Manoranjan Pegu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQpxuQDWe38   Bangalore is a major destination for migrant workers belonging to the Mising community. The Misings are the second largest tribe in Assam in northeast India. Today morning, I spoke to Ghanadhar Jimey, who is the vice president of the Mising society of Bangalore, who is actively engaged in distributing relief materials to the workers stranded in Bangalore. Key takeaways from the chat are:- About 2000 Migrant workers from the mising community are currently in Bangalore. They work as security guards, waiters, in the hotel industry, sales executive, and in retail stores. A considerable number of the migrants have lost their jobs, while some are home without pay. All of them stay in rented rooms with bare minimum facilities. Many are surviving on credit from the nearby grocery stores. The workers over the years have been able to establish relationships with the neighborhood grocery stores which enables them to get the essential requirements on credit. However, even the stores now need cash, so borrowing is not an option anymore. Many are surviving on money sent from their families back home. While a good number had also come to Bangalore just before the lockdown. They are surviving on the goodwill of their roommates, as they have not earned any salaries yet. The Mising society of Bangalore, through funds collected from their members, contributions from generous individuals, and the support of an NGO, has been able to reach out of almost 1500 migrants. Relief support is mostly given as rations packets. They need as many volunteers as possible. Those who work have been issued passes by the Nodal officer responsible for Northeastern people in Bangalore. A good thing is that a considerable number of the received some bit of aid from the Assam government and also the Mising Autonomous council. The amount, even though, less is of much help. Many workers highlighted that they would go back home after the lockdown ends. some because they lost their jobs while the majority of them are being called back home by their families. It could be a long time before they return to work again. “There is a need to learn newer skills in Bangalore and then eventually go back to Assam and start their own ventures”, highlight Ghana in the interview. (This interview is the first in a series of interviews I plan to take on the effect of COVID19 on the Mising community. Keep watching this space for more updates and interviews)

Let me start with a disclaimer. This is not an academic piece, but a blog based on lived experiences of me and my relatives. I do intend to dig deeper and write a more detailed piece later but that shall have to wait for now.  Today, I woke up to a news, a Facebook post from a Mising man in Dhakuakhana, sent to me by a friend in WhatsApp. The post highlighted that one of his cousin sisters had earlier been married to a Nyishi Man, as his third wife, but has been divorced by the man and has been made to work as a dish-washer in a Dhaba in Bandarduwa in the Assam-Arunachal Border.  The Misings, who were originally claimed to be from Arunachal, since their migration to the plains of Assam have also went back to the hills either for work or marriage. Bulk of the immigration that happens from the Misings to Arunachal was for work. Arunachal was always seen as the ‘affluent neighbor' which had bountiful of natural resources (read forests and wood) and there was also a demand for workers. Many traveled as household help, sawmill workers, and domestic servants. However, Misings did not necessarily loved going there and migrated only when they had no other choice. Working in Arunachal came with its limitations. Work was difficult, even though the pay was good. Many of my relatives came back with Malaria. The workers had no choice and were employed as bonded laborers. Some of the people in our villages had managed to escape after years of working there.  The Misings were also seen as a source of brides for the Arunachali men. The proximity in language, culture and belief system helped. But rarely were they love marriages (in earlier days). Most often ‘wealthy' folks would arrive at Mising villages, choose a bride, negotiate with the family and then marry. While some lived happily ever after, many did not meet the same fate, like the case described above. Often, the misings were chosen as second or third wives of the polygamous wealthy men in Arunachal Pradesh.  In the modern-day, however, such instances of forced labor and bride migration have reduced significantly, due to the increased awareness among the people. Modern media, easy transportation, and communication have helped in developing this understanding. Also, bonded labor has been abolished in AP. With logging restricted, many sawmills are closed and  Arunachal is no longer a distant mysterious land but a neighbor with a similar culture, language and belief system. There are significant efforts for collaboration, especially among the Tani tribes, to collectively research shared history and language.  However, things are still not very rosy in the rural hinterlands. Cases like above highlight that there is a strong need to empirical investigate the process of migration from the Mising community to Arunachal Pradesh and sociological understand the socio-cultural and demographic changes it is bringing forth within the community.   

The Mising community of Assam celebrates it's Agom Longe’ (Language Day) on 30th october every year. It was on this day in 1985, that the Mising language was first recognized by the Assam government. The recognition came after a long struggle and ended with the signing of a memorandum with the govt. of Assam that allowed Mising language to be taught in primary schools, particularly in the Mising dominated areas. Prior to that a new organization was formed named Agom miming kebang at the behest of the student union and other organizations of the community. The organization also demanded the broadcasting of news in Mising language in AIR and to increase the time slot for Mising program in AIR. Takam Mising Mime’ Kebang, a Mising women‘s organization was also formed to propagate and to take care of the cultural part of the Mising nationality. Language and Culture are defining features of a person’s identity, contributing to how they see themselves and the groups with which they identify.  While Culture may be broadly defined as the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings, which is transmitted from one generation to another, Language is intrinsic to the expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity. It is the means by which culture and its traditions and shared values may be conveyed and preserved. Evolution of the Mising Language The Mising language has passed through various distinct stages. Folk stories have it that the Misings had their own distinct script and history which were being written on animal skin. But since there was a severe drought leading to an acute shortage of food, the youth of the community, disobeying the request of the elderly, fed on those skin, leading to permanent loss of the script and document history of the community. The Misings, originally a hill tribe, after migrating from the plains, came into direct contact with Assamese culture and habits. There was an increasing need to ‘fit in’ and also maintain their distinct identity, resulting in an environment of confusion. Soon after came the forces of sanskritization, trying to absorb the Misings under its grip. Thus, the Misings felt the need of preserving their language and identity. Various scholars, after having serious of consultations and discussions, under the aegis of Mising Agom Ke’bang, started using the roman script and also constructed a definite style of grammar to be used in writing the language. They then started demanding the recognition of the Mising language and insisted that it be taught in primary schools. After a long struggle, the demands were accepted and the Mising language was recognized. A separate program in AIR (every Wednesday evening) was also aired in Mising language.  This development led to an increasing sense of solidarity and formation of a distinct socio-political identity. Challenges: The Mising society is on crossroads. Due to a rapid process of acculturation and ‘modernization’, the Mising culture is on a fast road to decline. Out of all the reasons for the Misings slowly ‘losing’ their culture, the most important and perhaps the most dreadful is the ‘constant neglect’ it suffers from its own people. The Mising community is today divided into two classes, first being a small minority of middle class and lower middle-class people, who are flourishing with every passing day. Most of them are employed in government services and hold ‘important positions’ in the community, thereby exerting considerable political and social power. The second half is the majority of Mising population, who are getting pushed towards the deeper margins of poverty. The latter, today, holds on the remaining facets of Mising culture. It is this group, who still speaks the language, observes all the rituals and celebrates the Mising festivals. Today, not many people speak the language. With the increasing attack of modernity, the language has lost its original form. It is no longer taught in schools and the Mising Agom Ke’bang is in doldrums. Recommendations While there have been attempts to revive the language and culture, the results of the same are yet to be seen. The new leadership that has emerged needs to be encouraged and new innovations need to be made in the religions and the rituals so that it can be made adaptable and appropriate for the larger benefit of the society. Moreover, institutionalized approaches needs to be taken in the field of language to revive it to its former glory. Some of the steps that could be taken are:- One of the key reasons for fast eroding of Mising culture and language is  due to decline of ‘passing down’ of Mising values and faiths through social and family networks. Parents no longer encourage their children to speak the language or participate in family/village/community rituals. Also many of today’s youth mention ‘disinterest’ in their parents as one of the key reasons for their ignorance. Thus, the parents should be encouraged to orient their kids about the richness of Mising culture and the benefits of speaking one’s own language. Moreover, there is a need to conduct comprehensive researches on the belief system and divide the secular and religious elements present in it. While fighting conversion itself is not ideal and may bring forth conflict, blatant discarding of the secular beliefs like the not participating in Ali-aye-Ligang and other festivals etc. should be discouraged. Mobilizing the youth, by giving rational explanation to all their questions. Books and materials in Mising/Assamese and English should be published, for the students to read and understand the Mising culture. The published materials should be accessible to all sections of the community. Including Mising textbooks and curriculum in the Education system. While some schools have included it in the primary, they are yet to yield much interest, due to lack of books, constant changes in the script etc. Efforts to mitigate the problems affecting the implementation of Mising curriculum should be resolved as soon as possible. Making necessary adjustments to traditional beliefs to adapt to the current environment. And an entire community wide campaign on reviving culture should be launched. (All the views expressed here are personal and is based on researches done by the author. The author own the copy rights to this article. The extended version of this article was published in the Assamese newspaper, The Assam Tribune as editorial on the November 8, 2013)