Looking at tradition in the right perspective:

The following is a letter taken from the Shillong Times Dated Tuesday May 23, 2003 - written by A. Nengnong

Sir,

the letter "Welcome secular touch" (ST May 13) gives some hint as to how alienated and estranged some people have become from the belief and traditions of their race and how ignorant they are about the things that happened in the Khasi Hills in the last hundred years or so. An enumeration of the events as they have happened over the years may, perhaps, help in putting things in a better perspective .

P.R.T. Gurdon, a British administrator of this area during the British rule of our country, in his book, The Khasis, Published in 1905, wrote thus: " Dancing forms the principal part of all the Khasi festivities and is an important adjunct of some of their religious ceremonies."  He also wrote: "Dancing forms part of the ceremony of placing the ashes in the sepulcher of the clan, Dancing also forms a part of certain ceremonies performed at markets for the prosperity of the State and for the good of trade". Then, in page 119, he wrote: " The Khasis, moreover, do nothing of what they consider to be of even the lest importance without breaking eggs," or divination.

The Elders of Seng Khasi have been following traditions and have offered prayers before the commencement of the thanksgiving\ving dance (Shad Suk Mynsiem) in Shillong, in their traditional ritualistic ways in accordance with their belief and tradition  It is also their prerogative to organize the dance in an orderly manner with proper decorum and solemnity befitting a thanksgiving dance to their Creator.  It is unreasonable for others who do not subscribe to that belief and to the form of worship chosen by one or any group to begrudge the form of worship chosen by those who have their belief in it.  Besides that, there are no restrictions prohibiting those Khasis who have been converted to other religions to participate in the dance if they, themselves, have no problem in joining in.

But then, the root cause of the problem may lie elsewhere.  In April 1902, there was a farewell meeting to Henry Cotton, the then Chief commissioner, and Syiem Ronsing of Mylliem State arranged, for the occasion, a Khasi dance in which male and female dancers participated, as a token of respect to him.  On 26th April, a large number of people from Mylliem and Nongkrem gathered at the Pynthorumkhrah field for the meeting and while they were waiting for the Chief Commissioner and his wife to arrive, the gathering, comprising Khasis and non-Khasis, was entertained by dance.  When the Chief Commissioner and his wife finally arrived they were welcomed by the dancers who danced in greeting to them and then escorted them to their seats.

In the May issue of Pateng Kristan,  a Presbyterian newspaper at the time, it was written as follows:  "A parting tribute shown by means of a farewell meeting and a presentation of an address is something which can be understood as the act of enlightened people but what can one say of the dance by men and women.  Is it an act of enlightened people or an act of stupidity?  A respectable or a disgraceful action? We believe that no children of enlightened respectable families would dare to prance about in front of so many non-Khasis and Khasi people... though the Christians have to cooperate with the Khasi friends in affairs of the village and the state, it is disgraceful for them to carry that cooperation to the extent of committing such foolish acts".

then, in the July issue of Pateng Kristan, Vol. VI, No.7, it was written as follows:  "Another thing, if it is right to call us the denigrators and critics because we spoke against the Khasi dance, we do not see how we can escape that, because one of our duties is to oppose not only this aspect of Khasi religion, but also the belief in evil spirits, sacrifice, divination, etc."

The late Mr. Kynpham Singh in his book The Times and Works of U Rash Mohon Roy wrote thus: "One year, one girl student of K.J.P. Synod School now (formerly known as Welsh Mission Girls High School), who was of the Khasi Religion, applied for a leave of absence to go and witness the dance at Sohra, but Miss Jones, who was the Headmistress at that time, did not grant her the leave asked for.   She also sent a letter to the family of the student in which she wrote thus: "I repeat what I said yesterday, that I cannot permit even on student of the Christian Mission School to have any part in heathen festivities.  When I say something, I really mean it, and after a deep thought and an intense prayer I have arrived at the above decision.  this School stands as an example of things which glorify the Christian religion."

Kynpham Singh also wrote: "The Christians are strictly prohibited even to witness the dance.  The punishment meted out was excommunication. When converted to Christianity, they sold away their dancing ornaments or broke them into pieces or pounded them in a mortar wit a pestle and made necklaces and earrings with exotic designs.

Gurdon also wrote:  "When I was at Mawsynram, at the time of the appointment of a Syiem, I witnessed a very pretty dance called "Ka Shad Lymmuh", performed by men who held leafy branches in their hands.  This is most effective."

It is heartening to see that the present generation has, to a large extent, been able to shed away the inhibitions towards the culture and traditions of our race.  There is hope, perhaps, that in course of time, all such inhibitions will gradually fade away.