CHRISTIANS IN KHASI HILLS
Introduction:
North – East India popularly known as the Land of Seven Sisters comprising the seven stases of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Of late Sikkim has been added as the eight states to the North East. All these states have their own indigenous tribes speaking different languages and having varied cultures. Meghalaya is a state known for its scenic beauty, and its capital, Shillong is called the queen of the North-east India and the Scotland of the East.
The state has two dominant tribal groups, the Garos in the western part and the Khasis in the central and eastern regions. The Khasis in the eastern part are called Pnars or synteng. The Khasis as race of people have a very unique and rather mysterious origin. They stand apart from the rest of the hill tribes of North – East Indian from the point of view of their language, culture, dress and physical feature. Their origin is shrouded in mystery and all we know about their history is derived from their legend and folklore.
1 The impact of the Christian missionaries on the Khasi Hills:
The Khasi hills felt the gentle breeze of change with the arrival of the British and the missionaries in the early nineteenth century. Their initial uneasiness about the relations between the natives and the alien religion involved the Khasi and society deeply. It also affected the Khasi cultural dynamics and structural integration. There is no doubt that the missionary activities brought in a lot of changes are seen in the areas of the formation of local development of a sense of tribal identity, formation of local leadership, and more freedom to women, changes in lifestyle, social organization and finally the sphere of religion.
1.1 Arrival of Education:
Prior to the arrival of the missionaries the Khasi Hills had been fragmented into various divisions, according to the dialects spoken. It was because of the zeal and unceasing efforts of the Welsh missionaries that the Khasi language has an intelligible script. They coined the script for Khasi language by using the Roman alphabet.
“When the Welsh missionaries arrived at Cherrapunjee in 1842, the Khasi-Jantia people possessed neither schools, nor books nor even a written language. The first thing that the missionaries did was to begin to correct that situation by opening schools and introducing a written language. This work was started even before churches were organized.”[1] “The Presbyterian church was running 436 Primary Schools, 78 middle Schools, 30 High Schools and 1 college.”[2] The Catholic Church has successfully made much headway in providing higher network of educational and technical schools and colleges more than the stable pioneering Welsh mission. “As of 1990, the Catholic church runs in Khasi – Jantia hills alone, as many as 879b elementary Schools, 50 High schools and 3 colleges with a number of boarding and hostels in its parishes and centers in the region.”[3]
“Thomas Jones is rightly considered to be the father of Khasi education. It was he who brought a script to the language and whose vision and policies began the process of formal education in the Khasi hills.”[4] Therefore the missionaries realized the importance and the grave need for a common language to communicate with and begin the education of the tribal. At an early stage itself the British administration handed over the responsibility of education to the missionaries. The administration official supported the missionaries in the educational endeavor, both financially and morally. Even today, the missionaries or the church plays an important role in the field of quality education of the people, especially in distant and interior villages.
1.2 Tribal identity:
One language provides a closer affinity and unity to group of people. Often ethnic groups are identified and united under the common language of their own. The creation of a written literature based upon the Roman alphabet and thee universalization of one language for the whole tribe had the consequence of developing a new Khasi society. A fragmented society on the basis of dialects was able to find its identity through the common language. It also worked as an instrument to promote tribal solidarity. This can be well understood from the following statement: “A standard language promoted through education, worship and literature helped to create a new sense of cultural community among all the members of the tribe.”[5] Through the medium of a common language the much-needed relationships with the neighboring states was possible and it eased the tension between them. Each one could understand the other. Hence, education was one of the reasons responsible for the formation of tribal identity and solidarity. As Downa puts it, “It was Christianity, rather than the British administration that was the primary factor in creating a sense of tribal identity, in fact they did so. They did it through the introduction of schools that led to a breakdown of the traditional clan and territorial identities and promoted a tribal identity.”[6]
1.3 Leadership:
Christian missionaries were fully oriented towards generating leadership for the church. One of the main purposes of the mission schools, particularly the Middle English and training Schools, when they first established was to help develop leadership for the church. Education brought in knowledge and awareness of oneself and his/her existing situation. “It was largely due to the education imparted by the missionaries and the encouragement for leadership provided in the church organization that the Khasi began to think boldly and express their opinions with frankness and clarity.”[7] “But because it was the only education available the Christian schools also provided the kind of new leadership that was required in the administrative and political sphere in the context of radical social change.”8 Ka riti in Khasi does not mean a more tenacious adhere to old antiquated institutions, but also implies an adoption of certain decrees and rules for all-round development of this tribal community by creating clean leadership and efficient administration. The sober influence of the missionaries and closeness to the seat of power in the capital of Assam, Khasi leadership along with other mature leadership of the hill areas brought about peaceful democratic change in the Khasi hills and other neighboring hill areas by creation of Meghalaya. Thus the Khasi hills learnt to think beyond their own religion and of a much horizon.
1.4 Freedom for Women:
Khasi women were not allowed to attend the schools due to religious sanctions. Dr.O.L. Snaitang translates the religious sanctions in the following words, “The egg divination always revealed that it is not permissible and should not be allowed at all cost, for any family which, sent their daughters to schools would face great troubles and the women who read books would never have any more children. With the result that their clan would suddenly perish.”[8] The missionary works especially the education brought about a wide spectrum of changes in the lives of the women folk in the Khasi hills. These changes could be viewed from various levels, such as family, economic, social, political and even religion. The first challenge the women faces today is from those who demand changes in the inheritance pattern and other rights. In the context of this challenge to the inheritance system property is no more relevant. The women were freed from the supervision by the maternal uncles and elder brothers. Many educated women enjoyed far more freedom in the family and in the society compared to their uneducated counterparts.
The advent of education has played a significant role in improving women’s status, in other words women’s empowerment. Thus the 20th and 21st centuries saw a number of working women in the government and non-governmental organizations, holding posts from the lower grades to the key areas in professional and non-professional cadres, as teachers from lower primary schools to the university, as heads of various educational institutions and through active involvement in other research and academic activities.[9]
Women are no more reluctant to come forward and extend their cooperation either to the local durbar or the youth social organization or any other minded group to fight against such social evils for the welfare of their locality or village or society in general. There are also local durbars which have co-opted women as members’ of its executive committee. Thus we have a number of khasi women’s social organizations such as Seng long kmie/seng kynthei, ka lympung ki seng kynthei etc,. “In 1997 a memorandum was submitted to the chief minister of Meghalaya requesting the Government to set up a state woman to address the problems they faced.”[10]
Today there is no restriction on joining politics either as members of political parties or contesting elections. All the political parties in Meghalaya have their women’s wing led by dynamic women party workers who play a vital role particularly during elections. Besides taking part in economic, social and political activities, Khasi women also take an active part in various and cultural activities of their affiliations. Thus, it is clear that education brought about a new outlook to the Khasi society especially in the lives of women.
1.5 Change in life style:
a) Individual: The missionaries insisted not only a change in belief but also a change in life style of the individual. The missionaries discouraged some of the bad habits. For example liquor is discouraged because it adversely affected the quality of life. A Christian should neither commit adultery nor have many spouses. In doing so the missionaries strengthened the institution of marriage. Reading habit was introduced instead of spending their leisure time hunting, fishing and roaming the village. Women adopted new methods of childcare and keeping the house clean. In due course, “An eye for utility and beauty, as keen sense of aesthetics was developed, unlike the rigid criterion of sheer utility to which the women clung in the earlier days.”[11]
b) Social: A new community was established making up of members belonging to different dialectical groups, which had no previous alliance with each other. Now they were related in common ethnic identity through the Presbyterians, Synods, Diocese, assemblies or conversions. The new relationships were made possible by a standard language, schools and the Christian faith. “Christian universalism with its emphasis on love and service for others provided a foundation for the new relationships.”[12]
c) Material: “The impact of Christian ideology was seen not only in changed personal and social values, but also in the material culture of the people.”14 with the changed attitudes, the Khasis began to look at life a bit more seriously; fashion and cleanliness took the primary place in the society. According to Dr. Nalini Natarajan, “The maxim preached by the missionaries, ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness,’ was one of the motivating factors.” The contacts of the Khasis with other groups like, the missionaries, the British administration officials and others through the trade, brought in a change in their dress pattern. Dr.Nalini described this change in the following words, “Most young ladies of fashion wore short clothes of velvet, stockings and smart clothes and occasionally the Jainsem and cloak. The dress was not only functional as before but become stylish. Khasi males too adopted the new fashions and styles of dress.”
Some of the food items like egg and fowls which were used only for divination, now become food to the Khasis. Missionaries helped the Khasis to break the taboos on many of the food items. Cultivation of different kinds of vegetables becomes the part of agriculture.
Khasis began to use cutlery and crockery. Metal containers and vessels replaced the traditional earthen vessels, bamboo and good containers. The homemade drinks were replaced with the factory made supplicated drinks.
1.6 Socio-Cultural Change:
The socio-cultural transformation in the Khasi hills could not take place without education by the missionaries. “A new outlook on the world can come about only through literacy and through the contact with the outside world that the schools can provide.”[13] Eventually the formal education produced men and women who took up the task of leadership among their own people in all spheres of life. Education brought about various job opportunities, by that modifying the size of the families from a larger to nuclear families because of larger number of migrations to the towns. “Earlier a family spanned size generations on the average, the present generation depth is only three generations or in most cases two.”[14] almost all the social activities of the Khasis were blended with western flavor. As Dr. Sebastian Karotemprel mentions, “the education is imported by the Christian scholars, no doubt, tended to look down on tribal customs, dress, music etc., as inferior to western customs and cultural expressions. Hence, the educational youth tended to dissociate themselves from tribal cultural values and their expressions. They gradually acquired a western mentality and disdain for their ancestors cultural values.”[15] They were radical changes with regard to music, dance, art, the way villages began to be formed, and the mode of house construction, property, marriage laws and politics. All these areas of life had a western flavored change.
1.7 Changes in Religion:
Religion of the Khasis had been handed down orally from generation to generation. Missionary activities, arrival of a new religion influences in the society and the changing times inevitably had their impact on the Khasi religion and many of its facets. Due to this influence the naming, marriage and funeral ceremonies had declined or had been simplified among the Khasis. Belief in earlier superstitions taboos and in evil spirits declined among the Christians. Ancestors worship and belief in the covenant of the cock with God also died down among the Christians.
The opinion of the liberal orthodox informants revealed that initially, the Khasis were hostile to the foreign missionaries but since their own religion had ceased to give spiritual solace to them, the novelty of a new religion preached by strangers who belonged to the class of rulers, drew them I its fold. They said that the foreign missionaries were gifted, qualified and earnest people and soon succeeded in establishing rapport with the Khasis.
Some common factors like monotheism, concept of a savior, the belief of judgment after death and the concept of heaven and hell have made the Khasis to embrace Christianity without much difficulty. Christianity brought certain stability to marriage among all sects of the Khasis, a sense of discipline and nationality. Traditional practices of religious ceremonies have undergone changes or even died out due to the migration of the family members to distant places due to better job opportunities.
Beginning from the arrival of the first foreign missionaries to the present day, the Khasi society has undergone transformation in many ways. The multi-level and the penetrating changes have been due to the work of Christian missionaries. They have given a new dimension to the Khasi ethos; the Khasi are now more self-reliant, independent and dignified. The impact of the missionaries on Khasi society has thus been deep, widespread and lasting. New horizons were opened to the Khasis due to the work of the missionaries.
Chapter Two:
2 The Challenges:
If we have been privileged and feel proud to have been associated with the mission of the Church in the Khasi hills in the best of times, we should not abandon the area in the worst of time s. the document of Vatican II: Church in the modern world (GS,) tells us; “At all times the church carries the responsibility of reading the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the gospel, if it is to carry out its task.”
2.1 Culturally Uprooted:
The media has made tremendous negative contribution to the present day society. This is not merely in towns and cities but also in villages, specifically among the younger generation. Superficial fashions are adopted and the age-old traditional life is abandoned in favor of modernization. “Even in the game of ‘pick and choose’ the easy-going lifestyle of the west is adopted.”[16]
2.2 Menace of Militancy:
People are bequeathed with such stress-filled lives! Militancy has been wrecking the process of development in the guise of self—determination or ethnic assertion. “Meghalaya had its share of militancy from Achic Liberation Matgnik Army (ALMA) spear headed by Garo youths. Other dominant socio-political groupings include the Federation of Khasi-Jantia and Garo People (FKJGP) and the Hynriew Trep Achik Liberation Council (HALC).”[17] the radical pressure tactics of the gun-wielding men and women have made the whole land stranded. “They have become termites eating into the vital of then society.”[18] There is no moral threshold to backtrack the bloodthirsty. Insurgency is the greatest threat to the peace and stability of the Khasi hills. “There is a growing unemployment for all and hence many of the youth are joining the rank and file of militants. Lack of industrialization is not because of lack of funds, but it is due to the mismanagement of funds, lack of utilization of funds and above lack of bureaucratic work culture.”[19]
2.3 Problem of immigration:
Immigration of Bangladesh, Muslims and Nepalese is considered as a menace. Several youth groups indulge in violence against Nepalese, Bangladeshi and settlers. The most affected are the Nepalese who have suffered most from the hands of the locals thugs without a clear ideology. The Khasis are afraid of being swamped by outsiders. There is a fear of being destroyed their lifestyles and histories by modern nation-states that bother little about small communities but pay more attention to strategic considerations such as natural resources of the area and their exploitation for the national good.
2.4 The Growing Consumerism:
Socio-economic trends keep changing rapidly- too rapidly for the tribal societies to manage changes. Globalization may not seem to touch directly but in so many imperceptible ways it has made serious demands on their social life. Consumerism has entered as a very dangerous menace, which also may explain the rise in crime among the people- looting and robbing.
2.5 Silence of the Majority:
Normal Vincent Peale said, “The American Psychological Guru extolled the power and virtue of positive thinking.” When applied to this land the opposite of it is seen, the power of negative thinking is instrumental in creating a miserable condition for the people of the land. When there are fascist designs operative and when the situation is going out of hand, there is a silence from the majority. The intellectuals in the society cannot remain silent. They are responsible for creating a quality leadership that will respond to the cry of the society. At the root of many of the troubles, perhaps is the question of leadership. Political leadership is more interested in electoral success than in development.
Chapter Three:
3 The Church’s Response:
It is the church that draws from the Gospel teachings that strives not only to instruct the mind but also to regulate by her precepts the life and morals of individuals, that ameliorates the conditions of peoples. Pundit Nehru said, “The missionaries did very good work in the North East and I am full of praise for them.”[20]Dr. Rajendra Prasad remarked, “Christian missionaries from various countries of the world have worked among the tribal and at great sacrifice have spread education and generally helped in affecting improvement in the living condition. By helping the tribal to develop, the church has helped the nation to develop.”[21]
3.1 Education on Human rights:
Every human being alive has to promote life-without doing any harm to anyone in the process. Ethno-totalitarianism or ethnocentrism is the main culprit. “any human society if it is to be well-ordered and productive, must .lay down as a foundation of this principle, namely, that every human being is a person, that is, his nature is endowed with principle, intelligence and free will. Indeed, precisely because he is a person; he has rights and obligations flowing directly and simultaneously from his nature. And these rights and obligations are universal and inviolable, so they cannot in any way be surrendered.”[22]
3.2 Upholding Human Dignity:
The church has the duty and the right to assert the centrality of the human person. In the economic and social realms, the dignity and complete vocation of the human person and the welfare of the society as a whole are to be respected and promoted. For man is the source, the centre and the purpose of all economic and social life.
3.3 Role of Prophecy:
The condemnation of evils and injustices is a part of the ministry of evangelization in the social; field, which is an aspect of the Church’s prophetic role. The Christian life as encouraged and preserved by the church must resist every possible source of deception. It must guard against contamination by error or evil. It must try to correct, ennoble, encourage and justify the modes of thinking and livings. The sources of evil are violence and corruption, which the Church must oppose staunchly.
3.4 Promoters of Peace and reconciliation:
The church has a clear mandate to be a peacemaker and fully involved in the process of peace making. Conflict reduction management has to begin with the preaching of peace. The church should help in the overthrow of the network of terrorist groups operating in the Khasi hills. The church can initiate a resistance movement against semi-literate and the non-literate who are ruling the Khasi hills by the proxy of gun powder.
3.5 Teaching of Social value:
Christian values of truth, love tolerance, peace and forgiveness are not mere ornamental words for homilies and coveted articles; they carry the sweet burden of building the society on values of Christianity and humanity. The church should not limit itself with the teaching of value education to the children in the schools. The people have to be taught moral precepts. Christ asks each one to guard the truth because, as he promised all, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Every generation needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what one likes, but in having the right to do what one ought.
Conclusion:
The Khasi society today is in a state of flux and transition. It is in the process of assimilating and absorption of new ideas and trends and blending into fabric the cultural, economic, social and political advancement of the rest of the country and thus getting integrated into the mainstream of life. The missionaries gave them the gift of a script and consequent literature, and raised them to new levels of knowledge and understanding. The missionaries contributed a lot in the fields of education, medicine, hygiene, music, diet, economic development, introduction of new crafts and skills, removal of untenable myths and superstitions and fears afflicting the Khasi minds, and helped in widening their outlook1 and in the development of their self-reliance and confidence in them. The work of the missionaries in the Khasi hills has done incalculable good, without which the directions of the Khasi society could have been far difficult.
[1] O.L. Snaiting, Christianity and Social Change in North East India (Calcutta: Firma Kim Pvt. Ltd., 1993), 113.
[2] Ibid., 114
[3] Ibidem
[4] Nalini Natarajan, The missionary among the Khasis (New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1977), 116.
[5] Snaitang, Christianity and Social Change In North east India, 147.
[6] Snaitang, Christianity and Social Change In North east India, 156.
[7] Natarajan, The missionary Among the Khasi, 121.
[8] Snaitang, Christianity and Social Change In North east India, 154.
[9] Cerilla Khonglah, “Khasi Women and the Indigenous Question”, in The Changing Women’s Status in India: Focus on the North East, ed. Fernandez (Gauhati: Saraighat Laser Print, 2002), 170.
[10] Ibid., 177
[11] Snaitang, Christianity and Social Change In North east India (Calcutta: Tirma Kim Pvt. Ltd., 1993), 166.
[12] Ibidem
[13] Dominic Jala and J.S. Shangpliang, “The Contribution of the Catholic Church towards Socio-Cultural Development in Northeast India,” in The Catholic Church In North east India, ed. Karotemprel (Calcutta: Firma Kim Pvt. Ltd., 1993), 471.
[14] Natarajan, The missionary Among the Khasi, 98.
[15] Sebatian Karotemprel, “The Impact of Christianity on the Tribes of Northeast India,” in The impact of Christianity on Northeast India, ed. Puthenpurakal (Shillong: Vendrame Institute Publications, 1996), 39.
[16] L.Jeyaseelan, “Ground Realities of Northeast India: A Challenge to the Church,” in The Diocesan Priests, ed. Haokip, Vol. XV (January – June 2002), 3.
[17] L.Jeyaseelan, “Conflict Situation in Northeast India: The Church’s Response I,” in The Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, ed. Arokiasamy, Vol. 63, No.6 (June 1999), 445.
[18] Ibid., 4
[19] Jeyaseelan, The Diocesan Priests, 5.
[20] L.Jeyaseelan, Church’s Response to the Phenomenon of violence in Northeast India (Imphal: S.F.S Technical School, 1999), 11.
[21] Ibidem
[22] L.Jeyaseelan, “Ground Realities of Northeast India: A Challenge to the Church,” in The Diocesan Priests, ed. Haokip, Vol. XV (January – June 2002), 8.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jala, Dominic and Shangpliang. “The Contribution of the Catholic Church towards Socio-Cultural Development in Northeast India.” The Catholic Church In North east India. Edited by Karotemprel. Calcutta: Firma Kim Pvt. Ltd., 1993.
Jeyaseelan. Church’s Response to the Phenomenon of violence in Northeast India. Imphal: S.F.S Technical School, 1999.
Jeyaseelan. “Conflict Situation in Northeast India: The Church’s Response I.” The Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection. Edited by Arokiasamy. Vol. 63, No.6, June 1999.
Jeyaseelan. “Ground Realities of Northeast India: A Challenge to the Church.” The Diocesan Priests. Edited by Haokip. Vol. XV, January – June 2002.
Karomtemprel, Sebatian. “The Impact of Christianity on the Tribes of Northeast India.” The impact of Christianity on Northeast India. Edited by Puthenpurakal. Shillong: Vendrame Institute Publications, 1996.
Khonglah,Cerilla. “Khasi Women and the Indigenous Question.” The Changing Women’s Status in India: Focus on the North East. Edited by Fernandez. Gauhati: Saraighat Laser Print, 2002.
Natarajan, Nalini. The missionary Among the Khasi. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1997.
Snaitang. Christianity and Social Change in North East India. Calcutta: Tirma Kim Pvt. Ltd., 1993.
By Stephen Lalruatsaka SJ
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