Festival of peace for uniting Khasis, Jaintias

From our Staff Correspondent

Shillong, Nov 6: Realizing the growing differences between members of the Khasi and Jaintia communities, the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Church (KJP), in association with the Social Life and Economic Development (SLED), has decided to organise a Festival of Peace at Mawphlang on 2nd December.

According to SLED chairman Rev WC Khongwir, the initiative is the outcome of a semir on the theme “the impact of change on the community, its faith-based systems and its culture”.

He said the intention is “amalgamating the lessons of the past with prospects of the future though the imperatives of the present is the objective of this festival of peace.”

“The five-point agenda listed for the upcoming festival clearly illustrated that it has become imperative for the Khasis to usher in an atmosphere of tranquility, brotherhood and understanding among ourselves, to meet together, deliberate and discuss as one entity on the challenges that we face as an indigenous community,” he explained.

Referring to the old Khasi adages of “Tip Ka Hok ka Sot” (to acknowledge righteousness) and “Tip Kur Tip Kha” (acknowledge your mother’s and father’s clans), Khongwir said that these are the building blocks that can foster the feeling of brotherhood and sense of unity.

Asked further on the Presbyterian Church’s initiative, Khongwir said, “This is not for us but for our community bonds. It is for the Khasi Christians, Khasi indigenous faith holders, Khasi Hindus and Khasi Muslims. It is for the entire Khasi community, irrespective of the diverse faith systems prevailing within the community.”

It is a known fact that religious discords have gripped the Khasi community in the recent past. Besides the incident of blocking a cremation to other counter-academic talks on Aadhaar cards, many such issues have begun to come out in Khasi-Jaintia hills.

In another such instance, members of the indigenous Khasi Jaintia faith are demanding minority status. On this, the SLED functiory said he did not want to speak on the issue. “We don’t want to talk on this because our reservation so far is based on the tribal status,” he clarified.

Stressing that the festival of peace aims at uniting the community to face the challenges of the community as one united entity, Khongwir, however, could show no roadmap on how a single-day festival could help achieve the objective.