Shillong Stories: Loud thinking and Reflections

We live in a tribal society, with clearly defined clans and relationships delineated along a matrilineal system. The society is quite tight knit and the ties and organisation of the clans are based on loyalty, respect and a clan hierarchy. The clan or the ”Kur” is which emanates the identity of the individual. The children belong to the clan of the mother. What is remarkable even if I say so myself is the fact that there are no destitute or beggars in our way of life. Old people are cared for and children are cherished. The maternal uncle still has a big role and while the institution of the “father” in nuclear families is almost similar to Patriarchal systems, the whole strength of the society rests on the clans. We take the clan surnames. Take my name for instance. I belong to the erstwhile ruling family of the Jaintia, “Syiem” is similar to “King” and “Sutnga” is our clan name. There is also a village named Sutnga from where all of the clan and sub clans have emerged.
Women, I am glad to say enjoy a far greater degree of freedom and respect. Most are involved in their own pursuits. But there is also a drawback in the fact that marriages often break up very easily, the burden of raising the children falling on the mother. These are some of the areas which as Vice Chairman of the Meghalaya State law Commission, it is my intention to bring about proper legislation. Law alone however cannot change the mind set and we need social action; especially, if we are to combat the high incidence of alcoholism often resulting in unpalatable incidences of wife beating and other abuses. In recent years, a rise of rape especially of minors has been on the upswing.
Anyway, I did not want this to be about only academic discourse but I would like to record what is passing through the paths of time too. July has always been the month of heavy rains. The paddy has been planted and has taken root. The fields have started becoming green. In a short while in two months time, the fruiting will have begun and the fields will start turning golden yellow waiting for the harvest. In the mean time the rains turn the month into a period of high humidity and heat aptly fitting into its Khasi name “Naitung” or the month of odours. Which I think originated from the time when we were all farmers and the rotting vegetation gave rise to a pervading smell which is still there in the rural areas.
Much of these hills today have turned dark green. This is one positive effect of the Supreme Court of India’s Timber ban in1996. The forests opposite my house on the slopes of Lum Shyllong or Shillong Peak have turned into a dark green testifying to the thickening growth. The bare patches are vanishing. It’s a calming sight.
The curious incident of a young woman enticed over the Internet by a handicapped man in Bangalore is the topic of discussion. The man met her online a few months age, duping her with tall tales. Last week she took Rs 35,000(about $ 700), never returned from college, boarded a plane from Guwahati and left for Bangalore. On reaching there she was immediately bundled off, made to wear a “burkha” and was locked up. Her distraught mother tried her cell phone but a voice answered asking for a R 5 lakh ransom (about $ 10,000), The Meghalaya Police are now on the hunt for her.
The Budget present in Parliament on the 6th June is also on my mind. I’ve been watching the trends. In fact yesterday at around 11.30 AM, I had already made a tweet on Twitter predicting the stock markets would crash; which they did in spectacular fashion falling more than 800 basic points. Apart from the apparently cosmetic gift wrappings of tax reliefs, the spending of the Government is scheduled to go up. India Inc is apparently not happy. In fact the euphoria of the markets after the last general Elections has been rudely overturned by the crash of those expectations in the present Budget. North East does not get anything special except for a few things in the Railway Budget. I will be doing an analysis in the next few days.
My two year old granddaughter, Mia is ecstatic because her mother has returned from hospital. Nathalene, my youngest daughter was hospitalised having been afflicted with severe pancreatitis. She is still weak and I will have to take her out of Shillong for further treatment.
Hope you and your family are alright
Regards,
Erwin
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