The Western Rengma Peoples’ Organisation (WRPO) censures the proposal of Tiger Reserve Forest in Rengma and Kuki inhabited areas which appears in The Telegraph (North-East) paper on 28th August, 2012, regarding a joint communication between the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) under the aegis of Joyram Engleng, CEM and Rakibul Hussain, Forest Minister of Assam to propose a Tiger Reserve Forest and the decision would be finalized after a proposed joint visit of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) with the state forest department representatives. A high-level team of the district autonomous council, led by Chief Executive Member Joyram Engleng, recently moved forest minister Rakibul Hussain for a discussion on the tiger reserve. Rakibul Hussain later informed The Telegraph that the tiger reserve is under consideration. This issue explodes hue and cry from Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council (RNPC) and Western Rengma Naga Students’ Union (WRNSU) threatened to go for fast unto death if the Council declares the proposal, and the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) compelled to take any steps and the United Kukigam Defence Army (UKDA) outrightly condemning the proposal.
Actually the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) has prepared a map of the proposed tiger reserve, covering approximately 1650 Sq.km., comprising multiple core and buffer areas in the eastern Bokajan Sub-Division of the Rengma hills (East Rengma Mouza) and also includes two wild life sanctuaries – Karbi Anglong (north) and Karbi Anglong (east) and six reserve forests – Kaliyani, Rengma Hills, Lungnit, Pattadisa, Chenkehishong (Singhason) and Khondamon.
If the above mentioned proposed areas are declared as tiger reserve, not only the indigenous Rengma Nagas and Kukis but many Karbis inhabiting inside the proposed area would be affected. It is estimated that at least more than one lakh indigenous population would be badly affected. It is highly questionable that as to how regular assessed land revenue areas be put to wild life reserve forest. The affected people need to move to the court to get justice because human beings are far worth than that of animal kingdom. The present Karbi Anglong government is anti-people which is condemnable by an all rational thinkers. The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council is grossly violated human rights which urgently need to be referred to UN Human Rights Commission for redressal.
The existence of the people on the proposed reserve forest areas will be threatened and seriously affected once the proposal is approved and declared. The people living within the buffer areas would not be permitted to carry out their normal work like jhum cultivation, farming etc. in the core area, once the reserve is finally announced. The people who lived within the reserve will face a big hardship and their daily chores of duty, movement, livelihood and activities would be adversely affected. No development activities would be carried out without the consent and approval of the forest department. The entire community living within the buffer areas would become the assets of the wild life sanctuaries and have to survive on the level of wild animal. Killing of animal, bird and felling of trees will be amounted to prosecution under forest laws and ultimately they have to evacuate the areas without any option. Finally, forest dwellers will confine to refugee status in their own land.
The main concept of Karbi Anlong Autonomous council to propose tiger forest in the Rengma and Kuki dominated areas is indirectly playing a game to flush out these two communities out of Karbi Anglong, the then Rengma Hills. The Autonomous Council tries to flare-up ethnic issues between the Karbis and non-Karbis in the district. The Council also tries to justify their stand on potentialities of eco-tourism in the buffer areas which is full of candy fabrication to dissuade the indigenous mindset of the unwary communities living within the forest areas. Jayram Engleng, CEM who is the kingpin leader to move the proposal and tries to justify his stand said “We want to expose the natural beauty of Karbi Anglong to national and international level. The dream tiger reserve might bring us close towards the goal,” He also goes on saying that “all possible steps are being taken for bringing the ray of development to the far-flung areas of the district”. Suffice is to say that there is no tiger at all in the proposed reserve forest and the declaration of Tiger Reserve cannot bring any development to the far-flung areas in Rengma and Kuki dominated areas. Disregarding the public opinion and violating the human rights, the Council is trying to tackle its denizens with iron hands without taking prior consent and knowledge of the indigenous community.
Histories always speak the truth and tradition always has it that there is no Karbi Anglong, the then Mikir hills in present Diphu and Bokajan Sub-Divisions. The present Karbi Anglong District is curved out from Rengma Hills, comprising of East and West Rengma Mouzas. The Mikir Hills is comprised of present Hamren Sub-Division with a total area of 1710 Sq.km.only. The Mikir Hills and the Rengma Hills are not contiguous areas but during 1940s, late Semson Sing Engti induced the Rengma Nagas to merge the Mikir Hills, consists of 1710 Sq.kms. with the Rengma Hills, comprising of 8724 Sq.kms.in areas to create a joint District Council which will be designated to as ‘‘ Rengma and Mikir Hills District Council’’ With full confidence, commitment and dedication, the Rengma Nagas have equally contributed physically, financially and morally supported for the creation of District Council for the Rengmas and the Karbis. So in 1952, the Mikir Hills district was declared vide the Government Notification No. TAD/R31/50/204, dated 17th November, 1951, merging Mikir Hills (Hamren Sub-Division) with the Rengma Hills, comprising of East and West Rengma Mouzas (present Diphu and Bokajan Sub-Divisions). However, with an utter dismay, when the District is attained in 1952, the name Rengma Hills did not figured out in the declaration. During the inauguration of the District Council, it is declared to as ‘‘United Mikir and North Cachar Hills District’’. The Karbis, erstwhile Mikirs, miserably betrayed the Rengma Nagas. Till today the Rengmas are deprived from political, social, economic, employment and development activities in the District. The District is created with the chunk of the Rengma territorial land, but they are now treated as refugee and oppressed by the Karbis in all the spheres. The so called sons of the soil have become the slaves of the soil in their own land.
The Mikirs (Karbis) came to settle down in the Rengma Hills from Khasi and North Cachar Hills, Nowgong, Arunachal Pradesh and Tezpur. The first Mikirs (Karbis) who came into the soil of the Rengma Hills were Bere Resebong and Rongpharpi Rongbe family, who became a fugitive of the Khasi chief. Rongpharpi Rongbe was said to have killed the Khasi’s chief attendant with an axe when he tries to collect her breast milk to feed a tiger cub. To mark the history of Karbis migration into the Rengma Hills, a statue of Rongpharpi Ronbe family is depicted on a huge slab in Diphu town near Dr.Jayanta Rongpi residence, former CEM, KAAC, which bears the testimony of myths and reality about the Mikirs who came to the Rengma Hills from Khasi Hills which no one can denies it.
Obviously, due to political reasons, the Mikir Hills Distrcit was renamed into Karbi Anglong, vide Govt.Notification No.TAD/R/115/74/47, dated 14th October, 1976. The two Sub-Divisions(Diphu and Bokajan) are belonging to erstwhile Rengma Hills with a total geographical area of 8724 Sq.kms which is created during the British period since 1841. The Rengma Hills is created vide the Political Proceedings Section Nos.79 to 80 on April 18, 1841. In the Spring of 1870, Captain Butler, Assistant Commissioner of Nowgong, visited 20 out of 32 explored the Rengma villages and appointed two Mouzadars: East Rengma and West Rengma Mouza under the Rengma Hills, who were in future to be responsible for the revenue collection. The East and West Rengma Mouzas were created vide the Revenue Proceedings No.116 to 118, in which a house tax of a rupee one was fixed. In 1871, the first Revenue of the Rengma Hills was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of the Naga Hills, Samagudting (Chumukedima), and that the amount came to Rs.459 only.
The Rengma Hills was then divided into two broad revenue zones. The present Diphu Sub-Division was West Rengma Mouza and the first Mouzadar (revenue collector) was late Nyewhenkhing NyenthangRengma, and the present Bokajan Sub-Division was under East Rengma Mouza, and its first Mouzadar was late Khoshomu Himbü Rengma.
From 1847 to 1898, the Rengma Nagas came under the direct control of the British Government and pay their revenue to the Naga Hills District. However, the Chief Commissioner of Assam issued a notification vide letter No.5646 R, dated Shillong, the 9th December,1898 to transfer the Rengma Hills into the adjoining districts of Nowgong and Sibsagar for administrative convenience. Thereafter, the East Rengma Mouza was controlled and administered from Sibsagar district, while the West Rengma Mouza came under Nowong district. Till then the East and West Rengma Mouzas revenues were submitted to the Sibsagar and Nowgong districts respectively.
In 1926, while the Rengmas were living at Chenkehishong (Singhason), the Governor of Assam, declared a Special Rengma Naga Reserve Forest and in which it is firmly declared that neither any non-Rengmas is allowed to settle down, encroach, trespass, cut down a single tree nor pluck a single leaf within the reserve forest without the consent and knowledge of the Mouzadar. In connection with this declaration, the Governor also hand over a wooden round stick, a length of 2 feet 10 inches and a gird of 4 inches and the declaration order to late Pvukharam Nandu Rengma, Mouzadar of Naga Rengma Mouza. Both the end of a stick is capped with pure silver metal, and the handle capped is depicted with Rhino image with a letter R.N.R (Rengma Naga Reserve) is written on the silver cap. The declaration document of Rengma Naga Reserve Forest and the wooden stick are still in possession with the Naga Rengma Mouzadar.
In view of this legal order document and the relic, the Rengma Nagas have an exclusive right to possess, conserve and preserve the Rengma Reserve Forest. Neither the Government nor any tribal community has any right to claim or encroach upon the Rengma Naga Reserve Forest. It is, therefore, if the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council declared Tiger Reserve within the Rengma Naga Reserve, the Western Rengma Peoples’ Organisation vowed to move to the High Court and Supreme Court to bring justice to the indigenous people living in the Rengma Hills.
Isaha Nandu Rengma,
Secretary, WRPO
