They trace their lineage to the great Ahom race that ruled undivided Assam for over 600 glorious years, but that can do nothing to prevent their numbers from dwindling. Now, only 250 families of the proud Tai Phake race, the descendants of the Ahoms, are left.
But these families are doing their best to maintain their unique identity, customs and traditions. This is evident from the 70-odd families living in Namphake village, 37 km from Dibrugarh town, who have managed to maintain the legacy of the kingdom in their own way.
Their efforts have prompted Australian scholar Stephen Morey of the department of linguists, Monash University, Melbourne, to take up a research project called Tai Languages of Assam. ?The Phakials, as they are popularly known, are bilingual. They speak Phakila among themselves and Assamese in other places,? says Amchen Gohain, teacher of economics at the village Higher Secondary school.
The descendants have a tradition of keeping records of family history. ?Ho Likboi is such a record in which the genealogy of a particular family is recorded. Generally, an elderly man called Pathek, who is well versed in all the details, prepares it,? said Gohain.
The tribe practises Buddhism. The Phakials also possess a sound knowledge of Pali language. The residents claim to be 100 per cent literate, with the village having produced a number of doctors, engineers and lawyers.
The villagers continue to follow several age-old practices, like, for instance, living in stilt houses called chang ghars.
A secure shelter for the night has brought a ray of hope for a large number of Mizo women, increasingly getting sucked into prostitution and poverty.
The night shelter for women scheme at Aizawl, initiated by the Salvation Army Group, is supported by the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society.
The shelter, located in the heart of the capital, aims to provide a secure home to women sex workers.
?Most of the women who stay here are sex workers, who were all driven out of their homes,? said chief co-ordinator Lalngaihawmi.
?Our home is open during the night for women, especially those who have been displaced and do not have a proper shelter. They can come, have food and stay for as long as they wish, free of cost, she said.
?This home is just one step further than the counselling centre,? she said, adding, ?Our challenge is not only to make these women return to the mainstream, but also to bring about a reconciliation with their families.?
An average of 10 women come here daily, seeking help for a new life, she said, adding that the efforts of the centre had been completely successful. Lalngaihawmi said: ?We neither judge, criticise nor look down on any woman. Nor do we turn away those who have faced the courts, but we genuinely seek a return to a normal free life.?
Hand-written words hold a special significance and this was reiterated by the 160-year-old Sivasagar Government Higher Secondary School recently.
The school released 20 hand-written student magazines at a function in the campus recently. These were released by eminent citizens, among them being K.K. Dwivedi, deputy commissioner, Sivasagar. He said the school had achieved yet another milestone in its history. He urged teachers to create an atmosphere where students would develop the ability to compete internationally.
The magazines carried articles by the students on several socio-political topics.
The school has the rare distinction of having produced several eminent personalities of the state, including 13 Asam Sahitya Sabha presidents.
It is almost impossible for any wildlife enthusiast to trek through the dense Rani reserve forest near the Assam capital without Lakhan Teron?s help. Teron, who has no formal knowledge of ecology, has been a constant repository of information for the experts. Over the past 25 years, he has become well versed in interpreting animal behaviour and has acquired knowledge of plant species in the 43.7 square km forest.
Teron has assisted hundreds of experts, researchers and filmmakers from the country and abroad.
A resident of Chakardo village on the fringe of the forest, Teron, a matriculate, has been guiding people from diverse backgrounds. ?Assisting the experts is a passion, a way to express my love for nature rather than a source of livelihood,? he said. His association with the forest is rooted in his Karbi culture.
To keep his home fires burning, this ?Rani Reserve ready-reckoner? toils on a plot of land on the outskirts of the forest.
Teron recently accompanied ecologist Andre F. Clewell in trekking through the thick forest. He was instrumental in convincing residents of Chakardo, Deosothal and other villages to stop poaching birds and wild animals. He is now engaged in gathering information on traditional medicinal plants.
It was magic woven in cane, bamboo and water reed. Artisans from remote belts of the Northeast have converged at the ongoing exhibition-cum-sale organised by the Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited, Dimapur, at the Assam State Textbook Production and Publication field, Guwahati. The exhibition will continue till Wednesday.
According to the organisers, all the seven sisters of the region participated in the 10-day fair. The exhibition may now be taken to other parts of the region.
?We are not charging any fee from the stalls. This is an effort to promote the crafts and textiles of the region as well as to assist our beneficiaries in marketing their products,? said N. Hushili Sema, managing director of the corporation. All the 125 stalls at the exhibition offer something distinctive that eloquently talks of the rich handloom and handicraft heritage of the region.
