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.
11 Jun 2018 - 9:54pm | Akshaya Pranab Kalita
Namrup: The Maibella Army Camp under DAO Division organized a free medical check up and assistance camp as part of the Army’s “Winning of Heart and Mind Campaign Drive” in Rohdoi Ali village of...
19 Apr 2008 - 1:34am | editor
Players of Vasco Sports Club (White) and Indian Bank (Red) seen in action during inaugural match of the ONGC 2nd Division League 2008 organised jointly by All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) and...
4 May 2017 - 9:03pm | AT News
A Hindi speaking person and his daughter sustained injury when suspected Ulfa -i rebels replied a grenade in Tinsukia district on Thursday. The grenade exploded in Kakopothar area in the evening...
26 Mar 2008 - 3:33pm | Ranjan K Baruah
Swargojyoti Motion Pictures is going to start a campaign against piracy in the state. The start up programme will be held at the Guwahati Press Club on 27th March at 11am. According to a press...
Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday assured Assam of extra power to help the state tide over the black-out like situation. Reviewing the state’s power situation in Dispur, he told reporters that the Centre would provide all possible help to the state to improve power scenario. Moily discussed with Chief Minister the possibility of tapping power supply from neighbouring Bhutan.
Two hand grenades and as many detonators were recovered from the house of a former NDFB insurgent at a village in Baksa district of Assam. Acting on a tip-off, police and SSB launched a joint operation at Kotabari village, under Tamulpur police station, and recovered the explosives hidden under a haystack in the house of cadre Rakesh Bodo. During interrogation, Rakesh told the police that the Bodoland Peoples Front party's Darangajuli vice-president Sanatan Sarania had asked him to keep the explosives in his house. Both Rakesh and Sarania were arrested.
ULFA on Sunday came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Congress leader his verbal certificate to the immigrants in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts suggests a conspiracy to weed out the identity of the indigenous people. In a statement sent to media houses on Sunday, the outfit maintained that the indigenous people have knowledge of large-scale migration from the neighbouring country. According to ULFA, the government has gone ahead with describing the migrants as Indian which was indeed a matter of grave concern for the people.
ULFA’s anti-talk faction urges strongly backs agitation against illegal migrants to protect the interest of the indigenous people. In a statement e-mailed to media, the outfit’s chairman said that the state must be get rid of the immigrants to ensure that the overall interest of the indigenous people are allowed to remained secured.
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas ad Dhubri district are leaving the refugee camps even as the government steps up efforts to send them back to their homes. According to official sources, altogether 1,87,052 persons affected by the violence are still lodged in 206 camps even after nearly two months since trouble broke out in five districts. The refugees include 1,68,875 Muslims housed in 174 camps, 17,344 Bodos in 29 camps and 833 belonging to the other communities in three camps.
Dhubri has the highest number of 1,01,373 inmates in 129 camps followed by Kokrajhar with 55,760 inmates in 43 camps, Chirang with 23,609 inmates in 22 camps, Bongaigaon with 5554 inmates in nine camps and...
Flood situation in four districts remains grim. The waterlevel of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries continues to maintain a rising trend following incessant rainfall in the catchment areas. Over three lakh population have been affected in the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Kamrup by the third wave of floods to hit the state this year. In Dhemaji Chamaong, Gainadi, Jiadhol, Kumotia and Lali are flowing above the danger level affecting 340 villages. Ranganadi, Rangajan, Dihing, Kakpoi and Tingra rivers are also overflowing flooding 100 villages in Lakhimpur.
SERS Public School organised a career cum motivational talk at its school premises on 15th September. It was organized to sensitise students on various career options and also how to be successful in life. Ranjan K Baruah of North East Youth Foundation (NEYF) was the resource person on the occasion. Students were told on various career options apart from effective time management, importance of attitude, life skills and importance of communication skill and other soft skills. Apart from the students, Biren Sarma, Managing Director of SERS Public School also attended the programme. NEYF is a Guwahati based youth organisation working with young people for vibrant civil society.
A protest meeting at Guwahati Press Club today demanded strict punishment to the killer and conspirators of Raihanul Nayum, a young reporter of Gana Chabuk- published from Dhubri-who was assassinated on September 8 by a mob generated after an incident of theft in a Kali temple.
Organized by Journalists’ Action Committee, the protest meeting also urged the government to pay a sum of Rs 10,00,000 as compensation to the family of Nayum.
Attended by the Guwahati based journalists, the meeting also resolved to pursues for a special protection law for the journalists on duty. They also urged the editorial heads of the media outlets in Assam to issue proper appointment letters/ identity...
A special event on the saint Sankaradeva was organised at Delhi on September 13 as part of the 'Srimanta Sankardeva Movement, Delhi Initiative, 2012' by the Assam Association of Delhi in association with Trend MMS in Delhi. The event was attended by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, HRD minister Kapil Sibal, and union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar. Noted actress Shabana Azmi, Former Assam Governot Lt. Gen. S K Sinha were among the participants.
Noted actor Victor Banerjee was speaking as the brand ambassador of the initiative. Sanjib Sabhapandit's short documentary on the saint Sankaradeva was appreciated by the audience at Kamani Auditorium. The dance-dram Chor Dhara Jhumura was a...
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi attended a huge rally organized by AJYCP on Saturday in Guwahati to show his solidarity with AJYCP. Talking to assamtimes, he said that KMSS stand was clear---to solve the issue of influx in a democratic manner. He said that the was no people conflict and we need a peaceful resolution. All district-level units of AJYCP joined the rally besides KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti. The protesters formed a human chain to highlight their concern and to pitch for their demand. The rally was organized under the banner of Sargahiti Srinkhal Samabesh.
Comments
Absolute rubbish!!... like
<p>It doesn't sounds good to
The Hindus robbed the culture
Pages
Add new comment