This is what i said in commenting to H. H..Mohrmen's post in the year 2011: "Khasi Pnar: A community in transition." (http://hhmohrmen.blogspot.in/2011/01/khasi-pnar-community-in-transition.html.)
I say it again today.
The Khasi Pnar is a victim of 'spineless leadership'. All our true leaders have become extinct. Somebody once said something like this, (i don't remember the exact quote nor who said this because this was said long back): "A community loses its identity or becomes extinct mainly for three reasons: 1. absence of true leaders. 2. indulging in immorality and 3. indulging in alcoholism. And i very much agree with that wise guy.
Look at our representatives. Are they true leaders? Not just the MLA, MDC or MP but right at the root of our once respected 'Dorbar Shnong' (Village Durbar) which formed the basis of our Democratic Administrative System upto the level of the Syiems and Dalois. I leave it up to the public to answer. And if the general answer is 'Yes', what the heck! we are a democracy, after all. And a Democracy is a system in which if there are 51 fools and 49 wise men, the wise men have to listen to the fools. this is simply just great! we should call it a democrazy instead (a demonstration of fools' power not peoples' power!)
The Khasi Pnar not only has spineless leaders but spineless citizens who are the 'ksan rympei rem dorbar' type. who are afraid of voicing their opinions in public and choose to suffer in silence. So, with leaders who don't lead and citizens who don't speak up, where is the future of the community?
Indulging in immorality is a secret pastime of many. this is a forbidden fruit many are eating in their own (or others') private gardens. I don't know to what the 'tip hok-tip sot' (know right & wrong), 'tip kur-tip kha' (know your relations) values has depreciated into. Even the 'Kamai ia ka hok' (earn righteousness) coin is replaced by the 'kamai ia ka spah' (earn wealth) coin. So, with corruption readily accepted (and our state vying for the position of most corrupt State in India) where then is the the future headed?
Alcohol is not a curse. It is a boon to the responsible, honest and hard-working man (this was due to the nature of our livelihood- being basically an agrarian society). It relieves his bodily aches and gives him a good sleep (only if he is a responsible, honest and hard-working man - a premise that supposes not every responsible man consumes alcohol and that irresponsible people do stupid things they regret later). Dharmendra (don't correct me if i'm wrong about the bollywood actor. i'm more concerned about the message) uses this dialogue in one of his films where he says, "Sharab mein nasshha hoti, to bottle nahin nachti?" (if intoxication was in the alcohol, the containing bottle would have danced). Responsible drinking, sad to say, is a dying tradition. Irresponsible drinking is affecting our youth, our leaders, our communal harmony and the very fabric of our society itself.
So, while the law of nature dictates that we evolve, we choose to be in transition. these are two separate phenomena. let us evolve rather than transit. evolution brings out the best in us and promises a healthy, stronger and viable progeny while a transitional route is a fools experiment! So, cast your vote for the following slogans: (1) Damn the fools! (2) Long live the Fools!
I say it again today.
The Khasi Pnar is a victim of 'spineless leadership'. All our true leaders have become extinct. Somebody once said something like this, (i don't remember the exact quote nor who said this because this was said long back): "A community loses its identity or becomes extinct mainly for three reasons: 1. absence of true leaders. 2. indulging in immorality and 3. indulging in alcoholism. And i very much agree with that wise guy.
Look at our representatives. Are they true leaders? Not just the MLA, MDC or MP but right at the root of our once respected 'Dorbar Shnong' (Village Durbar) which formed the basis of our Democratic Administrative System upto the level of the Syiems and Dalois. I leave it up to the public to answer. And if the general answer is 'Yes', what the heck! we are a democracy, after all. And a Democracy is a system in which if there are 51 fools and 49 wise men, the wise men have to listen to the fools. this is simply just great! we should call it a democrazy instead (a demonstration of fools' power not peoples' power!)
The Khasi Pnar not only has spineless leaders but spineless citizens who are the 'ksan rympei rem dorbar' type. who are afraid of voicing their opinions in public and choose to suffer in silence. So, with leaders who don't lead and citizens who don't speak up, where is the future of the community?
Indulging in immorality is a secret pastime of many. this is a forbidden fruit many are eating in their own (or others') private gardens. I don't know to what the 'tip hok-tip sot' (know right & wrong), 'tip kur-tip kha' (know your relations) values has depreciated into. Even the 'Kamai ia ka hok' (earn righteousness) coin is replaced by the 'kamai ia ka spah' (earn wealth) coin. So, with corruption readily accepted (and our state vying for the position of most corrupt State in India) where then is the the future headed?
Alcohol is not a curse. It is a boon to the responsible, honest and hard-working man (this was due to the nature of our livelihood- being basically an agrarian society). It relieves his bodily aches and gives him a good sleep (only if he is a responsible, honest and hard-working man - a premise that supposes not every responsible man consumes alcohol and that irresponsible people do stupid things they regret later). Dharmendra (don't correct me if i'm wrong about the bollywood actor. i'm more concerned about the message) uses this dialogue in one of his films where he says, "Sharab mein nasshha hoti, to bottle nahin nachti?" (if intoxication was in the alcohol, the containing bottle would have danced). Responsible drinking, sad to say, is a dying tradition. Irresponsible drinking is affecting our youth, our leaders, our communal harmony and the very fabric of our society itself.
So, while the law of nature dictates that we evolve, we choose to be in transition. these are two separate phenomena. let us evolve rather than transit. evolution brings out the best in us and promises a healthy, stronger and viable progeny while a transitional route is a fools experiment! So, cast your vote for the following slogans: (1) Damn the fools! (2) Long live the Fools!
