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. , - \~' .CENTRE FOR .TAl, TRIBAL AND NORTH.EAST INDIA STUDIES . ,yo:: Ot1'ke; CHUMPHRA BHAVAN" Dhemaji Tiniali, Ward No -I +91 94013-59755(M) NH- 52, Dhemaji _787057 . 03753-224280 (0) ·...A.ssam. India .' . -'elnm"'a~J""I-Ad-;:;:on;:;-;Y;-;:[email protected] ,······,·,",,·,",··_·"'·.,,-.if·-·-·· ==="",;",======"""",,======~go~g~o~i~d:;,m~j~@~r::e~di~ff~m~a~i1~.c~o:m .We! X'a, , ~~ _ ~ r '. The Director of Thai Studies, flB~?i~'1151.Jl1\l1f Vale ~;4rft-­ /j/A'1L Il.. (~.Io . Chiang Mai University Ifl·u1'U...... ~T~ . Bangkok, Thailand 1,,~·· ·..f-..1~5!...??.. . nC'll. L:g.~.: ..

Sub: Invitatlen to 3"' International Conference on Tai and Ethnic Studies.

Sir/Madam,

I have the honour to infonn you that an International Conference.China alongwith -"_"-"__'~#"" ••_ •• "A .,_,_.~_. __~ ~ •.•.__••__._••_._•• _~ •. _ .. •. • __••• '-._. _. •• _. • • __ other et~nics i~.~~i!,g_C?~9.~~i~f!.d_tl?_~().Id.()..I1?~_?~.~rl~~~~. ~~~~~.!YJc~Q.1Q2.tP'.~~'!)~jj,Ass~m. India. I would like to invite you to the conference as a resource person. W,e would be glad if you kindly come to attend the conference with a paper from your side, I again like to reqlJe';' . , you to send some young Thai Scholars to attend the conference, Your help would bl~ kindl';' obliged, I hope you would kindly extend your help to expand co-operation between Tllili and Assamese Thai Scholars with a zeal.

The papers should be submitted with CD type 12 point Times New Roman in A4 size leaving one inch on all sides. The address of communication is as follows : Dr. Puspa Gogni. Chief Co-ordinator, 3rd international conference of Taj and E1hnics studies,Donyi Seng Publicatiol'l, Dhemaji Tiniali, Dhemaji- 787057, Assam, India, Ph. No. 09401359755. The interested persons can have the infor!TIation broacher from this address. Email :donyiseng@gmail. com. & [email protected].

Hope you would be kind enough to reply soon.

l1 Ul1. ·HhHJTInl1U~ ih u1l'Ylf'li)J~wJitj ~hu Centre for Tai. Tribal and North­ East India Studies 'lJ1l1h::'Jlli)J~l1.fm1 ~~m11h::'Jl)J 3'd International Conference ~ , . 11-./0./D. on Tai and Ethnic Studies 1::Yll1J 21-23 Dr. Puspa Gogoi ~ ..t )Jn11fl)J 2554 ~,HmUl1. Chief Co-ordinator of the l'l'i1lhh~ml1HlGl:;d~~~')Jfll1lli." fltll.:: Conference i~fl)Jf'll"'ilf m~:;)J\41fufl1~~f ~.\u)~ti~~~J Dhemaji Tiniali, Dhemaji­ ~ J~,. ~ r ...... -:­ i~ ~ ~(YI1T\.4~.~'rJ,~~Pt)J l~Ii!\)\1\W1 ~"if~\lt,'l'l'S~v \I';l'~ LL f?l1:tJ L U'it) 787057 . , .~. Assam, IndIa ll'irlv:li>1r;T6'l\)~l.)",lo'10 ~>l~I~;"""'V':!:>

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CHUMPHRA BHAWAN Dhemaji Tiniali, Ward No. - 1 +91 94013-59755(M) NIl-52, Dhemaji - 787057 [email protected] Allsnm, India [email protected]

3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF TAl, TRIBAL AND OTHER ETHNICS OF NORTH-EAST INDIA" SOIJTII EAST ASIA, SOUTH CHINA AND NEIGHBOURING AREA OF NORTHEAST INDIA 21 22 & 23rd Januarv. 2011

To .

Dear Sir/Madam We would like to extend our invitation you to Conference as a resource person and to participate and present a paper in the 3rd International Conference Tai, Tribal and other ethnics of North-East India, South-East Asia, South China and neighbouring area of North-East India. The 8 rd Conference would be held on 21 t, 22"d 23 January, 2011 at Dhemaji Town about 30 Km. away from Dibrugarh on the North Bank of Brahmaputra River. We hope you would kindly accept our invitation and participate with your paper presentation too. We would be glad if you kindly sent your paper with Soft Copy or bye-mail on or before ~3(jJJ... Nt'll . ~er, 2010. So, that we would be able to publish the papers in book form to be available at the time of Conference. Waiting eagerly for your kind co-operation.

Venue - Child Educational Carrier Development Centre (CECDC) Dhemaji College, Dhemaji

./ ...., n.-,/O./O (Dr.~ PUB . ogoll Director, Centre for Tai, Tribal & Other ethnics of North-east Studies, Dhemaji e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected] Phone No. 94013-59755 CENTRE FOR TAl, TRIBAL AND NORTH·EAST INDIASTUDIES

'. ",,;eli.! Office: CHUMPHRA BHAVAN +91 94013-59755(M) Dhemaji Tiniali, Ward No-1 03753-224280 (0) NH- 52, Dhemaji - 787057 [email protected] Assam, India gogoi_dmj@rediff mai1.com

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3rd INTERNATiONAL CONFERENCE

. • t . OF Tai, Tribal and other ethnics of North-east India, South east Asia, South China and Neighbouring area of North~east India

To,

Respected SirlMadam Probably you are aware that an academic cum research centre with the above name had been established in Dhemaji with its head office at Dhemaji two years ago. This Centre had organised two International Seminars at Dhemaji in 2007 and at Guwahati in 2009, most successfully and is publishing journals and books, besides organizing other workshops symposium etc. I am gladly informing you that this centre is planning to organize its 3rd International Conference on Tai, Tribal and other ethnics ofNorth-East India, alongwith SE Asia and Southern China also on ethnics ofBhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, Bangladesh, Bengal and Orissa probably in JanuarylFebruary 2011 at Dhemaji, Assam. I request you to contact us mentioning your full mail address and email address, so that we can send the full fledged first circular ofthe conference.which would be circulated within six months from now. It is to inform you that selected papers of high quality would be published in book form and all papers would be published ahead of the conference in the form of proceeding in two or three volumes depending on the themes. I am to inform you that selected papers presented in the 1st and 2nd seminars would be published in book forms and would be available within 2009 and also would be readily avaiable at the timeof3rd conference. Centre ofTai, Tribal and North-East India Studies aimS at studing the rich heritage ofTai people ofNE India (Ahom, Khamti, Phake, Aiton, Turung, Khanyang, Nora and other tribal ethnics such as Singphow, Lisu, Mising, Adi, Noga, Nokte, Bodo, Monpa and many other ethnics of Assam, Monipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura and other states of India near to NE India region like,Bengal, Orissa alongwith otherTai, Shan, Thai Dai-Juang etc. ofSouth-east Asia and Sourthern China and other neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. It also aims to organize seminars, symposium, workshop etc. and to publish a half yearly research journal and to translate the book from other language in to Assamese, to publish books on Tai, Tribals and NE India Studies. . Dhemaji is a small town and a head quarter of District of Dhemaji, Assam, situated in the north bank of the river Brahmaputra. The neareast airport is at Lilabari (North Lakhimpur), 70 kms away and Mohanbari Dibrugarh about 50 kms away, but have to cross the river Brahmaputra from Dibrugarh to Dhemaji). There is direct connection of flight from Kolkata to Dibrugarh and North Lalchimpur or Guwahati. Dhemaji is reachable from Guwahati by bus that takes about 10 hours time. Dhemaji is small town and in the district of Dhemaji there are different Tibeto Burman tribal ethnic people like Mising, Bodo, Ti ~a, Deori, Sonowal, Kachari,Adi and other ethnics like Nepali communities, Tea Garden tribes etc. One can visit Arunachal state to see different colourful Tibeto Burman tribes from Dhemaji, but one have to take permission from New Delhi Home Department or from Arunachal Government. There is good lodging facilities at Dhemaji town with hotel rent at ranging from Rs. 100 to 200 with simple arrangement and ranging from Rs. 250.00 to 700.00 with good facilities. There is govemment tourist lodge, government circuit house and govement departmental inspection bunglows which can be arranged at the time of conference. Cultural shows of tribal folks and Tais and exhibitions of Tai manuscripts, Tai and Tribal artifacts and book fairs would also be organished along with conference. Interested participants can have the opportunity to visit old Tai Ahom capital at Sibsagar District and other small Tai groups like Tai Aiton, Tai Khamyang, Tai Thrung, Tai Kha"?tf, Tai Phakes at Narayanpur (North Lalchimpur), Nam Phake village at Naharkatia (Dibrugarh), Pawoi Mulch Khamyang village at Margherita, Khamyangs at Cholapothar, Dichangpani at Sibsagar, Aitons at Golaghat and Karbi Anglong and Tai Khamtis at Lohit District ofArunachal Pradesh. We request your kind co-operation and quick reply and also hope that you would kindly spread the information to your friends, interested ones and scholars of different institutes for which we would remain obliged to you. Hope to get a king and quick reply and willingness to participate in the conference. ~. With best regards. ' Th~ '. Dr. padhar GOgOi Director

Mr. Dayakrishna Gogoi Chao Naba Baruah Phu Ke Miss Nang Yikham Gogoi Co-ordinator. Guwahali [Ph.No.• + 9194359·65632 lVII'S. Nang Yesang Gogoi Kumbang Theme: The Conference theme includes history culture language literature the Tai ethnics of North­ East India (Ahom, Khamti, Phake, Aiton, Turung, Khamyang) and other Tai groups of Myanmar, Thailand, North Vietnam, Southern China, Laos and Tais living in minor number in other countries. It also includes all the ethnics both tribal and non-tribal, scheduled castes like Bodo, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, Khasi, Hmar, Naga tribes, Meitei. Deori, Singphow Nocte, Tangcha, Tea tribals and all ethnics of Nepal, Bllutan, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Bangladesh etc.

Sub Themes: (1) History, origin of ethnics, spread, migration etc. (2) Role of ethnics in present day politics, socia-economic status, education, traditional agriculture. (3) Ethnobotany of Tais, Tribals and other ethnics-plants and men relationship, traditional herbal medicine. (4) Assamese language, literature; ethnic language and literature. The literature includes all folk, written literatures of the ethnics. (5) Culture, folk culture, song & music, dance, festivals etc. (6) Look east policy of North-east India. (7) Assam and India-Thailand relationship. (R) Glimpse of Tai-Thai Studies, ethnic studies, Tribal studies, N.E. India studies, Assam, NE India states and in foreign communities.

NO: You may please contact with the following Sub theme Co-ordinators. 1. For theme: 1. Dr. Pratashlata Buragohain, Vice Principal & Head of the Deptt. of Geography, MDK Girls' College, Dibrugarh, Ph. - 943553121 2. For theme : 2. Dr. Sunit Kr. Gogol, Retired Head. of the Deptt. of Sociology, Ratanpur, Dhemaji, Ph. - 9954368041. 3. For theme No. : 3. Dr. Annajyotl Gogoi, Senior Lecturer, Deptt. of Botany, Dhemaji College, Dhemaji-787057, Assam., Ph. No. 9435188051 4. For theme No. - 4. Dr. Bibha Dutta Neog, Senior Lecturer, Deptt. of AssarnesfJ, Dlwillaji College, Dhemaji-787057, Assam. Ph. No. 9435517404 5. For the No, ; 5, Padmeawlr Dlhlngll, Executive Member, Asom Sahitya Sobha, Dhemaji, Assam. Ph. - 9954120150. 6 &7 Dr. Puspa Gogoi, Dhemaji, Ph. No. 940139755 8. Miss Ylkham Gogoi, Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology, Margherita College, Dist. Tinsukia, Assam, Ph. No. 9435278826.

I hope you would kindly contact us as early as possible and confirm your participation. Looking forward for your kind reply. With best regard.

Yours sincerely . ~~_ \O~\D Dr. Puspa Gogoi Chief Co-ordinator of the Conference Dhemaji Tiniali. Dhemaji-Assam ~~'"" l-13 '1 0 S-~ Preamble and General Objectives of the Conference

The Tai people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are Ahom, Khamti, Phake, Aiton, Turung, Khamyang, Dr Grierson noted another group as Nora. Anyway Ahom group had entered the upper Brahmaputra valley in 1228 AD and the group known as Tai Mao had started their invasion starting from 1221 AD due to the conflict of Sua Khan Pha, the great king of Muyng Mao Lung and Sua ka Phea both brothers. Tai Mao group later popularly known as Ahom extended their kingdom starting from upper Brahmaputra to low~r Brahmaputra valley and ruled upto 1838 AD. The member of Ahom population is approxmately may be 15,00,000. The member may be more of course. The other groups ofTai people like Khamti, Phake, Aiton, Turung and Khamyang had migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from different places of Kachin states of Myanmar later in 18th and 19th centuries. Their member may be approximately 50,000. Among the Tlli groups Ahom had almost lost Tai Ahom language as mother tongue, but they still maintain their heritage ofTai language in the form of numerous old manuscripts, in practice of ritualistic affairs and also in spoken Ahom Assamese dialects. At least 700 to 1000 Tai words are in use among Ahoms mixed with their Assamese dialect with information of Tai language and following the Tai grammatical rules. Besides the culture of Tai Ahom had not lost its old Tai flavours as many Indian and Western Scholars thought, rather Ahom is preserving and practising old Tai culture practices in old time in the present Yunnan, Guangxhi etc. provinces prior to 11th century. Ahom study is much useful to understand the old Tai culture. Many Ahoms are practising different sects of Hindu religion, a minor arc Buddhist and now­ a-days thousands are trying to revive and practice the old Phuralung religion a Semi Buddhist Tao-Confucian infested with mixture of old Ancestor worship. Other Tai are practising Therawada Buddhism, along with old ancestor worship and spirit worship cult of Tais. A minor number of Khamtis, Khamyangs and Turung had forgotten to speak Tai as mother tangue; still they maintain old Tai language in manuscript form and Tai cultural heritages. These Tai people also hold festivals like that of other Tais in Myanmar and Northern Thailand. However, in verge of modernity, Hindu religion, Assamese influence and also Burmese Brahminic Buddhism, these Tai groups are losing their old Tai cultural elements in quick !iuccession. There are about more than 300 small and large ethnic groups most of Tibeto-Burman branch in the whole northeast India states. Arunachal Prad~sh itself harbours about more than 200 ethnics. Most of then practise old religion, worshipping sun and moon and spirit of different things. A large group 'Adi' possesses their own mother tangue, which they are identifying as 'Tani' language. These Tani branch of language have similarity to many Tibeto-Burman dialects of Tibet and Southern Yunnan and Sechuan province. i,\gain the language spoken by ethnics of northeast have similarity to the dialects of many ethnics of Southern Yunnan, Northern Myanmar and tribals of Thailand. Several ethnics of Nogas like Tangkhul, Konyak, Angami etc. have linguistic, culture and genetic link to other Noga groups of Myanmar. Different ethnics of Manipur like Metitei, Kabui, Kuki etc. have blood link to Tai Shans and other ethnics of Mayanmar. Likewise Hmar, Pnar, Karbi, Tiwa-Lalung, Synteng, Khasi etc. of Karbi Anglong district and Meghalaya state have cultural genetic Jink~ «, different ethnics of Myanmar and old;Mon and Khmer people. Mizo identifies themselves to have their origin in Southern China too. Many Tripura ethnics like Kok Borok, Barman, Rangkhal, Chakma have culture, linguistic and genetic relationship with Bodos and Bodoite groups of Assam. Monpa, Sherdukpen, Sherpa etc. of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have links to other ethnics of Tibet and west of Southern China. Garo of Garo hills of Meghalaya, Chakma, Konch Rajbonshi, Mech, Modahi, Kochari, Bodo, Rabha, Dimacha etc. Rai, Limbo, Gurung etc. of Nepal might have got distant cultural and lingusitic links. Scholars frequently speak about the Austric elements in Assam, but it is a conjecture who were and are the Austric groups. One have to seek what links Khasi of Meghalaya have to Palaungs of Myanmar of Mons of Myanmar? Where from Bodo groups like Dimacha, Rabha etc. had originated and when. Where the Apatanis of Arunachal lived in past and were they plan river valley dwellers once, who know the wet rice cultivation amidst the dozens of Mongoloid ethnics of Arunachal. Lisu of Arunachal have their counterparts in Yunnan and Kachin and Shan states, as well as Singphows of Assam and Arunachal have their counterparts in Kachin Shan states and Dehong~bai Jingpow autonmuss Prefesture of Yunnan. Ahom culture and language have links to other Tais of Yunnan, Guangjhi, Guizhow, Guangdong, Sechuan, and some Chinese ethnics of Hunan and Hupei, alonwith Thai of \I'hailand, Tai of North Vietnam and Lao of Laos. Who are the Alpine and Aryan groups? Do they had been acculturated along with other ethnics of Assam or have the tribal ethnics been acculturated completely? There are many questions to be ans~ered in perfection. So to deal with such vast arena of study I we are organizing this international conference to contribute something in the academic field, by doing which we would be able to understand the real status and would be able to protectthe vast and rich her;,ages of all these ethnics or groups of people as a whole to create harmon)' and peace in this part of the world. We think that Tai studies alone would not be fruitful here. Likewise Tribal and other ethnics studies would also be able to stand alone. One should co-operate each other. This is one of the main reason of this conference. We need to go together and should co-operate to others of neighbouring countrie:; or states. We request all kind of Scholars to participate in this conference to make it successful.D