Kumba la btah ïa nga ban batai ïa ka jingmut jong ka phang ‘Ka Niam ka lynti ka jingim hok’ nga sngewdei ban batai shuwa ïa ka jingmut jong ka kyntien ‘Niam’ lane ha ka ktien nongwei ‘religion’. Ki jingbatai ïa ka kyntien niam ne religion ki long kiba ïar bad ki don da ki spah ki hajar ki jingbtai ïa ka jingmut jong ki. Hynrei mynta ha ine i jingthoh ba lyngkot ngin ïa peit ïa ki katto katne ki jingbatai. Ngan batai ïa ka jingmut niam ne religion ha ki lai tylli ki concept: Western concept, Hindu concept bad Hynniewtrep concept. Ha ka Western concept, don shibun ki jingbatai ïa ka jingmut ka kyntien ‘religion’. Ha ki kyntien u Edward Burnett Tylor, la batai, relgions is ‘the belief in spiritual beings’. U I S Markham u ong, ‘a religion is a way of life’. Ha ka Hindu concept, ïa ka kyntien niam ne religion la tip dharma kaba mut ‘one righteous duty’ lane ‘to sustain or nurture a particular way of life’. Katkum kane kine ki jingbatai, ki paw ba ha ka Western concept, ka niam ka dei ka jingithuh jong u khun bynriew ïa ki bor kiba sha lyndet kiba ki khmat briew kim lah ban ïohi. Ka niam ka wanrah ïa ka jingiadei bad kita ki bor kiba sha lyndet. Baroh ar, Western concept bad Hindu concept ki batai ba ka niam ka dei ka lynti jong ka jingim jong uwei pa uwei u briew. Ha ka ktien phareng ki ong, ‘religious belief have always been intertwined with human life’ lane ‘religion is a phenomenon which controls the attitude of each individual towards life.’
Ha ngi ki pateng u hynniewtrep u niaw wasa, ngi ngeit ba ka niam ka wanrah ïa ka jingïajan hapdeng ‘U Briew’ bad ‘U Blei’. Ïa kane ka jingïajan ngi lah ban ïoh lyngba ‘Ka Nia’ bad ‘Ka Jutang’ (Reason and Covenant). Hajrong kine ar ngi tei bad pynshong nongrim ïa ka niam. Ngi ngeit ba ngi baroh ngi dei ki jong U Trai Nongbuh Nongthaw bad ka jaka shongneh jong ngi ka dei ryngkat bad U Blei ha Sorkep. Haba ngi wan shong wan sah sha pyrthei ka don ka Jutang bad u Trai Nongbuh Nongthaw ba ngin im hok bad kamai ïa ka hok.
Ha ngi ki pateng u niaw wasa ngi ngeit ba ïa ka Niamtre Niam Khasi la pynshong nongrim na ki hukum – ki hukum Blei bad kine ki hukum ki wan ha u niaw wasa lyngba U Woh Lakriah, u shakri U Tre Kirot u ba ïalam ïa u niaw wasa sha ka jingthmu U Tre Kirot. Ki hukum kiba U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw u la hukum ïa ngi ba ngin bud ngin ksoh, ki long: Tip briew tip blei bad Kamai ïa ka hok. Dei hajrong kine ki hukum u hynniewtrep niaw wasa u saiñdur ïa ka lynti ka jingim kaba hok bad ka ba khuid ba suba na ka bynta ban ïoh ïa ka lynti ka jingim kaba suk ha pyrthei shong basa. Kumta ha ka jingngeit niam jong ngi, ngi ngeit ba ngi dei ban im hok namar ba ngi hap ban shah bishar hadien ba ngi khlad nangne na pyrthei shong basa. Ngi dei ban ngeit skhem ha ka niam tipbriew tipblei, ka niam kaba ïalam lynti ïa ka jingim ba man ka sngi ka jong ngi, ka niam kaba hikai ïa ngi ban tipkur tipkha, tip kynsai tip pangrai bad ban burom para briew. Kane ka dei kawei ka bynta ba kongsan ha ka jingim jong ngi, kata, ‘Ka Tipbriew’. ‘Ka Tipblei’ pat ka hikai ïa ngi ïa ki aiñ blei, la ha ka kha ka pun, shongkha shongman, ka iap ka sa. Kine ki dei ki lai bynta kiba ngi ïa kynduh ha ka jingim jong ngi bad kiba ngi dei ban tip ïa ki hukum ki adong blei ha por ba ngi pyndep ïa ki kam niam kam rukom.
Ka Tipblei ka hikai ïa ngi ïa ki aiñ blei ha ka shongkha shongman, naba ka long ka sang ka ma ban poikha shikur shijait ne shipara namar ba ka long ka laisnem laibnai. La kane ka jing hikai jong ka niam jongngi ngi Iah ruh ban iohi ha ka parom Krem Lamet Krem Latang.
Kine ki dei ki hukum bad adong kiba ngi hap ban pyndep ha ka jingim jong ngi kum ki briew la ha iing ha sem ne ha ka imlang sahlang. Dei halor kine ki hukum ki adong ba u hynniewtrep u saiñdur ïa ka lynti jong ka jingim katba u dang im ha ka nongrim jong ka hok bad ban kamai ïa ka hok.
Haba phai pat sha kane ka hukum adong Blei, ban kamai ïa ka hok, nga sngewdei ban pynkynmaw ïa kine ki kyntien ha ka drama ba thoh da u Ma P Katphoh. Ha kane ka drama ka kurim ka pyni ïa ka jingdom ïa la u tnga jongka namar ba um treh ban shim ïa ka pisa kaba ki lap ba don ba tep ha trai jong u diengsoh ha kper jong ki. Une u kpa u ong kumne, “Kim dei ki jong nga, te kmie kynrad, sang iap ban leit shim ïa ka jong kiwei; ym bit ban bam pap da ka umsyep ka kamai jong kiwei. Lada mon U Blei, un pyndap hi ïa ki jingdonkam jong nga.”
Kine ki kyntien ki batai shai ba kum ki briew kiba bat hukum U Blei, kiba long ka niam ïa ngi, ka long pop ban tuh lane ban shim na ka umsyep jong kiwei.
Lada ngi phai sha ka parom jong U Woh Lakriah, u shakri U Tre Kirot ba ïalam lynti ïa u niaw wasa sha ka jingthmu jong U Tre Kirot ngi shem ïa kine ki kyntien. Ong U Tre Kirot ïa U Woh Lakriah, ‘I leh tuh mi’. ‘Yowni uwa datuh mi lada kyrkhu o ya me, u soohthied u hajrong mootha, katwa ya uwa nga da tim, ham pyntngit cheitai i thaw iwa nga da kyrkhu ya me’. Na kine ki kyntien ka pynpaw shai ba baroh ki jingdonkam jong ngi ki briew donkam ïa ka jingkyrkhu U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw.
Haba ïadei bad kane ka hukum, kaba dei ka jinghikai niam ban kamai ïa ka hok, katkum ba long hi mynta, don u dak jingkylli ba heh, ym tang ïa kito kiba ngeit sha kiwei pat ki niam, hynrei wat hapeng jong ngi kiba kam ba ngi im haka niam tipbriew tipblei.
Ngi la biang lut nadong shadong ki jinghikai niam, ki pharsi niam kiba ngi nud ban ong ba ka Niamtre Niam Khasi (tribal religion) ka ïa ryngkat dor bad kita ki organised religion kiba la klet ba u khun bynriew ha ka por ba u wan ban shong ban sah nyngkong ha pyrthei u im bad ngeit nyngkong ha ka niam tynrai ne tribal religion. Kane ka long katkum ka jingbatai ki stad anthropologists. Mynta ka shong hanga haphi ban kunai ïa ki jinghikai ka niam tipbriew tipblei. Ym sngew donkam shuh ba ngin wad da kawei pat namar ba niam hi ka dei la lynti jingim hok bad dei kane ka lynti ka ban pynpoi ïa ngi sha U Blei Nongbuh Nongthaw. Ong ki kyntien,
“All rivers lead to the same ocean, therefore, all religion are the same” Khatduh iawai, nga duwai ïa u Blei nongbuh nongthaw, ba un pyndap da ka mynsiem ban ieit bad skhem ha la ka jong ka tynrai – ha ka niam tipbriew tipblei.
Dr Omarlin Kyndiah: Associate Professor and HoD of Biochemistry in St. Edmund’s College. Has contributed write up in various journals and newspaper on topic of art, culture and religious of the indigenous Khasi Jaintia tribe. Was the General Secretary of Sein Raij Niamtre, Shillong – the congregation of indigenous faith, Niamtre.