SONG OF THE SOUL
THE WEEK|May 30, 2021
Did you know about the whistling village of India? Read about Kongthong, where villagers are not known by a name, but by a tune
ANJULY MATHAI
SONG OF THE SOUL

Nestled between Meghalaya’s Sohra and Pynursla ridges—in a lush, cloud-covered valley 65km from Shillong—is a serene village called Kongthong. When the clouds part, one can get a glimpse of Bangladesh. But it is not the village’s beauty that has been attracting hordes of tourists from all over the world to it. It is, rather, the ancient tradition of tune-giving, or Jingrwai Iawbei (tune in honour of the root ancestress). Each of the 700 villagers in Kongthong is not known by a name, but by a tune. Within a week of a baby’s birth, the mother assigns the child a tune, which becomes their name.

Until a few years ago, Jingrwai Iawbei remained an obscure practice unknown to those outside Kongthong and a few neighbouring areas. One of the people who has been working hard to put the ‘whistling village of India’ on the world map is a Kongthong community leader called Rothell Khongsit. Everything about him seems uneven—his hair, teeth and the way he speaks English—which gives him the air of a Bollywood sidekick. But the perpetual smile in his voice is refreshing, as though things are always sunny in his world.

The impression might be misleading, because it has not been an easy journey for Khongsit. He studied up to class 7 in the village and then moved to Shillong. After completing his BCom, he joined the Meghalaya Village Development Society. As part of his job, he visited all the rural areas of the state, and the experience instilled in him a spirit of service. But slowly, a sense of dissatisfaction started creeping in. He was working for the state, but was not able to do anything for his own village, which remained without a figurehead to guide, inspire or motivate the people. So, he quit his job.

Denne historien er fra May 30, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May 30, 2021-utgaven av THE WEEK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE WEEKSe alt
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 mins  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 mins  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 mins  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 mins  |
November 17, 2024