If the most profound spirit of all the spirits since the 70s appeared among us today would it suppose that we have risen above what we were? Well to answer that question here are some parameters that the spirit would probably use to grade the present generation from the generation of the 70s. The people were a pleasure to behold, to listen to, to be with, are they still the same? The people had a thorough knowledge of what was good for them and the State and displayed annoyance when that which was good was transgressed, do they still get annoyed with transgressors? The children honoured their parents and the young respected their elders, do they still honour their parents and respect their elders?
The people knew exactly what the remedies against anything that harmed them and the State were; do they still know these remedies? The people reacted slowly and calculatingly to all kinds of stimuli with a purposeful slowness which long caution and care had built up through the years; do they still display caution and care? The people did not believe in misfortune or in guilt and knew how to forget when forgetting was necessary, and above all the people deliberately avoided corrupt practices, do they still avoid corrupt practices? The people were not concerned with a holy image because they lived it and all they aspired for was to gain wisdom and live according to a strict form – they were what people saw them to be, are they still what we see them to be? A “Yes” to these answers would mean we can still find leaders to lead, a “No” would mean our search is in vain. This applies to every organisation religious, political, business or government.
Religion has grown exponentially since then and theological degrees are the new order. There are others, the ones who are neither here nor there, who feel their private and public life is manifestly devoid of any signs of productivity and respect, they too resort to religion to find a space that will deliver them from their complacent spirit and render them the opportunity to break forth into exultant cries and demonstrations of triumph. They connect religious verses with hardships that people are facing and with goals that others seek after, and suddenly they have built for themselves a holy image. I will refer to them as the “Reborn” in this article. They put on the show of being the chosen ones and suddenly they have a following who seek after their counsel.
At all events, especially when in the company of politicians, the Reborn display that they are in the possession of a genuine holy culture and the enormous incongruity of their triumphant satisfaction in the face of their inferiority seems to be noticed only by a few genuinely wise persons, and those who know them well; who offer them nothing more than a left-handed veneration. The rest, and especially the aspiring politicians seem to have closed their ears and blindfolded their eyes – they don’t even acknowledge the incongruity. For the Reborn, right and wrong is based on scriptural sanction and not reason. It’s somewhat similar in the centres of learning where students accumulate university degrees, but lack intelligence. In this article I will attempt to reveal the weird relationship that currently exists between the Reborn and the wise ones – the ones who should be leading the State.
To begin with, the Reborn believe it is their instinctive task to remind us of the guilt we bear of having been “born in sin” (that’s their favourite verse) and that it is what the Creator intended for us to know: sadly even the wise ones accept this unforgiveable sin stigma because it actually exists, In fact so predominant is this belief in the holy instructions that there is not a single person, even an intellectual one, prudent enough to write a single honest word about self without the fear that a Reborn will describe them with a sickly and a contemptible bashfulness.
This may sound harsh; obviously it would sound more pleasant and more ingratiating if I had put it in another way, but we should not deceive ourselves in this matter…the Reborn has the moralised way of passing judgement on everyone’s actions. In society holiness has resolved itself into a concept denoting superiority over others; there may be occasions when it truly is. It has also established a norm that being holy, they believe they occupy the highest position in society because they have found a way of conveying an impression that a divine function is the predominant aspect in life and that politics is sinful; this is one of the fundamental problems we are faced with…as if a pre-existing guilt at home based on our social practices was not enough for the Khasi men folk!! This double jeopardy is what dissuades the intellectual Khasi man from taking up politics these days.
These days, from a very young age we are trained to listen to the advice contained in the scriptures and not to the experience of the elders, and the Reborn’s advice to the regular politicians is to serve the people well – because they know they won’t, because they know mediocrity does not heed sound advice. Their advice to the intellectuals however is, “seek ye first the kingdom of heaven then all this will be added to you” because they know the intellectual listen, will submit to and heed advice. This typical Christian characteristic or trait is what essentially concerns us because instead of encouraging the intellectual to play a more vigorous role in politics – the intellectual man now regards politics as a moral issue – sinful, something that should be added only after finding that elusive kingdom of heaven.
Under the prevailing circumstances, the attitude of the Reborn to the deserving individuals not only ruins State and society but a whole lot of other factors as well which I am wary of enumerating (I’d never finish). That the deserving, the wise, the conscientious and the intelligent individuals turn their back on politics is essentially because of this belief that has firmly established itself in their psyche. The calamitous effects of our beliefs have landed us in this calamitous situation. Why have the conscientious one ignored the fact that participation in worldly goals is not evil and corrupt, but is in reality the need of the hour in Meghalaya if the stamp of “The Most Corrupt State in the country” and the “lowest performing State in the country” are to be got rid of once and for all! Somehow we have succeeded in stamping politics with a negative rating.
The wise person essentially has a set of ideas on life, (even the idea they got from the Reborn) and on them they construct peripheral ideas and plans for life – they have no reason to display university degrees to lay claim to their intellect. These ideas are the centre of gravity of their lives and regardless of where they branch out to they keep coming back to these central ideas. Everything in life is subservient to these central ideas and so they have an innate courage to speak out against the evils and for the good that are going on around them, but if it involves politics they will hold back their comments till they have secured the goal of John Bunyan’s “narrow path.”
Considered in this way their life is simple; but all this is not to their credit, because what we expect of them is that they should open their eyes to reality and boldly speak out their ideas for the State, but to this day I am still looking for such a one. The intellectual man seems to shield himself against the dangerous fascination of being a leader – a politician, perhaps because of the fear of a holy criticism added to the perpetual family criticism he has to endure. I think we know enough now of the tremendous things a politician is capable of because he, being at the helm of affairs, instructs the bureaucrat who instructs the technocrat and things can be changed to the advantage of the society if we have the intellectuals leading the State; then why is this not so? So let me come straight to the point.
But before going there let me say a few more words for the ears of the intellectuals on what people really want from them. It is their responsibility in a democratic setup to shoulder the responsibility of governing the State, because we can never admit that the average present day Khasi could know what democracy and governance is. Unless the intellectuals from among the Khasis come up again and take the responsibility of guiding the State, there is no hope of finding a fitting candidate to lead the State from among the Khasis.
We know full well that the task of leading the State is a responsibility that transcends the average wit very significantly; and so nothing could be more dangerous than handing the reins of the State to the common person, as is happening now. A politician will always make a mistake in his actions and decisions, even a wise one, but when the wise ones make a mistake they recreate themselves to apply a greater prudence before proceeding any further in subsequent dealings and this develops into self control and self discipline which in turn they expect of the bureaucrats.
But when the present day intellectuals who understand their capabilities prefer not to put their capabilities into politics because they believe it is the prerogative of the Reborn to discharge them first of any guilt should they decide to shoulder the responsibility of leading the State, or even joining a political party, what should be done? Well one such intellectual did approach a broad minded priest (a rarity), not a Reborn, before he joined a political party and he became an instant success.
A similar attitude is required of the present day intellectuals, and a similar broad mindedness is required of the present day priests because it is a God given privilege that some have the subtle sensitivity to what are the progressive instincts for the State and the people. How much longer can we continue to allow the State to lag behind the rest of the country, knowing that there are those that can do something about it because if they don’t a time will come when there will be no way of catching up with the rest? It’s not enough when the intellectuals say, “That’s bad, and that’s alright” on any criticism that others may raise. They have become decadent.
The present day politicians are the ones who stand out, who are street smart, because they pay no heed to any criticism. They need no advice; they are worldly and least bothered whether they possess a degree or not, let alone a higher intellect, they care not what the priests think of them so long as they get the votes. That is their nature; for them beauty lies in the power they wield over men and State and only a few can get the opportunity to behold of this beauty – 60 to be exact. One may scorn them but they remain aloof and admittedly powerful and give a damn to what is said about them – the truth is that it is the holy person and the intellectuals that have brought about the beginning of the end of Meghalaya, and whatever harm any politician does to the State, the harm done by the intellectuals who resist the need to lead the State is the most harmful.
