Khinyi Woch
President, Rengma Public Organization Kohima
Some facts concerning the position of the Rengma Nagas as well as issues of struggles, deprivations and discrimination faced by the Rengma community since the inception of the state of Nagaland till today, I believe, are worthy of revisiting and reanalyzing as the Nagas stand at a critical juncture of its existence.
We, the Rengmas, are believed to have migrated from South-east Asia through Burma (Myanmar) to Nagaland. According to oral traditional history, the Rengmas migrated from the Naga common place of dispersion, Khezhakhenoma to the present Rengma country.
At one point of time the Rengmas covered a huge chunk of land extending from Tseminyu region in Nagaland to the North-Eastern part of Assam which was earlier called the ‘Rengma Hills’ boundaring Golaghat in the North-east, North Kachar in the North-West and Nowgong in the South-West. Unfortunately, the drawing of an imaginary demarcation of State boundary between Assam and Nagaland, which were made purely temporary for political and administrative conveniences, separated the Rengmas and our land into two different states, Assam and Nagaland.
The Rengmas of Nagaland share boundaries with the Angamis in the South, Lothas in the North, Semas in the East and the state of Assam in the West with a population of 56,844 as per the 2011 census with 41 recognized villages and covering an area of more than 300 sq. kms in the heart of the state of Nagaland. The Rengmas are a distinct tribe with a unique historical identity and cultural heritage with their own clear demarcated ancestral land.
The Rengmas have also equally or rather significantly contributed towards the Naga political movement sincerely, including towards the formation of the state-hood of the Nagaland. Mr Nrilo Kent Rengma was one of the founding members of the Naga Club in 1918. Mr Rusilo Kent Rengma, Dobashi, was a signatory of the famous Memorandum submitted to the Simon Commission in 1929. Mr Whenha Rengma was an Executive Member of the Naga National Council (NNC) who later became its first Ato Kilonser was also the Rengma representative in Akbar Hadari 9-Points Agreement in 1947; and Mr P.Sentsi Rengma who was the Joint Secretary of the Naga Hills District Tribal Council (NHDTC) and Naga National Council (NNC) was also a signatory of the 16 Point Agreement in 1961; to name a few.
The Rengmas have a legitimate right to claim, protect and enjoy their justified share of recognition, privileges and development. However, over the course of history the Rengmas have been systematically deprived and neglected of many of their rights and privileges both in Nagaland and in Assam in significant ways.
1) Deprivation of the Assembly Constituency seats:
With the formation of the Nagaland state as a special category state under Article 371(A) with the 16-Points Agreement in 1961, during the Interim Body period, the Rengmas had two MLAs/Interim Body members namely, Shri Riga Thong and Shri Lothi Rengma who represented the Rengmas from 1961 to 1963. But when the 1st General Elections was conducted in the state of Nagaland, the Rengmas were deprived and reduced to a single Assembly seat.
It may be recollected that in the early days of the Naga political movement, the NNC President, Shri AZ Phizo who married a Rengma lady, was stationed in the Rengma land where the Naga national flag was also first hoisted at Parashen in 22nd March, 1956. In the Naga political history, Shri Whenha Rengma was also the first Ato Kilonser of the Federal Government of Nagaland. Owing to the above and the strong nationalistic inclinations in the Rengma land, the Rengmas were targeted by the Indian Army during their operations where uncountable precious Rengma lives were lost apart from the harsh torments suffered and almost all the Rengma villages were burnt down to ashes including all the granaries and other belongings. The villagers, young and old, men and women were tortured inhumanly, grouping them together at Tseminyu and other places far from their homes in many occasions, many of those who escaped also died out of starvation in jungles and many more died succumb to injuries.
On the other hand, many villagers/villages in the interior regions did not register themselves during the Indian Census of 1961 on being threatened by false propaganda being spread that registering in the Indian Census will lead to heavy taxation by Government of India. Consequently, the Census of 1961 figures showed a very different picture as a result of which the Rengmas were reduced to a single seat in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. Tseminyu continues to be subjugated and deprived till now of its rightful claims even after more than half a century of statehood. In 2003, The Delimitation Commission of India proposed 2 (Two) Assembly seats for the Rengmas by an adjustment of Assembly seats based on proportionate population but it continues to remain immaterialised and a far cry, yet to be implemented by the government till date while some others of smaller sizes and population continue to enjoy the privileges.
Therefore, the Rengmas legitimately and most-profoundly deserve at least two assembly constituency seats in view of the stated and acknowledged facts; and to better cater to the needs of the people and the region in proportion to its population, land and situation in the spirit of fairness, justice and equality.
2. Deprivation of a separate district for the Rengmas:
The Tseminyu sub-division is one of the oldest Administrative headquarter in Nagaland which was created in 1948 as a Bench Court under the Naga Hills District Assam in the following pattern:-
i. 18-06-1948: Rengma Bench Court under Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, Assam.
ii. 05-08-1956: Political Asst. to Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, Kohima, Assam.
iii. 19-05-1958: Circle Officer under Naga Hills Tuensang Area
iv. 19-04-1959 : Assistant Commissioner – II (AC-II) under Naga Hills Tuensang Area.
v. 10-04-1966: Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) under Kohima District.
vi. 26-01-1981: Sub-Divisional Officer Civil, SDO(C), under Kohima District.
vii. 18-06-1991: Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) HQ under Kohima District.
Tseminyu is the fifth administrative headquarter of the Naga Hills but continues to be deprived as a sub-division till date. Tseminyu administrative headquarter in now more than 70 years old. While new administrative headquarters have been created, upgraded and made into districts on various grounds such as political, administrative and tribal considerations to name a few, Tseminyu remains a sub-division in spite of meeting the benchmark on all fronts. The Rengma tribe is the only advanced tribe who does not enjoy its own separate District in Nagaland.
Therefore, Tseminyu ADC HQ must be upgraded to a district taking into consideration its own unique history and merits.
3) The discrimination of the Western Rengmas in Assam:
The Rengmas in Assam are sons of the soil and the original indigenous inhabitants of the land since times immemorial. The Rengma traditional boundary lied between Golaghat in North-eastern part of Assam and Nowgong in South-west. There were 52 Rengma villages under Assam at the time of British expedition of Assam during 1820 out of which 32 Rengma villages paid revenue tax (house tax) annually to the British Government. The Rengma Hills were divided into 3 divisions for ease of collection of revenue in the dense forest viz East Rengma Mouza (Selonijan, Bokajan, Surpadhur, Purpadhur areas); West Rengma Mouza (Diphu, Manju Areas) and Naga Rengma Mouza (Chukihula and adjacent to Kaziranga areas).
The Rengmas also participated during the Burma invasion in 1816 and 1819 in North-Assam and took care of the refugees of the Ahom King and the Burmese led by Rengma chieftain Keyhang (Keyhon) Rengma. An acknowledgement of the sacrifices of the Rengma chieftain and warrior Keyhang Rengma was conferred of the ‘Phukan’ title to him by the Ahom King. At the time of British expedition of Assam in 1839, the British Officer Lieutenant E.R. Grange desired to meet the Ahom Raja. However, the Ahom Raja reluctant to meet the British Officer in person directed Keyhang Phukan to meet the British Officer on his behalf. Keyhon Phukon with his full traditional attire met the British officer at Mohung Dehooa (Assam) in 1939. The British officer on seeing his strange appearance was dumb folded and asked Keyhon through his interpreter what they call ‘ghost’ or ‘nightmare’ in his dialect to which Keyhon Phukon replied ‘Remi’. The British officer recorded the word ‘Rengma’ in his diary according to what he heard. The word ‘Rengma’ whether through misinterpretation or for other reasons came to be used thereafter, it is believed.
The British Government declared the Rengma Hills in 1841 but after more than 100 years of its existence it was changed to Mikir Hills in 1951 and subsequently renamed to Karbi-Anglong in 1976.
Since then, the Rengmas and our land in Assam were exploited; the people suppressed and killed; houses and villages burnt; destruction of the primary source of income and forcefully driving Rengmas away from their own homes etc by the immigrants (Karbi militants) in the Rengma land. However, in spite of all these, by the grace of God and through the firm stand of the people to protect their land and identity, about 20 villages are still surviving today at the Rengma Hills, which has now being renamed to Karbi Anglong.
However, these Rengma villages continue to be neglected with no proper roads and means of communication, no proper schools, no proper basic necessities available to the people including health care services and security, poor electricity and proper drinking water supply to the villages. The plight of the people remains in pathetic state and a truly neglected case for ages past.
The Rengma Naga people in Assam, our identity and our ancestral lands not only needs due recognition but also protection by the Government; and so also the plight of the people needs to be catered upon. Therefore, the Government while considering the Naga political solution may revisit the history of the Rengmas in Assam, recognize our unique history as well as the numerous times the Rengma Nagas in Assam have been neglected and continue to be; and make the Naga political solution an inclusive one for the Rengmas in Assam too.
While putting forward the above cited concerns, some genuine and indicative immediate basic needs of the Rengma people in Assam to enjoy the basic minimum standard life are as follows:-
a) To open an administrative headquarter to oversee the proper administration of the area and to cater to the welfare of the people.
b) To construct at least 80 kms of proper roads and bridges to pass through the Rengma villages and to connect the Rengma villages from Chukihula via Nkhilari to Silonijan to ensure basic proper road connectivity.
c) To set up at least one centre school with hostels and staff quarters facilities at Phonchurup area.
d) To set up at least one centrally sponsored good hospital to provide proper healthcare facilities to the most-needed people at Jongpha area.
e) To help rehabilitate the people, reconstruct houses and properly re-habilated the villages that were destroyed and burnt down by Karbi militants leading to displacement of 9 Rengma villages.
f) To set up at least one rehabilitation centre with basic amenities available to the Naga National workers in the Nkhilari areas.
It is the hope and prayer of every Rengma with strong belief that the Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland who is also the Interlocutor of the Naga Peace talks; the PDA led Nagaland Government under the able leadership of Shri Neiphiu Rio and fellow Naga people will take these genuine concerns into consideration and cater to these urgent and genuine needs of the Rengma community which we believe are all well justified, legitimate and tenable demands to meet the aspirations of the Rengma people.
