaya are non-vegetarian they relish chicken, pork, beef, mutton sometimes buffalos, dogs, elephants and other animals from the forest, besides all sorts of edible fish and birds.
The literacy rate of Meghalaya is 77%.As per national Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO, New Delhi 1997)the male literacy rate is 79% and female is 74%. The invasion of the British give way to the people of Meghalaya even before the alphabets exists in the state. The male literacy rate is 79% and female is 74%. The Khasi language is penned down only when Thomas Jones a Welsh Presbyterian Missionary introduce the Roman script in 1842 as the alphabets for the Khasi language.(The Khasi language has only 23 alphabets )The Garos also have adopted the Roman script as their alphabets. The invasion of the British give way to the people of Meghalaya even before the alphabets exists in the state. The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU),the first existing university in North East India, St. Anthony’s college, St. Edmund college, St. Mary’s college, and Lady kin college are some of the best Educational centres in the state. The Meghalaya Board of School Education has its headquarters in Tura with its branch in Shillong.
“ Meghalaya currently has 7 districts. These are:, East Garo Hills East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and the West Khasi Hills.
The East Garo Hills district was formed in 1976 and has a population of 247,555 as per the 2001 census. It covers an area of 2603 square kilometres. The District Headquarters are located at Williamnagar, earlier known as Simsangiri.
The East Khasi Hills district was carved out of the Khasi Hills on 28 October 1976. The district has covers an area of 2,748 square kilometres and has a population of 660,923 as per the 2001 census. The headquarters of East Khasi Hills are located in Shillong.
The Jaintia Hills district was created on 22nd February 1972. It has a total geographical area of 3819 square kilometres and a population of 295,692 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Jowai. Jaintia Hills district is the largest producer of coal in the state. Coal mines can be seen all over the district.
The Ri-Bhoi district was formed by further division of East Khasi Hills district on 4th June 1992. It has an area of 2448 square kilometres. The total population of the district was 192,795 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Nongpoh. It has a hilly terrain and a large part of the area is covered with forests. The Ri-Bhoi district is famous for its pineapples and is the largest producer of pinapples in the state.
The South Garo Hills district came into existence on 18th June 1992 after the division of the West Garo Hills district. The total geographical area of the district is 1850 square kilometres. As per the 2001 census the district has a population of 99,100. The district headquarters are located at Baghmara.
The West Garo Hills district lies in the western part of the state and covers a geographical area of 3714 square kilometres. The population of the district is 515,813 as per the 2001 census. The district headquarters are located at Tura.
The West Khasi Hills district is the largest district in the state with a geographical area of 5247 square kilometres. The district was carved out of Khasi Hills District on 28th October 1976. The district headquarters are located at Nongstoin.”
Shad Suk Mynsiem: It is a social –religious organisation .It is to engender solidarity amongst the different groups of Khasi. It was established in 1899 to protect and preserve the Khasi way of life from the onslaughts of Christianity and Modernism. It is for “safeguarding the doctrine of truth and the essence of Khasi culture, religion and custom from the onslaughts of the western and Christian influences and for revitalisation of the Khasi usages, manners, folklore and finally, their dancing, on the basis of truth, love and service to their fellowmen.”(Marthur 1979-89) . “The annual spring dance, performed to celebrate harvesting and sowing. The Dance is performed in relation to the agricultural cycle (i.e. the harvesting period and the beginning of the sowing period). The participants in the dance are both male unmarried (virgins), while their male counterparts do not have any such restriction. The costumes and jewellery worn by male and female dancers and female. Drums, flutes and cymbals pick up the tempo in a corner of the arena and the male and female dancers in two separate circles - women in the inner, men on the outer - begin their ritual steps. Young virgins keep their eyes downcast and dance with minimum body movement, arms loose from the shoulders, body straight. The men, in sharp contrast, do a energetic, swift and galloping movement around the outer circle, slowing down and speeding up with the rhythm of the drums. At a change of beat they stop and resume and they move clockwise and anti-clockwise, always assuming a posture of "protecting" the women within the circle. Faster and faster move the dancers, as the end of the 'Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem' draws near.”
Wangla Festival: It is the most important of all the Garos festivals. The festival is held to propitiate Misi Sajong the god of agriculture and other gods at the closing of Jhum cycle, usually in the month of October or November. It is the moist joyful celebration that last for many days and is marked by the drinking of ricebear, feasting, music, dancing and merry making. Sacrifices are made for a good harvest. It uses to take place in Asananggiri. “ On the first day of the Rugala ceremony, the Nokma displays his valuable gongs covered with long banana leaves. The "second” ceremony is the burning of incense to revive the monsoon clouds. People throw cooked rice on the floor to symbolise hailstones. Story telling by bards and minstrels and, singing competitions are performed. It is a time for romancing for the young and choosing of life partners. Story telling by bards and minstrels and, singing competitions are performed. It is a time for romancing for the young and choosing of life partners. Do'KruSua: This dance symbolizes the "pecking of doves" enacted by two lady dancers. Two mimic doves, peck each other much to the enjoyment of all. It is another expression of how closely the Garos relate to nature as well as the simplicity of life.”
Christmas:It is the festival of the Christians. It is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ who was born to save humanity from sin. Among all the celebration Christmas is the biggest, most joyful and common in the state. The people share gifts, visit friends and go for picnics or organise cultural gatherings to show that the new life of Jesus Christ is shared with all.
Behdiengkhlam: It is the festivalto drive away the Khlam(Cholera), the evil spirit so that the pleoople would enjoy Prosperity and good health .It is celebrated In Jaintia Hills District. “ The festival is observed by non-Christian 'Pnars' who believe in the traditional faith of "Niamtre".Legend has it that Jowai town was once covered by thick forest, without human habitation. It was the home of five Deities - four huge stones and a river nymph. A week before the festival begins, a pig is sacrificed to "Thunder" (Knia Pyrthat). The "Wasan" or priests ring "Chew Chew", a brass bell, along the main road of the town till the forest begins.The main feature of the festival is the making of the "Dein Khlam", "Symlend" and "Khnong", which are rounded, polished and tall trunks of trees, felled in a preserved forest. Pine trees are never used. After letting them lie in the woods for a couple of nights, the trunks are brought to the town with great fanfare - drums and pipes play, there is also much dancing and yelling. Later these trunks are erected in each locality and even in front of individual homes.
Flora and fauna: “As per the State of Forest Report 2003, published by the Forest Survey of India, Meghalaya has a forest cover of 9,496 km², which is 42.34% of the total geographical area of the state. A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what is known as “Sacred Groves” Meghalaya has three Wildlife Sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary and the Bhagmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect eating Pitcher plant, the Nepenthes Khasiana. The important mammal species include elephants, bear, civets, mongooses, weasels, rodents, gaur, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar and a number of primates. The prominent bird species in Meghalaya include the Magpie-Robin, the Red-vented Bulbul, the Hill Myna is usually found in pairs or in flocks in the hill forests of Meghalaya, the Large Pied Hornbill and the Great Indian, which is the largest bird in Meghalaya. The common reptile varieties in Meghalaya are lizards, crocodiles and tortoises. Meghalaya also has a number of snakes including the python, the Copperhead, the Green Tree Racer, the Indian Cobra the King Cobra, the Coral Snake and Vipers.”(Fm. Information about Meghalaya of India)
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Jakhong, Mairang, Meghalaya
