Khasi As A Medium Of Instruction and Examination At Primary and Upper Primary

- Dr. Sylvanus Lamare,
Associate Professor, Khasi Department,
St. Edmund’s College,
Laitumkhrah,
Shillong.

Khasi is a language spoken by the people living in the four districts of Meghalaya namely, East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaiñtia Hills and Ri Bhoi districts. The language before 1800 was only a spoken language. It was William Carey, the missionary of the Serampore Baptist mission who started writing the Khasi language in Shella language with the Bengali characters. The work began when Carey used to meet the Khasis in the market days in the border and expressed the desire to write the Khasi language. His intention was to prepare materials for spreading the Christian faith among the Khasis. In 1813, William Carey, sent Krishna Chandra Pal to Pandua (perhaps the present location Pyrdiwah) a strategic and important border trading centre for the Khasis and the people of the present day Bangladesh. While Krishna Chandra Pal was preaching Christianity, William Carey was beginning the translation of the New Testament into the Shella language using the Bengali scripts, with the assistance of a person from Shilot (Shella). According to Prof. R.S. Lyngdoh, by 1824,1 Carey completed translating the New Testament and he called it “Khashee NT”. While William Pryse, recorded the following, “The whole of the New Testament, translated by the Serampore Missionaries, and printed at Serampore in 1831”.2 From the above, it is clear that the correct source is that of William Pryse and the source of R.S. Lyngdoh is incorrect. The work of Carey was continued by Alexander B. Lish who reached Sohra (Cherrapunjee) in 1832.3 According to G. Angell Jones, Lish prepared books in Khasi using the Bengali scripts.. The books were prepared to be used in the three schools he started at Sohra, Mawsmai and Mawmluh. In 1833, there were 36 students in the above three schools and the prominent names were Duwan Rai, Jungkha and Laithat.4 It is also recorded that in 1834, Lish completed translating into Khasi some portions of the Gospel of Mathew.5 William Pryse on the other hand has the following record in his books. Writes he, “A small pamphlet, translated by the late Rev.A.B. Lish, and printed at Serampore in 1836. Title-page: “Dr. Watts’s First Catechism for Children, translated into Khasee for the use of the Churra Mission Schools.” It is printed in the Bengali characters.”6 From the above facts, it is clear that Rev. Alexander B. Lish, had done a number of good works to educate the Khasis. However, the work did not get a proper foundation and by 1838, Serampore Baptist Mission closed all its mission works in the Khasi hills. There could be many reasons why the Serampore mission failed in trying to lay the foundation for their works in the Khasi hills. According to my finding, the most important one is the sudden demised of William Carey. The Serampore Baptist mission used Khasi language to educate the people and their children through the Bengali scripts. The language selected by Rev. Alexander B. Lish, was perhaps the Sohra dialect. Only with a proper transcription of the writings of Rev. Alexander B. Lish in Bengali substituting them with Roman characters or even with Devanigiri characters perhaps a properly light will be thrown regarding the use of the dialect. Until other findings show otherwise, the assumption that Sohra dialect was used will continue to hold good.

On 22nd June 1841, Thomas Jones and his wife arrived at Sohra, to be precise at Saitsohpen a military headquarter of the British. The Jones was received by Captain Lewin and other British officers based at Saitsohpen. What surprised the Khasis of Sohra was the swiftness by which Thomas Jones picked up the Khasi language. According to G. Angell Jones, he was assisted by Duwan Rai and Jungkha who were taught by Alexander B. Lish.7 The Khasis of Sohra flocked to Thomas Jones, who demonstrated his strength by breaking the crowbars of the Khasis and showed a friendly attitude towards them. He was different from others because he was approachable. He spoke to them in their language and they requested him to teach them English for they believed that armed with the English language their daily bread is assured.8 The request from the Khasis to teach them English, perhaps, came as a timely message. Thomas Jones knew that the Khasis would not write their language with the Bengali scripts and that they wanted to learn English. He introduced to write the Khasi language with the Roman scripts. The attempt was met with opposition from England, however, Dr. Duff, Jacob Tomlin and other older missionaries supported the idea.9 Thus, and by 1842 the Khasi language was written with the Roman scripts. It was concluded in the past that the first book by Thomas Jones was “Ka Kitab Nyngkong”10 and the book was used for more than fifty years. However, no one seems to know about the book and all efforts to trace went in vain. Hence, according to available records, the first book as it stands today is,

The “Mother Gift,” translated by the late Rev. T. Jones, and printed at Calcutta in 1842. Title-page:- “Ka jingai ka kumi ia la ki koon; lane ka jingkuli nungkong ia ki kun kunna ba la shim na ka ktin oo Bloih. It is printed in the Roman character.11

Another important record which could be used for the reconstruction of the letters used at that time to write the Khasi language is

The Lord’s Prayer, as translated by Mr. Jones, in the first book that he prepared in the Khasis language; printed in Calcutta in 1842.
Oo Cupha jong ngi oo ba ha buneng, long bacooid ca curteng jong mé. Wan ca bor jong mé. Long ca ba mon jong mé ha pyrtei coom ba ha buneng. Ai jing bám coom ba ngi cwah ha la ca sngi. Máp noh ca pobp jong ngi coom ba ngi máp ia ci ba leh sniw ia ngi. Wat ialam ia ngi ha ca ba iapah, ialam noh na basniw : na ba ca bor bad ca boorom jong mé hala carta. Amen.12

From the Lord’s prayer of 1842 we have the following alphabet “A B C D E NG H I J L M N O P R S T U W Y. However, we also found that the letter é and á are used to get a proper pronunciation of the words like mé and máp. Using these characters Thomas Jones brought out another book. William Pryse writes,

The Gospel of Matthew, also translated by Mr. Jones, and printed in Calcutta in 1846 : title-page, “Ka Gospel jong u Mathi.” This was printed in the Roman character, at the expense of the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society.

A Primer in Khasia, also by Mr. Jones, reprinted “Calcutta, 1846,” entitled, “Ca Citab nyngcong ban hicai pule ci ctin Cassi.”13

Could “Ca Citab nyngcong ban hicai pule ci ctin Cassi.” be the same book as “Ka Kitab Nyngkong”? If the answer is yes, then why copies of the book is not found in Khasi and Jaintia hills and else where in the world? The answer for this question demands proper research because with the discovery of such an important book, more will be known about Khasi as the written language.

The first school that Thomas Jones opened was at Mawsmai and he appointed a youngman by the name of Larshai to be a teacher in that school. Next, a school was opened at Mawmluh and Nising was appointed to be the teacher. Finally, a school was opened at Sohra and Jom was appointed as the teacher. Thomas Jones along with his wife collected a group of twenty students and taught them the art of writing and reading the Khasi language by using the Roman character. Initially, due to the lack of books all education imparted was religious in nature and it continued for a long period of time. For imparting education, the missionaries did not receive any government grant, they had to spend the money from their own funds. However, later some funds were received from the government when, “Under Government Orders, 1854, Rev. Lewis was given an allowance of Rs.50/- per month ‘for the payment of teachers, the purchase of books and stationery for the purpose of promoting secular instruction among the inhabitants of the Cossyah and Jynteah Hills’”14 However, it was remarked that “the progress was slow and there was a significant lack of response from the people.”15 The Inspector of Schools, Robinson and the Principal Assistant Commissioner in 1858, Hudson, felt that “these schools would have met with less opposition and greater success had instruction been given in the Bengalee language, and even given in the Bengalee language and even had the Bengalee instead of the Roman character been used in writing the Cossyah language.”16 It was also mentioned that “there are only two Secular schools books in the Cossyah language; the other Cossyah books consist of the Catechisms, 32 Christian Hymns and a Translation of the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and Hall’s ‘Come to Jesus’”17 At that time, the Cossyah Chiefs, Sirdars, Elders and People said they would willingly do so provided their children were instructed in Bengalee and has the opportunity of acquiring such knowledge as would be useful to them.”18 In spite of demand from the above Khasi leaders, Khasi continued to be the medium of instruction with the Roman scripts remained and Khasi literature grew. G. Angell Jones wrote, “By 1867, Hugh Roberts was transferred from Sylhet to Sohra, and he was appointed to be the administrator of the Normal School at Sohra. The Government agreed to pay his salary and the salary of two other teachers under him. Besides that, the Government also decided to give scholarship of Rs.4.00/- per month for twelve regular students for four years.”19 The above step taken by the Government was to encourage the students to get proper education. The medium of instruction in the Normal School was Khasi and the script used was Roman script.

Although Khasi was used as the medium of instruction and written with the Roman scripts, when students appeared for the upper primary examination they had to write their answers in English. A request to the Sub-inspector of Schools, Jaintia Hills, to allow the Khasi students to present their answers in English in the Upper Primary examination was sent on 8th February 1902. The letter was signed by Hajom Kissor Singh, Soso Tham and Samuel Shalam. The content of the letter is,

Sir, we the undersigned, Headmaster of the two Schools, Jowai M.E. and Shangpung U.P Schools and the Manager of the Unitarian Free School, from which candidates are sent up to the U.P Examination, beg most respectfully to say that our students have suffered much disadvantages from year to year for having questions set and requiring answer to be in English, instead of in their own language, as in the case of Bengalese and Assamese. May we therefore request the favour of your making the following changes in the question papers in future:-

(1) That the question in Mental Arithmetic, Needle works and History be in Khasi.
(2) That explanation of passages and meanings from the English Text Book may be required to be in English and Khasi half of the marks being allotted to answers in each language.20

The reply to the above letter came on 21st October 1902, where W. Booth, the Director of Public Instruction writes, “... I have the honour to say that I agree with the applicants on all points stated in their application. Children must be taught in their own vernacular to the end of the Upper Primary Standard.”21 Hajom Kissor Singh was appointed as one of the expert to select the text books to be prescribed for studies in the upper primary level. The fight given by Hajom Kissor Singh, Soso Tham and Samuel Shalam, was unknown to many Khasi educationists and no mentioned was made or even reference to their great contribution in the days when the British were the masters of India. The missionaries gave the Khasis the written language but the Khasis with vision had to fight for their rights in order to get proper recognition of their language.

Notes and References:

1. Lyngdoh. R.S. Ka Histori Ka Thoh Ka Tar. Bynta I. 1979. p.17.
2. Pryse. William. An Introduction To The Khasi Language. 1855. Reproduced 1988. p.121.
3. Ka Histori Ka Thoh Ka Tar. Bynta I. p.21.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. An Introduction To The Khasi Language. p.121.
7. Jones. G. Angell. Ka History Jong Ka Balang. 1966. p.8.
8. Ibid., p.7.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid., p.9.
11. An Introduction To The Khasi Language. p.121.
12. Ibid., p.114.
13. Ibid., p.121.
14. Shillong Centenary Celebration, 1976. p.28.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ka History Jong Ka Balang. p.68.
20. Singh. Kynpham. Ka Jingsdang Bad Jingthoh Ïa Ka Ktien Khasi Da Ki Dak Roman. 1969. p.67.
21. Ibid.

[Dr. Sylvanus Lamare, was a Member of the Sahitya Akademi, (2003-2007); a Member of the Focus Group in the Teaching of Indian Language and a research scholar in the field of socio-linguistics. He may be contacted at slamare@rediffmail.com or khasilit@gmail.com ]