Representation of the Ethnic Life of Karbi Community in Rongbong Terang’S Rangmilir Hanhi

International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology (IJARET) Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2021, pp. 29-33, Article ID: IJARET_12_01_004 Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARET?Volume=12&Issue=1 ISSN Print: 0976-6480 and ISSN Online: 0976-6499 DOI: 10.34218/IJARET.12.1.2021.004

REPRESENTATION OF THE ETHNIC LIFE OF KARBI COMMUNITY IN RONGBONG TERANG’S RANGMILIR HANHI

Seshadri Goswami Assistant Professor, Department of Assamese, Dimoria College, Khetri, Assam, India

ABSTRACT This paper makes a textual reading of the novel Rangmilir Hanhi by Assamese writer Rongbong Terang and attempted to bring out the representation of ethnic life of Karbi community inherent in the text. An ethnographic text like Rangmilir Hanhi represents an ethnic group of North East India with their distinctive life style. In this novel, Terang provides an insider's nuanced depiction of the lives, social customs and gradual change and transformation in the Karbi society. The ethnic life of the Karbis gets reflected in this novel. The correlation of nature and culture is reflected through the depiction of ethnic life of the Karbis. The bond between the Karbi community and nature is being revealed. The ethnographical representation of the Karbi life can also be looked from the ecocritical lens. Key words: Ethnicity, Culture, Nature, Place, Ecocriticism. Cite this Article: Seshadri Goswami, Representation of the Ethnic Life of Karbi Community in Rongbong Terang’s Rangmilir Hanhi, International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology, 12(1), 2021, pp. 29-33. http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJARET?Volume=12&Issue=1

1. INTRODUCTION An ethnographic text like Rangmilir Hanhi represents an ethnic group of North East India with their distinctive life style. In this novel, Terang provides an insider's nuanced depiction of the lives, social customs and gradual change and transformation in the Karbi society. The ethnic life of the Karbis gets reflected in this novel. The correlation of nature and culture is reflected through the depiction of ethnic life of the Karbis. The bond between the Karbi community and nature is being revealed. The ethnographical representation of the Karbi life can also be looked from the ecocritical lens.

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2. DISCUSSION The Assamese novel through the passage of more than a century of its history, finds a considerable number of narratives on tribal or ethnic societies. In many of these novels authored by writers belonging to respective communities or outside them , representing of ethnic life and cultures, hopes and aspiration , struggle for identity , and even frustration and disillusionment find illustration in these novels. This paper aims to explore the representation of ethnic life of Karbis in Rongbong Terang’s Rangmilir Hanhi. This paper also aims to throw light on the bond between the Karbis depicted in the novel and the natural environment. It can be said that there is a co stand flow of interaction and dialogues among the communities of various ethnic stock living in different parts of Assam. This has led to the emergence of many creative writers, and novelists who have taken up ethnic life as subject of their literary works. The trend began with Miri-jiyari by Rsjanikanta Bordoloi and is continuing till today. Writers of non tribal origin like Rajanikanta Bordoloi, Joges Das, Nabakanta Barua, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Swarna Bora and several others have written novels in Assamese portraying social realities of various ethnic communities, and it’s neighbouring areas, focusing on different tribes including Bodos, Dimasa, Garo, Khasi, Musing, Naga ect. Simultaneously, we come across number of writers of tribal origin like Vishnu Prasad Raha, Ganesh Pegu, Jatin Nip in, Rongbong Terang, Yeshe Darje Thangchi and several others who have also contributed extensively to Assamese fiction with portrayal of their respective tribal societies. Rangmilir Hanhi by Rongbong Terangs is a portrayal of major hill tribes, ie Karbis of Assam by a Karbi author. In this novel we find the traditional Karbi society and it is a novel that captures the ethnic world of Karbis. The novel accentuates the nuances of Karbi society with all its colours. It also documents the tenors of gradual change presented through the Rangmi village, an area by the side of Borapani river in the hills. The novel is taking the ethnocentric spectrum of the Karbis opens a passage from their past to the author’s present. Rangmilir Hanhi brings to a fore a series of panoramic images of the the culture and society of the Karbis. The ancient social values of the Karbis, their simplicity, honesty and truthfulness have been depicted by the novelist. At the same time, modern cultures with its negative effects on the people and greed for money and power haven been equally shown. The tradition and customs of the Karbis, description of their foods and garments and their behaviour have been highlighted through the authors descriptions of various festivals like Chojun puja, ‘chomangkan’ and ‘walket’. It can be said that Rang Bang Terang writes with the idea of introducing the readers to the diverse cultural materials of the society. He seems to be informative instead of idealistic not romanticising everything ethnic as exotic or strange. The descriptions of the natural environment with all its colours is one of the salient feature if the novel. A close reading of the novel Rangmilir Hanhi reveals the man – nature relationship very clearly. The Karbis depicted in the novels love nature and they are dependant on nature for livelihood and all other community cause. It can be said that the Karbis attach with their land in various ways . This novel bears an ample space for ecocritical study in it. Much of the novel take place inside the village and presents a great detail not only about their folk ways of life but also their deep attachment with the physical environment. In other words the ethic life of Karbis presented in this novel reveals the bond between Karbis and natural environment. They depend on nature for everything including food and pleasure. Therefore it can be said that they lead a fulfilling life. It can also be said that they lead an ecosophical identity, which deep ecologist Arne Naess defines as simple in means and rich in ends. Further it can be argued that since nature is an integral and sacred part of their life it should not be exploited. Place is an important aspect of ecocriticism. Place is a meaning constructed by experiences. Place based ecocritics not only maintains the importance of a sense of place, but it should be

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 30 [email protected] Representation of the Ethnic Life of Karbi Community in Rongbong Terang’s Rangmilir Hanhi grounded in an awareness of nature – human relationship, including one’s own relationship with nature. The Karbis depicted in the novel attach with their land in various ways. Their mental and sensual attach with their land through their tradition, customs, their folk ways of life . In this way a emotional meaning has been attritubuted to their land which transforms their land to a place. Their sense of place is clearly reflected almost most of the pages of the novel. The ethnic life of Karbis is a marker of their identification with their land. The custom, tradition, rites and rituals of the karbi community is beautifully portrayed by Terang in this novel. A hilly life full of simplicity is the background of the novel. The writer is careful in positing himself as a careful and dispassionate observer of the happenings in the ethnic set up of the Karbi society without infusing into it his personal views. In the novel, we have picture of dances performed on the occasion of Haccha Kakan, their agricultural based festival. Organising mainly to satisfy the god called Rush, this festival is observed in on the day new harvest is brought to the house of village head man. A primary feature of this festival is the distribution of ‘Jirsong' at the touch of the two responsible young girls. Jirsong is inseparable part of Karbi society. Generation by generation Karbi children become young playing Ghila and Latum in Rangmili village. As soon as they become young they come to Dekachang, do jirsong become Klengdong and Klengchap . They lead the Jirsong traditionally. At the end of Jirsong they become ‘sarbasa'. In this novel, we come across a detailed description of Chamankan festival, a common festival of the welfare of the dead. One of the features of this festival is the Jambili Athan. The ritual space is arranged and decorated by using five puppets like motif of Wajaru birds, which are symbolic of five clans and five villages in the Karbi society The Jambili Athon represents the self portrayal of the entire Karbi culture. The five branded carved with Wajaru bird s symbolises the five clans of Karbi society . This signifying practices become the visible markers of the distinctiveness of the community. It can be said that this practice of the Karbis reveals the incorporation of nature and culture. Their cultural identity has been portrayed in this practice and this practice also shows how their culture grows from their deeper connection with nature. It can also be said that they show a sense of place by remembering their ancestors through this festival. The novel is as much as about native beliefs and rituals as it is about nature and landscape. The topographic description of the novel proves this. The river Borapani teaches them mystery of the creation of the universe. Life and Borapani coerce and merge in one for the Karbis. The parallelism between natural world and human world pervade the ethnic lifescape portrayed in this novel. Life goes on as the river flows on. Interrelatedness between the course of the river and life force is highlighted in Rangmir Hanhi. Ecocriticism as a theoritical framework is the study of the relationship literature shares with natural environment. It shares the fundamental premise that human culture is connected to physical world affecting it and affected by it. Karbis deep affinity with nature is portrayed trough their folk ways of life. Correlation of ethnicity with natural is clearly revealed in this novel. The correlation of nature and culture is eveident from the various festivals of Karbis as depicted in the novel. The Haccha Kakan festival which is purely agrobased shows how material wealth is connected to spirituality, ideology and culture. The representation of the ethnic life of Karbis reflects the nature culture relationship very distinctively. This novel unfolds the traditional set up inhering the culturally distinctive features of ethnic society within their natural environment to which they are deeply attached. It is from the natural environment they derive their spiritual strength to sustain their existence. It is seen that a pot of pumpkin if touched by the father of the bride is thought to be a clear indicator of the marriage proposal from the bridegroom’s side. In the novel, Data in touches the pot from the bridegroom's side and offers it in respect to Hemphu, a god. This instance clearly shows the

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJARET 31 [email protected] Seshadri Goswami correlation of culture and nature and how they attain spiritual strength from nature to sustain their culture. Drinking domestic drinks, rice beer in most cases form a part of regular food habits among the tribes of Assam. The Karbis call their local wine Harlong. Harlong is considered to be serious importance in their society. Apart from everyday life, Harlong is offered as drinks on various occasions like festivals. About the relationship between Harlong and Karbi society, the novelist says, Fatika and Laopani have inseparable relationship with Karbis culture. Fatika and Laopani have inseparable relationship with birth, death and marriage. As if the joy of life and it’s tears have been caged in the prestige of Laopani. Received as gift in dream Harlong is the matured germiinations of the Karbi culture. (Terang , 19). This lines proves the signification of Harlong among the Karbis. This cultural traits of the Karbis depicted in the novel also shows the relationship between their culture and natural environment. They gain some spiritual strength from their deep attachment with natural environment. About the relationship between Karbi life and Rangmilir Hanhi , Chandraprasad saikia says, In the days to come , where other people will write the social history of Karbi people , they shall not miss the novel, which offers us an authentic vision of Karbi life as Karbi writer sees it.

3. CONCLUSION It can be said that Rongbong Terang uses the novel Rangmilir Hanhi as a sort of medium to introduce the land and people of Karbi Angling to the outside world. This novel brings to a fore a series of panoramic images of the culture and society of the Karbis. It is the sensitive portrayal of the Karbis of Assam. The ethnic life of Karbis gets reflected through this novel. The novelist tries to represent the lived reality of the Karbis. Terang very beautifully depicts the rites and rituals, customs, tradition of the Karbi community. Rangmilir Hanhi portrays the cultural identity of the Karbis. Terang writes with the ideas of introducing the readers to the diverse cultural materials of the society. In doing this job the writer seems to be very informative. The interdependence of the Karbis and their natural environment also finds expression in this novel. The incorporation of nature culture can be seen from the representation of the ethnic world of Karbis in this novel. From this representation the relationship between ethnicity of the Karbis and nature can also be drawn where the division of nature and culture is being debunked. Thus Rangmilir Hanhi by Rangbang Terang bears an ample space for ecocritical reading in it.

REFERENCES

[1] Barpujari, Jitanjali. Axomia Upanyasat Janajatiya Jiban. Guwahati : Chandra Prakashan , 1999. Print.

[2] Biswash, Prasenjit and Chandan Suklabaidya, Ethnic Life- world’s in North East India. New Delhi: Sage publication, 2008. Print.

[3] Dutta, Juri . Ethnic World in Select Indian Fiction. New Delhi: Sage Publication India Pct. Ltd, 2014. Print.

[4] Glotfelthy, Cheryll. The Ecocriticism Reader. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia's Press. 1996. Print.

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[5] Saikia , Chandra Prashad. “Rangmilir Hanhi : A Human Document of Karbi Life .” Samanwayar Rupkar. Eds. Pabitra BORA Kanindra kumar Deka. Guwahati: Dog in , 2009.76. Print.

[6] Terang, Rongbong . Rangmilir Hanhi. Axom Prakashan Parishad : Guwahati, 1981. Print.

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