By Nang-oo Sari
On the calls of the councillors of JHADC to move ahead with the introduction of the so-called Jaintia Alphabet, I like to opine how bad this proposal is and how it could be a dangerous move for the generations to come.
Firstly, we are rooted in the name, religion, and culture that bind the sense of oneness through the myth and storytelling of Ñiawtrep-Niawskum (Hynniewtrep Hynniewskum) (Seven Huts). According to oral traditions, our ancestors, the Hynniewtrep, inhabited the land for the purposes of cultivation through the navel cord of “U Sohpet Bneng”. These Seven Huts were then spreading across what we know as Khasi and Jaintia territories.. This unifying story endures in our indigenous faith the “Niam Khasi Niamtre” which believes in this story of U Sohpet Bneng and the Hynniewtrep. Meaning, the Khasi, the Khynriam, the Pnar, the Maram, the War, the Bhoi are all part of the same root of the Hynniewtrep. At some point in time due to a number of factors, they got separated, stayed apart and known by such mentioned names.
With distance apart, the way of living is also different, The speaking style also varies. And It is also a known fact that every square kilometre the dialect is different. Imagine these communities existing hundreds of kilometres apart, it is obvious the dialect is different. Yet the foundational truth that unites us remains the shared story of Hynniewtrep.
The proposal of JHADC to introduce the Jaintia Alphabet in the name of preservation of language is nothing but a divisive agenda. It seems to further widen the existing gap among the members of the Hynniewtrep family, which was successfully implemented by the colonial masters.
Secondly, this so-called Jaintia Alphabet finds no relevance at all with the context of time. It will never become an academic subject that one will ever pursue. The young generation has long been studying in Khasi, English, or Hindi which has become a must to read and write, which form the core elements in our day-to-day context. This proposal is only to create confusion among the masses and the generation to come. I also wonder how many of the councillors of the JHADC are able to read and write that alien Jaintia alphabet fluently.
Lastly, have these councillors ever thought of its utility? How many Jaintia authors till date have ever published a book with those alien alphabets? Will the Jaintia themselves ever be interested in studying that alien alphabet? Will the Jaintia Alphabet or book for that matter be incorporated into the academic curriculum that other people will study it? Then the question of the Eighth Schedule inclusion. The questions are limitless.
In my opinion, this move by the JHADC is harmful to future generations. Our communities have already become polarized in recent years through issues of religion, reservation, language, and labels like “Khasi,” “Khynriam,” “Pnar,” and so on. We frequently hear unsubstantiated claims that Khasi and Pnar are entirely separate entities. Even prominent figures endorse this flawed argument: Khasi have the KHADC, Jaintia have the JHADC; “Khasi” is listed as a Scheduled Tribe, while “Pnar” is listed separately; Khasi had Tirot Sing, Pnar had Kiang Nangbah, and so forth. Uninformed people may fall for such divisions, but future generations will judge us by our actions today. Initiatives like this only widen the growing gap.
As people are commenting that JHADC has been a sinking ship, if such divisive policy is enforced, no wonder the ship of enmity and the gap will reach deep down to the bottom that will be difficult to even take it back to float once again.
I also like to suggest the JHADC must focus on fruitful steps to truly implement the spirit of the Sixth Schedule. If your intention is true to safeguard our interest, you must do your own internal administrative reforms, end the hidden corrupt practices from within, fair and timely recruitment process, effective utilisation of fund, financial reform, budget surplus, strong policies against nontribal operating business under the jurisdiction of JHADC, relook and reform your old existing laws, etc.
On the alphabet issue, I like to suggest that there should be a consensus between JHADC, KHADC and the state government to reform the existing Khasi Alphabet and recognize all the dialect that falls under the ambit of the Hynniewtrep family, thereby making the Khasi language one of the richest languages.
In short, why create more division when we can strengthen what already unites us? The choice is ours: unity or further gaps for our children to inherit.
