KERYGMA model for Zeliangrong people
Chapter 1
Zeliangrong culture and primal religious beliefs
1. The origin of Zeliangrong people
The rich cultural
heritage of the Zeliangrong is reflected in their varieties of arts. This
project will not be able to contain the whole cultural practices and beliefs of
the Zeliangrong people. However, it will highlight few vital aspects of the
people. Racially, physically and linguistically, Zeliangrong are Tibeto-Burman
(Indo-Mongoloid) of Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race. Culture is a
social setting in which, a certain reference framework has taken a concrete
form, or has been institutionalized. It is a storehouse of knowledge, experiences,
beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, timing, roles,
spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and the objects and possessions
acquired by a large group of people in the course of generations through
individual and group striving (Samova and Porter).[1]
The study attempts to
define Zeliangrong community, their culture and belief. The term Zeliangrong is
a nomenclature of four sub tribes viz. Zeme (or Jeme), Liangmai, Rongmei
(Ruangmei) and Puimei (or Inpuimei). This composite name Zeliangrong came into
being by taking first syllabus of each tribe, except for Puimei (Inpuimei) due
to some unknown reason[2]
to the author.
Based on the oral tradition, it is assumed that
Mongoloid groups including Zeliangrong inhabited the upper course of the
Yangtze and Howang (Wang) Ho rivers in China in the prehistoric times. N.B
Panmei wrote, “… The people (Zeliangrong
ancestors) undertook a strenuous journey with their old, their young and
their women finally reached the new site for the settlement…”[3]
Finally, Zeliangrong settled at the North East region of India. The Igorot
people in the mountain province of Philippines have also shared some common
features in terms of their dresses, love for the beads, cultivation, etc. In
the Zeliangrong community, each clan enjoys equal status.
One of the setbacks for any research work for this
tribal people is the lack of written history or written materials from where a
substantive study of the past can be made. Zeliangrong people have been solely
relying on the oral transmission of their history, beliefs, and practices. The
oral tradition has been kept alive from generation to generation through
stories, dances, folk songs, rituals, and festivals. Therefore, various dances,
folk songs, rituals etc. tell of the story of Zeliangrong people. Egalitarian sort-of-concept
was prevailing among the Zeliangrong society. In all rituals and festivals,
women and men are equally play a vital role except for those rituals and
practices where male or female is expressly restricted. However, there were
also elements of patriarchal system. Male usually was the head of the family.
But there were instances where women also act as head of the family. Each
village was like an independent state politically, economically, and geographically.
So, there was always an anticipation of invasion by neighboring village or other
people. Therefore, alertness and preparedness for any eventuality was a normal
response by all villagers especially the male who could fight in battle. This
might have been one of the reasons, men were considered as head of the village
and family or authoritative figure. Distinction has to be made pertaining to the
concept of male dominant among the Zeliangrong as compare to the western concept
of male dominance. Zeliangrong male dominant concept was solely base on ability
to protect women and children from the enemy. We may say another kind of
patriarchal system devoid of discrimination of gender. In Zeliangrong belief,
creation especially the earth (or land) is considered as mother. Everything we
do and our lives are because we have land. The picture of mother is central in
the spirituality of Zeliangrong. In practical daily life, usually the task of
mid-wife and rituals associated with childbirth are done by the women. Then and
now, women are considered as protectors of the community especially where men
folk cannot influenced or cannot accomplish. In recent Zeliangrong history there
have been several political and judicial upheavals. Government has tried to
repress any public voice which resulted in protest march or demonstration. In
such instances, Zeliangrong women folk take the lead by creating an atmosphere
for a dialogue with the disputing groups.
2. Concept of Supreme Being and religious beliefs in
Zeliangrong community
Many people
perceive religious systems of tribal community in the North East India as being
very complex and polytheistic. However, a careful analysis will prove
otherwise. Kamei Sanjit Rongmei and Satwanti Kapor observed that Pre-Christian
Zeliangrong;
“…did not
practice Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, or
Islam as their traditional religion.
They sacrifices to different deities, both living and non-living objects
such as – sun, moon, sky, stars, rocks, mountains, river stream, earth, fire,
etc. which they (Zeliangrong)
believed to possessed both benevolent and malevolent power. They also classify male and female deities
according to their belief. They have
very strong cultural practices of offering efficacious things like egg, fowl,
in some cases giblets, spirituous liquor, pig, cattle, mithun, cloth, pieces of
iron etc., in case of sickness, mania, ill luck, and variety of other
calamities for which they are sometimes called devil worshipers. There are also
other ritual ceremonies, prayers, incantations, taboos, gennas performed by the
Zeliangrong to have a religious moral and philosophical wish to prolong life,
to ward off evil, to obtain children and to destroy or harass sworn enemies.” [4]
Kamei
and Kapor rightly point out that Zeliangrong people did not subscribed to any
major religions but they had their own distinct and unique religious system.
Now, one has to differentiate between “worship” and “appeasement”. Worship has
something to do with love and reverential fear while appeasing is absent of
love but instead fear of harms. In Pre-Christianity Zeliangrong, they offered
gifts and sacrifices, so that no harm would come to them but in no way did they
worship those spirits. Many visitors misinterpreted these practices and even
some Zeliangrong people misinterpreted these practices as signs of polytheism. However,
the truth is, though Zeliangrong people believed in the Supreme Being, yet
there were still all sorts of sickness and calamities around them. The people
could not believe that such a loving and caring Supreme Being could bring such
miseries to the people. Zeliangrong people discerned that evil spirits were the
ones who inflicted sufferings upon them. Therefore, they offered something to
appease the spirits so that no harm would come to them. Zeliangrong people
considered all these spirits to be gods and goddesses for they seem to be more
powerful than human beings. They also believed that such spirits dwelled in the
trees, mountain, rivers, big stones, etc. So they offer their gifts in such
places. Distinction has to be made here that it is not the trees, mountains,
stones etc. that they worship; rather they were meant to appease the evil
spirits. Above all gods and goddesses, our ancestors acknowledge the existence
of a Supreme Being who created all the things that existed. In this light of
understanding, we may organize our content of the gospel.
3. Festivals and Dances of Zeliangrong people
Festivals of the Zeliangrong are closely linked up
with their religion, which is associated with their economic vocation and
socio-cultural ethos. Festivals reflect different stages of agricultural
activities. Artist Varsha Das writes:
“Festivals are considered safety valves for
the society … No folk dramas, songs or dances were performed purely for public
entertainment. There was always a myth-ritual performance relationship in all
of them. Folk worship and cults are associated with ritualistic theatre forms.”[5]
In
dances and songs, physical strengths are expressed. Traditionally, the Zeliangrong
people have a festival for every month.
Modern education is one factor that led to
rationalization of practices resulting in people beginning to consider the
merits and demerits of their own practices based on the principle of relevance.
So, if certain customs do not find its relevancy for the present days they are
modified eventually.[6]
However, one must also consider the fact that most of the Zeliangrong festivals
are expressions of their spirituality. It is an expression of gratitude for the
bountiful harvest, blessings, and protection from all dangers through the year.
It is also a time of invoking the almighty for blessings and protection for the
year to come. Like any other people group in the world, the Zeliangrong have their
own way of reading time. It is based on the agricultural cycle. The people
never failed to acknowledge almighty for every seasons. For that reason, every
season they honor God through celebrating festivals and dances. Vatsyayan, Kapila writes, “…the dances of the Nagas incorporate all
aspects of Naga life and present a variegated picture of movement, of choreographical
patterns, and of dress and costuming…” [7]
Dances are one of the spiritual act at the same time retelling the colorful
past.
[1] Samova and Porter cited by Machunwang Kamei, in her unpublished
Synopsis paper on Zeliangrong, Hyderabad, February 6, 2009.
[2] This composite name came into being with the
formation of the Zeliangrong Naga Council for the first time on the 15th
February 1947 at Keishamthong Imphal, Manipur India. However, this unity of four kindred tribes
was first started in 1925 and calls themselves “Agangmei”. Later they changed into “Kabui Chingsaeng” in 1927. In 1934, it was renamed “Kabui Samiti”. There were ill feelings
among the kindred tribes, such as land disputes, and other forms of
hostilities. So to end to all hostilities, on 1st April, 1934,
leaders from all tribes came together at the town called Tamenglong, which
become the center for the Zeliangrong people, and performed highest customary
of rite called “Chukh Thuoibo”. In this
rite, a head of cat was cut out and break into two pieces. This signifies that
if anyone tries to break the unity of these kindred will be like the head of a
cat. It is sort of curse spell on whosoever try to disintegrate the unity among
the four tribes. This was done with an objective of closer affinity and
stronger unity of Zeliangrong Naga and for furthering the economic,
socio-cultural, educational and political achievement of their tribes.
[3] Pamei.
N.. The Trail from Makuilongdi. - The
Continuing Saga of the Zeliangrong People, Tamenglong: Girronta Charitable
Foundation Joyousgard. 2001, p 36
[4] Kamei, Sanjit Rongmei and Kapoor, Satwanti Study of Tribes and Tribals Zeliangrong Today:
A Naga Tribe of Manipur. New Delhi: Department of Anthropology, University
of Delhi India. 2005, p. 109
[5] Das, Varsha.1992. Traditional Performing Arts. New Delhi:
Wiley Eastern Limited. Pp. 36-37
[6] Kamei, Machunwang. In her unpublished Synopsis paper
on Zeliangrong, Hyderabad, February 6, 2009.
[7] Vatsyayan, Kapila.
1976. Traditions of Indian folk dance. New
Delhi: Indian Book Company. p.75.
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