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.
Bijni : A bomb exploded near Lasaiygaon Hosipital in a High Voltage Electricity Tower. Altogether 4 bombs were discovered and only one exploded. The rest of the three bombs were discovered alive. No casualties have been reported and power supply is also on. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast but police suspect the hand of ULFA in the blast. ULFA observes Martyr day on 27th July and hence every year it is observed that the subversive activities go up on or before this day
Sonapur : One person has been killed and many injured when one bus and one truck collided at 8 pm on Tuesday at Sonapur near Guwahati in NH 37.The person who has been killed has been identified as Dhal Chetri, Age 35 years. Many of the injured are in critical conditions and have been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital.The critically injured people are Arun Vaidya of Sapekhati, Prakash Choudhury ( location unknown) . Sajad Ahmed of Bokakhat, Pranjit Dutta of Birubari in Guwahati, Daulat Singh and Mrs Pabitri Singh of Nepal.
Dhemaji : The flood situation in Dhemaji district is improving and communication via road and train has also started.Road transport via Gogamukh to Dhemaji has been established after Army built a temporary bridge in Tengakhuwa.The Rangia Murkakselak rail route to Arunachal is operational again. This meter gauge railway line is the only connection to Arunachal Pradesh and is a major supply source to the State. This route was also badly damaged because of the flash floods caused by Kumotiya (Jiyadhal) on 12th of July 07. NF railway had worked overtime to repair it from the next day itself.
Shillong: Julius Dorphang, the chairman of the dreaded Hymmetrip National Liberation Council (HNLC), a Khasi militant organisation based out of Meghalaya surrendered alongwith four others before the Meghalaya Chief Minister, DD Lapang. The HNLC is a banned organisation. The HNLC was formed in 1992 and is the oldest militant organisation of Meghalaya.
Guwahati : AASU had called for a Rail Abarodh on Tuesday between 11 am to 3 pm. Trains services were disrupted in Guwahati, Lumding, Lakua, Sarupathar, Kokrajhar and various other places in Assam.CPRO, NF railway has communicated that a goods train was blocked in Guwahati and this delayed many outgoing trains. The Brahmaputra Mail, NE express and Amritsar Express were amongst those mails which were effected.In Sarupathar, AASU activists were lathicharged as they tried to stop the Lumding- Tinsukia inter-city.
Tezpur: The army has decided to step up action against ULFA.This was decided in a Senior Commanders meeting held at the Headquarters of IV core in Tezpur on Monday. The meeting was presided by GOC Lt General R K Chabra and was attended by the GOCs IN C's of all divisions under IV core. PRO, Colonel Narender Singh said that the decison to mount pressure on ULFA was taken to prevent the threat that ULFA creates ahead of its martyr day on 27th July and the Independence Day of India on 15th of August. It has been observed that ULFA increases its subversive activities on or before this period every year.It has also been decided to keep strict vigilance on the Assam-Meghalaya border and the...
Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi will leave for New Delhi today for three days to attend the swearing in ceremony of Pratibha Patil, the 12th President of India. He would be returning to Assam on 26th of July 07.
Guwahati: A young couple Raj Kumar Choudhury and Priti Choudhury commited suicide in Ganeshguri Chariali at Sinha Lodge on Sunday night as they were unable to stay together as Priti was married to another person. The couple committed suicide together and left behind a note donating their dead body to the Guwahati Municipality Corporation Hospital Raj Kumar Choudhurys father is a Mouzadar in Ghagrapar in Nalbari and he himself was an active Congress worker. Priti Choudhurt and he had known each other for a long time but she was married to another person and hence due to peer and family pressures they could not come together. Priti had come to Guwahati on 14th April 2007 for Athmangala and...
Gurgaon : The “Millennium City” that’s the word that has been coined for Gurgaon. The Millennium city with its huge Assamese population formally got its own Assam Association with the completion of the registration formalities on 13th of July 2007.The association has been registered under the Societies Act 1860 of India. Assam Association of Gurgaon was formed on 11th of Feb 2007 by a group of people from Assam and well-wishers of Assam, currently residing or having his place of business in the Millennium city of Gurgaon. The association is a socio-cultural non-profit society. The main objectives of the association are to achieve harmony, bonhomie, camaraderie of the...
Golaghat : One ANLA activist was killed while three others managed to escape in a fierce fighting between the ANLA activists and a joint team of CRPF and Golaghat Police at Naojan Pachim Beelpar bordering Dhansiri Sarupathar subdivision.Golagaht police received a tip off on the ANLA activists in the area and they laid an ambush for the activists alongwith the CFPF team. The ANLA activists were armed heavily and hence heavy fighting broke out. There were no reports of casualities or injuries from the police side.
Comments
Absolute rubbish!!... like
<p>It doesn't sounds good to
The Hindus robbed the culture
Pages
Add new comment