It is sad to note that taking the advantage of the poverty of the Mishing community in Majuli, Dhemaji and Jonai, numerous Mishing families are been converted to Christianity by opportunistic Christian missionaries. I am an ordinary citizen and can do nothing. As such I thought of writing this letter to your newspaper so that I might create an awareness among the Mishing tribe of Assam.
I would request my community members to learn from the mistake of our neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram where inspite of having seperate states, the tribes have lost their identity.
Our own traditions are no way inferior to the rich Vatican City or Pope. The poverty in Mishing councils is because of the corrupt politicians among us like Bharat Narah, Bhuban Pegu etc., not our customs, beliefs and rituals.
Missionaries can give us money and English education, but cannot return our identity when it will be lost by following Christian rituals and alien traditions in our day-to-day lives.
If religion is lost, heritage is lost. When heritage is lost, identity is lost.
It is time influential socio-cultural organizations of the Mishings, our students' union and Mahila samitis launch rigorous awareness drive among the gullible Mishings or the Mishings will go 'missing' from the cultural map of Assam.
PermalinkSubmitted by Md Akhtar Hussain on Tue, 22/07/2008 - 22:36
I am a student of religion and going to do M-Phil on Mishing tribes. I belong to Assam but studying in Delhi. I need help on behalf of this tribe.
The article is good.
PermalinkSubmitted by Sanchali Sutradhar on Tue, 28/07/2009 - 02:19
I am a student of media tech. as i am doing a assignment for my culture and society i have choosen mishing culture.So i have many friends who are mishing so if you can help me through e-mail than please help me how to get the information.thank you
PermalinkSubmitted by pranab doley on Thu, 21/01/2010 - 03:56
Thanks atleast you are concerned about 'losing our own identity'. Sir, I agree with you completely and would be very thankful to you if you help me as I am currently going to do a research on the issue of conversion of misings.
thanking you
Pranab Doley (TISS, Mumbai).
PermalinkSubmitted by lanaya pegu on Sat, 20/02/2010 - 00:39
I think the problem addressed here is not very precise. Do you mean the ethnicity or the religious? In whichever you mean if my understanding is not wrong our original religion is supposedly donyi-polo and most of us are a adopted Hinduism over some generations back, so what does it make us? Do we go back to worshipping the sun and the moon or what we have over the years progressed in civilization and accepted our own democratic and secular views of whatever religion we follow or even not follow. Is not that a sort of moral policing and too much intervention on someone's private space of belief?? I mean lets plainly accept that people have their own choice and change of religion has very little to do with our ethnicity think it is just the mindset of some orthodoxy that actually poses the problem if I am to give my opinion and change is the very necessity of life and so is identity. but religion is not an identity it is an individuals own choice of belief and perhaps it should be a private and personnel thing not a community thing. Hope this message is taken with a positive note in which I have wished to express.
PermalinkSubmitted by Peter Pegu on Fri, 02/04/2010 - 22:08
Christian people all over the world have maintained their own culture and traditions. British, French,German, Russian, Indian all have their own culture despite considerable Christian population. Religion has nothing to do with cultural identity. Rather,Christianity encourages acculturation, which means adoption of local culture as a part of Christian ethos.
We do not understand, how Nagas, Khasis, Mizos have lost their identity? Their culture is intact in the eyes of the world views.
PermalinkSubmitted by Uttam Doley on Tue, 08/06/2010 - 20:46
Thanks. There is somebody like me what i believe. As you are absolutely right; losing our own identity.If religion is lost, heritage is lost. When heritage is lost, identity is lost and if identity is lost everything is lost.
So, let us join hands to prevent these misleader.
Thanking you
PermalinkSubmitted by nirupoma kardong on Wed, 25/08/2010 - 20:43
Thanks Rongmon for your article.I am an student of cultural studies in tezpur university and i am really worried about our mishing tribes converting into christainity especially in majuli.But i am glad becouse atleast some of our ages are alert.
Nirupoma Kardong
Tezpur University
PermalinkSubmitted by Prafulla mili on Mon, 30/08/2010 - 07:36
I am a student of Dibrugarh university,i am agree with your comment but not satisfy at all bcoz I think now a days our people have almost lost our identy.About which culture and relision you are asking, the celebration of Assamese Bihu or worshiping of Hindus gods and many other Assamese culture which are not our original identity.
PermalinkSubmitted by Raktim on Mon, 30/08/2010 - 12:35
There many elements of Mising culture which has influenced what you term 'Assamese Bihu'. The 'Assamese'-ness of this dance is an amalgamation of numerous styles of dancing Bihu in Assam.
Its unfortunate for the people of Assam that we have not been able to evolve and accept our creations nor do we assert our claims to a dance form. This type of 'ours' and 'theirs' has pushed us to an Africa where nothing common has sufaced a yet. Already lobbies of different communities from other states of India have successfully divided the people of Assam with the stupid question like 'defining the Assamese'. We were a far happy people before 1947. The British never divided us in these lines like ethnicity.
PermalinkSubmitted by Rongmon Pegu on Mon, 30/08/2010 - 19:47
It is sad to know that Prasanta Mili terms the composite Bihu of the people of Assam as 'Assamese Bihu' and demarcates it differently. Actually it is not his fault either.
We are product of a generation which is divided on ethnic lines. Since 1985 Assam Accord, the Indian mainstream has divided the Assamese peoples into several fragments. We were a happy and better people before the faulty Assam Accord. The gesture where the female dancers place both their hands on the sides of their waists is an influence of Mising Bihu on the so called 'Assamese' Bihu (I would prefer to term it as 'Composite Bihu'.
PermalinkSubmitted by Arindom Prince ... on Mon, 25/10/2010 - 05:49
MISHING,(MIRI)the second largest community of North-east Assam.Which belong to schedule tribes but it's so deplorable that, there is no any development status about the Mishing communities. Althoug it's a colorful traditional and multi-culture customs like ( Ali-ai-ligang) crop harvesting festivel,porag,Dobir Uoi(Sun)Dodgang ,Mibu Abang etc,,and some of folk songs like oi:nitom,Anuni:tom, Gumrag (Traditonal songs and dance)Otherhand, some of delightful and flowerful dresses ie.Ege-gasor ladies wear, (Mibu-Galup)(Ugon) gents wear which is made by every Mishing Women and young girls.etc..
PermalinkSubmitted by neepa choudhury on Fri, 31/12/2010 - 06:09
dear rongmon,u r absolutely correct.i m doing research on various tribes of assam and is absolutely spellbound by the rich and distinctive and definitely beautiful culture of each ethnic group.i m grateful to rahibala dale and mr dale from guwhati to make me understand a lot about the rich mishing culture.but its sad that people from their own community are adopting other cultures.but exceptions are there like our very young robin pegu whos working a lot for preserving the mishing culture.i m a bengali and always feel proud to say dat.thus i request all dat they can find heaven in their own culture and should dedicate themselves in preserving its richness rather than pushing it towards extinction
PermalinkSubmitted by Vox Populi on Fri, 31/12/2010 - 15:44
The tradition of APONG (rice beer) has made the men of Mising community very lazy, especially in villages. You will find them under the influence of Apong, and all work has to be done by the womenfolk.
PermalinkSubmitted by TRISHA RANI DAS on Tue, 26/04/2011 - 17:59
I do agree with you. But to me in the name of securing identity we should not lost our unity. We want a single ASSAM, where every indigenous people could live with dignity and fraternity.------
TRISHA RANI DAS.
DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY.
PermalinkSubmitted by Md. Akhtar Hussain on Tue, 10/05/2011 - 21:28
The best way of preserving any religion, culture and identity is to create awareness amongst the respective community. Though there are some organisations of the Misings but religious awareness amidst is not up to the mark. During my field study in Majuli it has been found that leaders of the community are not as much concerned as compare to the other religion. The more you work on this issue more you get positive result. Mising is a wonderful tribe having rich culture and heritage. I am impressed by it and committed to work in this regard.
PermalinkSubmitted by Priyanka on Fri, 31/10/2014 - 15:53
Absolute rubbish!!... like many of you have said above that religion has nothing to do with culture, I agree with you. A person's choice of belief is his own right. No one can take that away.
PermalinkSubmitted by Akash Taye on Sat, 05/09/2015 - 08:46
It doesn't sounds good to claim religion as a culture or identity..it has nothng to do with culture or identity,it's a person's own spiritual right of belief,one has no right to deprive one's own beliefs.we should carefully study anything in the right direction,just imagine brother,what would be the consequences of the effects of changing someone's belief..Rather we ought to focus on humanism, unity and peace,not on religions...giving some bread to the hunger people is not wrong..None can force one to convert,it's one's own personal rights.. Many wel to do rich mishing people are also christians..dear bro,my question is that did they get any privileges or opportunity?Many educated people are Christians,if u think unprivileged people are converting alone then why those who are educated and rich converting themselves.The only answer is he/she finds peace in them..i hope u won't take in negative sense..to discuss the matter u can contact me at 8812099720 by whatsap Ur article is a painful matter of discussion..Thank u b d way
PermalinkSubmitted by Dhiren on Wed, 25/01/2017 - 13:51
The Hindus robbed the culture and identity of the Misings and Christianity now is trying to re establish its name and identity. Mr. Rongmon, don't be manipulated by the Hindu Fundamentalism. They are trying to remove our tribal rights and reservations. Judge before you say.
20 May 2012 - 1:13am | editor
The Government Railway Police nabbed a human trafficker and rescued eight girls from her clutches in Guwahati on Saturday. According to GRP, eight girls were rescued from the Guwahati railway station...
8 Jun 2008 - 7:04pm | editor
Assam's overall law and order situation is improving a bit if the recent Home ministry report is to be believed.The report says there is slight decrease in the violent scenario in Assam adding that...
22 Sep 2014 - 5:55pm | AT News
The weather condition would not improve for the next 24 hours of the weathermen are to be believed. According to reports, the South-west monsoon is still over Assam and its neighboring Arunachal...
21 Dec 2008 - 1:33am | editor
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi says the work on the national register of citizens in Assam is nearing an end.Addressing press conference in Dispur on Saturday, Gogoi said the state government is...
Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has welcomed the initiative of Assam government to launch a satellite television channel. The forum expects that the proposed channel would help disseminating the relevant information of various government schemes and welfare programmes for the benefit of the common people of the region.
Mentionable is that the State government led by Tarun Gogoi has declared about its proposed television channel that expected to go on air by January 2013. The concrete idea got shaped following a high level meeting at Dispur on May 19 ,2012 where the chief minister Tarun Gogoi discussed about the project with his cabinet colleges Himanta Biswa Sarma (health...
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi gave away the appointment letters to 26000 TET successful candidates at a function in Guwahati on Sunday. In his address, the chief minister said that the government was committed to providing jobs to the eligible persons and on its policy the government had recruited 26,100 eligible youths for the teachers post.
Education and Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarmah said that the government is prepared to recruit 29,000 teachers in September. Parliamentary Secretary of Education Department Rekibuddin Ahmed, former Assam Education Minister Gautam Bora and other officials of the state education department were also present at the occasion.
Among the 26,100...
The general election of All Guwahati Achik Students' Association (AGASA) has been conducted on May 1, 2012 at Meghalaya House, Guwahati. The election was presided by outgoing President Saljagringrang R.Marak with opening address by the same. In his address to the members gathered, he urged the students to get well prepared by working hard during their stay at Guwahati as students and make themselves selfless citizens of A'chik A'song to build a peaceful and developed place to live in harmony with all the people. The newly elected members comprises of:
1. President- Sengbasal Sangma.2. Vice-President- Henkyll. R. Marak.1. General Secretary- Dosim A. Sangma.2....
An uneasy situation is prevailing in Lampih on Saturday when police resorted to lathicharge on a section of people for resisting an anti-encroachment drive. The incident took place when police personnel had gone to the spot to demolish a building constructed by alleged encroachers from the West Garo Hills district of neighbouring Meghalaya. The encroachers allegedly tried to prevent the police from carrying out the demolition work. Then police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Nobody was injured in the lathicharge, locals alleged some people sustained injuries though their numbers are yet to be ascertained.
The situation in the area was now under control though tension...
The Assam government owned TV channel would go on air in January 2013. It would focus on sectors like agriculture, education, health and tourism. The decision was taken when Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi met his senior cabinet members and other senior state government officials in Guwahati. Gogoi, who recently announced the decision said that the channel would focus on the state’s vital sectors with a progressive turn to the mindset of the youth of Assam.
The meeting discussed issues related to organizational structure of the channel, besides acquisition of technical knowhow and recruitment of human resources. Representatives of SRSG Broadcast Private Ltd made a presentation on issues...
Dibrugarh University authorities will install CCTV cameras in the examination halls when it will conducting the Combined Entrance Examination for medical and engineering students. For the first time, the varsity has taken steps to check cheating and unfair means during examination.
The examination will be held in Guwahati, Silchar, Nalbari, Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Nagaon, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Bongaigaon in 27 venues and for the first time, CCTV has been installed in the exam centres. A video recording would also be done, which would be monitored constantly. This is basically to stop students from resorting to unfair means during examinations.
Students were earlier allowed to carry their...
The Government Railway Police nabbed a human trafficker and rescued eight girls from her clutches in Guwahati on Saturday. According to GRP, eight girls were rescued from the Guwahati railway station and the woman trying to take the girls away from Assam was arrested. The girls were told that they would be given jobs in some spice factories in Kerala. The woman had brought the girls to Guwahati from Jonai in Dhemaji district of Assam.
The same woman had previously taken some other girls away from the remote areas of the district to unknown destinations by giving them hopes of employment. Those girls have, however, never returned to their families. Investigation is on to find out more...
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union on Saturday demanded steps to resolve the decade old inter-state boundary problem with Assam. Addressing a press conference in Itanagar, AAPSU president Takam Tatung said that it won’t be a daunting task to amicable resolve the issue while both Dispur and Itanagar have Congress governments. He said that the issue is a purely a political one that that needs a political approach. AAPSU had sponsored a 24 hour state-wide shut down on Friday demanding early solution to the boundary problem.
Peasant leader Akhil Gogoi is on an indefinite hunger strike in Guwahati from Saturday alleging inhuman torture on mega dam activists in Lakhimpur district. The KMSS leader who has been spearheading the protest against the NHPC-owned mega dam in Gurukamukh started his indefinite hunger strike at Dighalipukhri from Saturday morning. At least seven organizations have supported Gogoi on Saturday demanding immediate release of 27 anti mega dam activists detained by police in Lakhimpur. Along with Akhil's hunger strike, activists of nine organisations, including Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) in Lakhimpur, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts will also prevent movement of construction material for...
Centre’s peace interlocutor PC Haldar discussed NDFB’s proposed peace process with NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary on Saturday. Immediately after landing in Guwahati, the former intelligence bureau director straightly left for the Guwahati Central Jail where he had a close door meet with Daimary. The deadlock over the proposed peace process dominated the discussion between Haldar and the NDFB chairman.
Comments
Absolute rubbish!!... like
<p>It doesn't sounds good to
The Hindus robbed the culture
Pages
Add new comment