Saturday, November 15, 2008

Be the first reader of this Tani poem:ARO TANI(THE TRUE TANI)

Read the first ever Tani poem published on net in Mising Tani language composed by Mg.Polo Bomi
Aro Tani
Adi ara:lo, aying amo:lo
Do:mír taléto,among ara:bo
Aro Taniyé

Ager gertengé, do:ying kítengé
Adi barténgé, lékor korténgé
Du:yaryé lo:dípé
Aíké amigki kasudag, néppangki lusudag
Aíké alagki gersudag,aléki gísudag
Aro Tanibí
Manying ma:namdé,ager gernamdé
Tani légangé mimag monamdé
Aro Taniké
Du:yaryé mé:lod-gíloddé
Lo:dípé ka:begtíyé yalodém
Aro Taniké simangé kamang


The English version of the above poem is given below:

THE TRUE TANI
Mg.Polo Bomi
In the mountains, on the land of plains
Up above in the heaven, deep inside the earth surface
Everywhere live the True Tani
While he works, while he tell tales
While he climb over the mountains
While hymns are sang
He lives longer

He sees with his own eyes, speak with thine mouth
Works with own hands, stands up on his own leg
The True Tani

The dream he sees the work he does
The struggle he leads
It’s for the Tanis
His ideals and ideas will live longer
He’ll see his own shadow forever
No corpse of his lie anywhere

Friday, November 14, 2008

A Worth Remembering Conflict resolution between Tanis

Resolving conflicts
Misunderstandings, differences, conflicts, clashes between different groups, communities may arise from time to time due to varied perceptions. To prevent the occasional misunderstandings may not be feasible but it always can be patched up. The disputes should not be used as a convenient cause to drive a permanent wedge between two groups. The recent example displayed by the people of a border village in resolving their dispute is worth emulating. A violent clash notwithstanding which led to a firing incident could not stand in the way of finding an amicable solution and restoring the age old spirit of unity and friendship between the two groups. The people of Pale village in the Assam, Arunachal Pradesh border recently locked horns over a host of issues. The dispute took a turn for the worse with both the parties to the dispute hardening their stands. One of the groups — Takam Mising Porin Kebang enforced an economic blockade to protest against the firing incident at the Pale border village near Likabali in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

However, before the situation could deteriorate any further saner counsel prevailed. Within a week of the firing incident both the groups —Takam Mishing Porin Kebang and Galo Welfare Society along with Galo Students’ Union sat down for talks at Silapathar and sorted out the differences. The economic blockade was lifted and normalcy restored. Both the groups agreed to resolve all outstanding issues, including boundary dispute, through such peaceful negotiations and coordination meetings between members of both communities.Without letting the situation go out of hand both the groups acted promptly and handled the crisis in an amicable manner. Their action also helped in restoration of peace and harmony amongst the villagers residing in the inter-State boundary. Without keeping the issue alive both the groups resolved the differences amongst themselves without involving any third party. The groups also refrained from taking any help from the judiciary to solve the dispute. Nor did they allow any political party to fish in troubled waters and thereby keep the issue alive. The example set by the groups needs to be replicated. It will go a long way in resolving a host of disputes plaguing the State. People’s involvement can definitely help in resolving a number of local problems for which the politicians and the administration have no solution. Such an approach will also help in promoting better ties among different communities.

Courtesy:The Assam Tribune,Editorial15/11/2008

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

A Flood ravaged aerial picture of Majuli Island


Photo:The Assam Tribune

Tani Brothers writes back


Photo:Dilip Taid, An inside view of the'méram' (hearth)of a traditional Mising stilt house.Here an oldwoman sits near the 'méram'.
This part of the texts is taken from The Arunachal Times,Novenmber 12,2008 of Reader's Column

Thanks to TMPK and Mising community of Jonai sub-division
Madam,
Through the column of your esteemed daily, I would like to extend my heartiest thanks to Takam Mising Porin Kébang (TMPK) of Jonai-Dhemaji, Mising community of Jonai sub-division and also specially heartiest thanks to those volunteers of TMPK and Mising community who have escorted our aspirants brother and sister who appeared an interview in the department of Tax and Excise in the state Capital. They arrived in full packed of three APST buses along with the banner ‘Siang Adi candidates for interview, department of tax and excise” from Jonai to Gogamukh in Assam during the indefinite bandh call in Dhemaji district in connection wit the recent incident occurred at Pale-Diimo area.
I have not seen buses with banner during the bandh call in the last ten years of my stay in Itanagar and I was shocked to see such buses with banner at Itanagar on Nov 8 morning.
Here I remember the history/story about Adi-Mising (Adi-Mising Doying) and communities relationship between its and migration of Mising in Assam plain.
Since pre-independence Adi (Padam) of Tayeng clan and Mishing clan of Tayeng, Tayung and Taye so on are tie-up and make brotherhoodness (Ani-Biiro). Not only the Tayeng clan of Padam but also some clan of similar clan of Padam also tie-up/make brotherhoodness to some Mising clan of Pegu, Doley, Morang and so on.
Lastly, I, once against thank the aforesaid community for their good help to our brothers and sister. And I also on behalf of the Siang Adi community as well as on my own behalf, would like to request both the communities to solve the matter immediately to bring normalcy and to see that such incidents do not occur in future.
Yours,
Bomtem Tayeng
Research Colony
Itanagar

Appeal for permanent solution to border tension
Madam,
Through the column of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the present government, NGO’s, students union in general and the district administration of East Siang in particular regarding the recent firing incident at Demow.
The incident escalated to East Siang and Upper Siang district, creating anarchy and chaos for people living in border areas of Ruksin and Nari and Seren.
On Nov 7 last, I along with my nephew Samuel Paron of Ngorlung village Ruksin circle went to Jonai to purchase a wall clock for a bereaved family, while returning back around 30-40 TMPK youth from Assam attacked us with sharp weapons leaving my nephew with grievous head and chest injury. This incident happened just in front of Arunachal Pradesh Police.
We have lodged an FIR at Ruksin Police Station but till date there is no initiative and action against those culprits. The public, Panchayat leaders, students union of Ruksin area conducted a meeting to solve the ongoing situation and called on TMPK youths a bring normalcy on the area.
We have also asked the district administration and local police to bring an amicable solution but our prayers and initiative to save our life and property has been turned down repeatedly.
Therefore, I appeal the government of Arunachal Pradesh, students union and all Arunachalees to stand up and unite together to bring a permanent solution to this problem.
Yours,
Opang Taying
Ruksin, East Siang District

TMPK blockade lifted against Arunachal

The Assam Tribune,11-11-2008


ITANAGAR, Nov 10 – Barely a week after the Pale village firing incident, the people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, in yet another instance of keeping their age-old pahar-bhaiyam samparka (hills-plains relationship) alive, splendidly solved the petty differences amongst them paving the way for lifting of economic blockade called by Takam Mising Porin Kébang (TMPK) against Arunachal, especially West Siang district.This breakthrough was achieved during a ‘peace talk’ held between the representatives of agitating TMPK and Galo Welfare Society – the apex body of Arunachal’s Galo community along with Galo Students’ Union, at Silapathar in Dhemaji district on Sunday. The economic blockade as well as bandh against Arunachal Pradesh was given by TMPK in protest against the reported firing incident of November 3 at the border village, Pale, near Likabali in West Siang district of Arunachal. The peace meeting, which was also attended by the MLA of Silapathar, Bhuban Pegu, unanimously agreed to make “serious attempts” to resolve all outstanding issues, including boundary dispute, through such peaceful negotiations and coordination meetings between both community members, said Tomo Basar, general secretary of Galo Welfare Society. He further said a fact-finding committee, comprising representatives from both sides, will be visiting the affected areas later today to make an assessment of the matter and will submit report to their respective district administrations. They will have also another joint visit to the areas later this month to restore the sense of peace and harmony amongst the villagers inhabiting along the inter-State boundary.

TMPK lifts economic blockade against Arunachal Pradesh

Photo:Dilip Taid
A Mising Folk dance '' Gumrag" somewhere nearby a serene forest
New Dawn of Tani Brotherhood

The Arunachal Times,10 November,2008

ITANAGAR, Nov 09: The peace talk held between the delegates of Galo Welfare Society (GWS), Galo Students Union (GSU) and the TMPK, the student organization of Mishing community at Silapathar, Assam today succeeded to resolve the recent crisis generated out of the dispute at Pale Village of West Siang.
The peace meeting was also attended by Bhuban Pegu, MLA Silapathar.
It was resolved in the peace talks that a fact finding team comprising members from GWS and GSU and TMPK shall visit the place of incident tomorrow ( Nov 10) and after thorough assessment shall submit a report to the district administrations of West Siang and Dhemaji districts. After joint visit of place of incident TMPK will call off the band and lift economic blockade with effect from 9 am tomorrow.
Other resolutions adopted in the peace talks read: ‘After the election of GSU from Nov 18 to 22 next, the new committee of GSU and TMPK shall make joint visit to the affected villages on both the sides of the boundary and conduct peace restoring meetings for lasting peace.
‘Both the parties also agreed to make serious attempt to resolve all the outstanding issues including the boundary dispute between the two communities through peaceful negotiations and time to time coordination meetings between both the student organizations.
‘Both the sides expressed disappointment on the incident and condemned the inactiveness on the part of district administrations of West Siang and Dhemaji to tackle the situation and appealed for prompt legal action as per law on the involved people’, according to a GWS release

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Peace talk with TMPK in Pasighat to defuse tension

The Arunachal Times,November 08
PASIGHAT, Nov 07: To maintain peace, social harmony and tranquility, a ‘peace talk’ was held at Ruksin today between ABK (East Siang Unit) delegates and TMPK executive body members and its allied groups to find out an acceptable solution to defuse the tension raised due to Demou firing incident occurred on Nov 3 last.
In the meeting the TMPK consented to withdraw ban on “Bus and Sumo services” only and allowed to ply over NH-52A from Pasighat – Itanagar carrying candidates for interviews, students’ movement for unions/organizations, participants for Indigenous Youth Festival’08 and patients for medical treatments and left the final decision for permanent withdrawal of bandh to their central executive committee.
It was also resolved that both the TMPK and ABK with the supports of youths and students unions/ organizations jointly would urge the West Siang District Administration in particular and the Arunachal Pradesh Govt in general to immediately arrest the culprits, involved in the firing incident.
The president and general secretary (ABK East Siang district unit) alongwith president ABYK and secretary ABSU further urged the president TMPK Naresh Kumbang to withdraw economic blockage to bring normalcy for the larger interest of innocent people of Arunachal Pradesh and to arrange for a joint meeting with the Central Executive Body of TMPK at the earliest with the representatives of all three affected districts, East Siang, West Siang and Upper Siang for permanent peace settlement between Mishing and Aruna-chalees. Reports H K Roy, IPR

TMPK's economic-blockade continues,plea for normalcy


The Assam Tribune,November 8,2008
Itanagar, Nov 7 – The Arunachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha has urged the State Government to take up ‘time-bound measures’ for bringing back peace and tranquility in violence-hit Pale and Dimo villages of West Siang district bordering Assam’s Dhemaji district. Amid the lingering border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh that remains a major cause of concern for the people of both neighbouring States, things turned volatile recently after villagers from both States were involved in offensive acts over the past few days.The State BJYM along with its Kisan Morcha and West Siang district BJP, in a joint representation to the State chief secretary, urged upon the government to initiate ‘prompt’ and ‘concrete’ mechanism to find a solution to the issues of border disputes. BJYM president Chau Ambika Enling came down heavily on the Congress-ruled government in the State for allegedly keeping silence on the matter, and failing to formulate any time-bound policy in handling the issues of border dispute.The All Arunachal Pradesh Maxi Cab Association has expressed its torment over the recent dispute between the Assam-Arunachal villagers near Likabali which resulted in road blockade by an angry mob from Assam. The Association’s president Takar Goi appealed to the Assam Government, especially Dhemaji district administration to persuade the agitators not to harass their fellow Arunachali commuters traveling by the said route. He also appealed to the Governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to initiate necessary steps for settlement of ongoing dispute through dialogues to give peace a chance to prevail upon both sides of Assam-Arunachal border.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Mahi Chandra Miri:A Great Soul of Mising


Photo:The Assam Tribune,Horizon,Nov 03, 2008

The Mising Tani People dedicates this page to the Great Soul of Mising people -Mahi Chandra Miri,the man who shaped world-famed Kaziranga National Park amidst great adversaries even at the cost of his life.Please read the following next article of this page to know more about this famous personality of the Mising Tanis.

The Man Behind the Kaziranga National Park:Mahi Chandra Miri


By Ramani Kanta Deka,Horizon ,The Assam Tribune,Nov 03,2008

MAHI CHANDRA MIRI, whose appear-ance in the then dwindling Ka-ziranga game reserve gave it a new lease of life, was born in 1903 at village Alimur of Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district. Mahi Miri’s father was Doley Miri, a leading man of his community. He was a disciple of Pitambar Dev Goswami of Garmur Satra of Majuli. Although he was uneducated, he encouraged his sons to pursue higher education.Mahi Miri was brought up in the midst of scenic beauty of nature that shaped his young mind. Tall and handsome, he loved outdoor sports like snake catching and different types of games that were in vogue in those days. Mahi Miri was admitted in Sivasagar Town Government HE School. A makeshift thatched cottage was built by his father on a plot of hired land at Sivasagar where Mahi spent his school days along with his younger brother. In 1923, he passed his matriculation exam with flying colours and got admitted in Cotton College, Guwahati. He stayed at Cotton Hindu Hostel 3rd Mess where he met Dr Hiranya Bhuyan, who went on to become the principal of Cotton College, late Harendra Nath Baruah, an illustrious journalist, Punyeswar Sarmah, former mouzadar of Japihugia of Sibsagar district, and many other illuminaries as his fellow boarders. Sarmah, now 103 years old, while recollecting his fond memory of his hostel days, told me that his senior hostel mate Mahi Miri possessed a commanding personality. So much so that junior boarders feared to walk beside his room. He was loved and respected by all the boarders. He was a good athlete and a tennis player. Legendary Prof PC Roy, who was a sportsman par excellence, loved Mahi and sometimes used to play with him in the tennis court between the fourth and the fifth block of the hostel.Besides being a brilliant student Mahi Miri was soft spoken, well disciplined and always regular in his studies. He passed BSc from Cotton College securing second class 14th position in Physics (honours) in 1927. This was indeed an academic achievement so to speak for Miri, since Calcutta University of those days included a vast geographical area including undivided Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.On January 4, 1929 Simon Commission visited Shillong. A memorandum was submitted to the commission by a deputation representing the interests of the depressed and the tribal communities of the province. Headed by Rai Saheb Sonadhar Senapati, the eight-member deputation included Nila Kanta Hazarika (father of Dr Bhupen Hazarika) and Mahi Chandra Miri, among others. Sonadhar Senapati was highly impressed with the personality of Miri who was a promising youth and ultimately became his eldest son-in-law in 1932.In 1929 Mahi Miri along with Madhab Bhattacharjee was selected for Imperial Forest Service and sent to Rangoon for training in the Forest College there. They were the first Assamese selected for covetous Imperial Forest Service. Of course, an ex-Cottonian Jyotirmoy Banerjee was enrolled in the Imperial Forest Service but he did not belong to Assam. After training at Rangoon, Mahi Miri was posted at Guwahati in 1931 as extra assistant conservator of forest.In 1932, Sonadhar Senapati’s eldest daughter Indira, who was then one of the handful of lady graduates of the depressed classes, was married to Mahi Chandra Miri in the face of serious social persecution. Such inter-caste marriage was unheard of in those days.Like his farmer father, Mahi Miri too was a great patron of learning and that was why he financially helped the poor and backward but promising Mising students with financial help so that they could pursue their studies in right earnest.Around 1934, Mahi Miri was transferred to Bagari range of the then Kaziranga game sanctuary with headquarter at Golaghat. Miri was entrusted with the challenging task of surveying and organizing the sanctuary. Immediately after his arrival, Mahi Miri made his temporary camp at Bagari, being a convenient place to look after the game sanctuary. AJ Milroy, a veteran British forester whose contribution for the preservation of Assam forest and its wealth was immense, was instrumental in deputing Miri to Kaziranga. Milroy is credited to have compiled a valuable book named Game Preservation in India: Assam, published by the Bombay Natural History Museum in 1934. It was Milroy who stopped the indiscriminate poaching of rhinos and elephants in Manas Reserve Forest in the 1930s by placing a platoon of Assam Rifles there. It was also Milroy who opened for the first time Kaziranga to visitors in 1938, when Mahi Miri was very much present in Kaziranga Reserve Forest. In this connection, I would like to mention the name of Englishman late EP Gee, a great naturalist. A Cambridge graduate, Gee joined Assam Tea Company as a manager in the early 1930s. His famous book Wild Life of India is accepted as a scholarly treatise on the fauna of India. It was Gee who introduced a scientific approach to wild animals. Both Miri and Gee appreciated each other so far as Kaziranga was concerned and both of them possessed scientific approach to the wild.When Mahi Miri joined Kaziranga it was “all swamp and leeches”. EP Gee wrote that even elephants would not venture there. Gee also mentioned that the sanctuary got a facelift due to the energetic leadership of Milroy and Mahi Miri. When Miri joined at Bagari the sanctuary was virtually inaccessible without any network of roads, etc. Miri’s presence in Kaziranga was a meteor-burst. He found dozens of empty makeshift thatched shelters of poachers scattered on the banks of the beels inside Kaziranga where poachers reigned supreme. Miri by virtue of his constant vigil and tremendous labour could put a check on poaching. He used to get up at dawn and then kept vigil on the sanctuary on elephant back to check poaching. He used to sit on top of a nearby hill of Karbi Anglong district equipped with binoculars and no sooner did he see poachers, he rushed on elephant back to catch them and sometimes at the risk of his own life. In the 1970s that hilltop was named after him as ‘Mahi Miri Tower’. Indira Miri, wife of Mahi Miri, once told me that when he served at Bagari range once his British DFO, who came from Jorhat, rudely behaved Miri for no fault of his. Since Miri was a man of honour and principle, he at once wrote his resignation letter and handed it over to the British DFO. The latter realized his fault and apologized to Miri. Chandra Phukan, the celebrated actor-dramatist and mouzadar of Kuthori mouza, who was also a wildlife lover was a close friend of Miri. Both of them were multifaceted men in their respective fields. The neighbouring villagers loved Miri for his helping hand in the hour of their need. He also helped the marooned people when the scourge of high flood was the annual feature.In those British days, the officers of the British Imperial Services were allowed to avail Furlough (long leave of absence on half pay). It was usually availed by those officers who served in inhospitable areas. But Miri refused to avail Furlough for the sake of his dear Kaziranga, come what may.Because of his inhuman labour in the inhospitable place like Kaziranga, he caught the dreaded black water fever and got treatment at Golaghat. But alas! Miri succumbed to the disease, leaving behind his young wife and three kids in 1939. In Mahi Miri’s death, conservator Makernes Sahab wrote: “We have lost the jewel of the forest department.” EP Gee’s appreciation of Miri was equally eloquent: “The man who put Kaziranga in the world map, I have talked to the forest officer, who was the first to be deputed to survey Kaziranga in the mid-thirties. He found poachers’ camp at every beel (small lake) and 40 carcasses of rhinos with horn removed... The first two years of Bagari were really tough for Miri. He used to get up at 3 am in morning and go to round the area to check poaching on elephant back... After the illegal shooting was brought under control to some extent, Miri shifted his HQ to Golaghat. For some time, he was posted as DFO at Jorhat. During this time Miri caught the first live rhino in Kaziranga and sent it to the USA. Towards the end of 1938, he came back to Golaghat and met with the premature death on July 29, 1939...”To quote the words of Sir Surendra Nath Banerjee, Miri was, “a man amongst men, a prince amongst his peers.” His life was a blighted genius, the fruition of which would have enriched the world of fauna. Indeed, a light is extinguished and a great voice is hushed into silence.

Tani Brotherhood rifts:4 Misings injured by Galo in Dimow

The Assam Tribune,04 November,2008
SILAPATHAR, Nov 3 – Four persons of Dimow under Silapathar PS in Dhemaji district America Mili (25), son of Nageswar Mili, Saheb Panging (10), son of Muhi Panging, Baba Panging (25), son of Guleswar Panging and Silsilai Mili (22), son of Bidya Mili sustained serious injuries this afternoon when Arunachalis allegedly opened fire on Assam-Arunachal border. According to sources, the six youths of Assam were returning after bathing in Dimow river at noon, when they were attacked by 40-50 Arunachalis. The sources also added that land dispute problems of Assam-Arunachal are the main cause behind the incident.People of Assam and Arunachal both claimed as their own land although the land is on the map of Sissi revenue block of Assam. Situation is tense in the area even as the culprits have been identified as Marto Nuri, Goa Riba, Tayor Bam and Ibam Riba of Pale Basti of Arunachal Pradesh.Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) has declared economic blockade in Dhemaji district for an indefinite period. General secretary of TMPK, Johan Doley said that due to the negligent attitude of Assam-Arunachal authorities such incidents have been occuring in the area. He also said his organisation has been demanding solution to the border dispute, but authorities has not taken measures in this regard. He also demanded seizure of the guns of Arunachalis and arrest of the culprits as early as possible, failing which the organisation will resort to agitation.Dimow Regional Students Union has also condemned the incident and criticised the district authority’s negligence towards problems although the disputed land has been declared as under Section 144 IPC.
Ngok Mé:lod: The land dispute row between Mising and Galos shouldn't be given a political colour by either side since Mising-Galo are kin to each other.The problem should be solved through discussion among both the Tani people.No side should cross the limit.

AAPSU opposes Autonomous Council demand

ITANAGAR, Nov 3 – Hundreds of people including students today took out a procession here under the banner of All Arunachal Pradesh students union (AAPSU) to protest against demands for creation of autonomous councils in some parts of the State.Shouting slogans against the demand for creation of Mon autonomous council comprising Tawang and West Kameng district on the Sino-India border and Patkai autonomous council in Changlang district on Myanmar border, they covered a few kms from Aakashdeep market to the Raj Bhavan.In a statement AAPSU described the move as an attempt to divide the State and said the students body has always strived for unity among different tribes in the State. – PTI

Talks with state government on Mising issues by TMPK, MMK, TMMK

A new update is being shared by the Chief Minister of Assam that the state government has set for talks with the national organisations or M...