The Rengma Hills
The Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council, Assam would like to bring out the undisputed historical records of our Ancestors which have and would stand the test of times and the adversaries’ cunning efforts to eliminate our peoples’ history from our very own homeland. Our history dates back to time immemorial and is not confined to the 19th Century. Even J.P Mills whose present was 1936 when he wrote his book “The Rengma Nagas”, makes reference to more than a hundred years or more in the past from his present thus referring to an uncertain timeline. To learn of our migration, one must take into consideration the various waves that even the 19th century visitor J.P Mills wasn’t aware of.
When it comes to migration, every other tribe has migrated from somewhere to the present, no one germinated from the soil like a plant does. The question is not who is living in our homeland or how it is known today. The question is who was first to walk these lands. Who was first to drink from its rivers, cultivate its lands and sleep on its bosoms? we don’t deny what our homeland is called today. What matters is how and why the Rengma homeland is what it is today. History is what we need to look back to and reinstate the inherent rights of the Rengma Nagas.
As far as the original homeland of the Mikirs/Mikir Hills is concerned, Alexander Mackenzie in his book, “History of the relations of the government with the hill tribes of the north-east frontier of Bengal (1884)” Wrote ….
“Their length from east to west is about 50 miles, and breadth from north to south about 30 miles…… Beyond that point the hills are occupied by the Rengma Nagas” (pg. 213, 2nd Para). This is the original Mikir hills which today is the West Karbi Anglong District or Hamren District, the original home of the Mikirs. Do the conversion of miles into kilometer and calculate the area and it shall come to 3884.98 Sq.Km. The area of West Karbi Anglong today as per the official website is 3035 Sq.Km. A very acceptable difference, as Mackenzie didn’t used the sophisticated measuring and survey devices that we have today.
The Rengma Naga country covers an area of 7399 Sq. Km as of today, which is the whole of Karbi Anglong excluding Mikir Hills. Today the West Karbi Anglong (Mikir Hill) and Karbi Anglong (Rengma Hills) forms the Undivided Karbi Anglong with 10,434 Sq. Km in total.
Also, about the migration of Mikirs to the present Rengma Naga homeland, Mackenzie further wrote ……
“According to their own tradition they originally occupied the low hills in Tularam Senaputti’s country, from which they were driven by the Raja of Cachar into Jaintia, whence again they emigrated to their present site. They long remained subject to demands from Cachar and Jaintia, and a prey to the incursions of the Nagas” (pg. 213, 3rd Para) Or read John Butler, “Travels and Adventures in the province of Assam (page-126).
Again, in the book, “A Descriptive Account of Assam (1841)” by William Robinson, so is written ……….
“That division of the Nowgong district known as the Mikir Hills, occupies a tract of hilly country covering an area of 1710 Sq. Miles……they have a tradition, that their ancestors originally came from the Jaintia hills; which might be assumed to be correct, from the circumstance of their having a few Jaintia words in their language” (Pg. 308, last Para and 309 1st Para). Here too we can convert the 1710 sq. mile into sq. km and see that it comes to around 4428 Sq. Km which again is close to the actual area of west Karbi Anglong (Hamren) today.
Major John Butler in his book, “Travels and Adventures in the province of Assam (1854-55)” wrote that,
“In this position however, having the plains of Assam on the north, a portion of Cachar on the south, and being only separated from Jynteea by a space of thirty miles of low lands, the Meekirs were subjected to continual demands from these neighbouring states. Their chief reliance, however, was on the Rajah of Assam, who appointed their principal chief over the whole clan, and collected a tribute from them in kind, valued at about 338 ruppees per annum…” (p-127).
“In consideration of submitting to pay tribute to the Rajah of Assam, a strip of land, called Meekir-pah Mehal, at the foot of the Meekir Hills, was granted to the Meekirs under the Khelwaree system, for 461 ruppes 8 annas 11 pice….” (p-128 2nd Para).
In the above pages John Butler was clear enough that even the Mikir Hills didn’t belong to them but was granted to them and that it initially belonged to someone else. Others had the right over the lands before it was granted to them.
The tribute statue of Rongpharpi Rongbe whom the Mikirs consider as their legend and hero standing tall in the middle of Diphu town is an undisputed proof of the history of Mikir migration from Jaintia Hills by crossing over the river Kopili. The Epitaph reads, “RONGPHARPI RONGBE, A march to freedom”, Freedom from the Khasi Jaintia king. They escaped and ran from the Jaintia king towards Kopili river, crossed over and entered the Rengma Naga country which in present day is known as Karbi Anglong, and from where they didn’t have to run anymore as Rengma Nagas welcomed them as brothers in the true spirit of brotherhood, oblivious to the fact that they were soon to be betrayed.
The rest is what it is today………
Aga Rengma
General Secretary
Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council
Kenilo Rengma
President
Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council
