Our Root is our Identity

Our Root is our Identity

C . R . Debbarma, B.a(Hons.), M.A(NEHU)

Former Lecturer in Economics,UCC (Meghalaya)

& Tripura Civil Service (Retired).

The identity of any race is determined when they are continuous holding dominion in an area of land having supremacy over it. The question of an identity of the tribe(s) or race as to whether the name of their tribe(s) or race is recorded in the page of history. Every tribe or race has a right to have their own identity. The establishment of distinct identity or sustainable identity is a process of formatting the unformatted tribe(s) or race preserving the uniqueness of their traditions, customs and cultures. I am expressing my personal opinion on how to arrive at race’s or tribe’s identity. For this reason, I have prevented myself consulting books which might have been written on the people facing identity crisis. The Nagas in North East India constituted 19 tribes and each tribe speak a uniquely separate dialect and not at all resembling to each other amongst the tribes. Yet their identity is the one and only called ‘Naga’. In Tripura too, there are 19 tribes and of them 9(nine) tribes are having understandability of one language, that is Kokborok. All 19 tribes in Tripura can be all under one umbrella and can be termed as Greater Tipra or Tripuri. The term ‘Tipra’ is unique and founded in history, while the term ‘Tripura’ or ‘Tripuri’ is sanskritized version of  the term ‘Tipra’. But it is recorded in the pages of history as ‘Tipra’ or ‘Tipperah’. According to me the right speling is ‘Tipra’ and term ‘Tipperah’ can be written but should be pronounce as ‘Tipra’ only. I do not possess second opinion on it. It should be noted that only in 1920 AD, the term ‘Tripura’ was approved by the British rulers in India and allowed to be used in place of Hill Tipperah. If old name of a city like Bombay and Madras  could be restored as Mumbai and Chennai respectively to be with native version or for restoration of the previous old name. It should also be applicable in case of Tripura State. Let Tripura be renamed as Tipra. This restoration of old name ‘Tipra’ will be meaningful.   

The present Tripura had 184 kings’ rule over her with Kokborok speaking race has been residing till date. Perhaps, there is no particular land area although occupied by a particular race; is also being resided by others too. But the race is having majority in population therein and the name of the State is identified according to the native language of the people who are majority. Even today, the kokborok speaking in their own language identify themselves as ‘Tipra’. Their first identity is ‘Tipra’ and then they are Tipra, Bru, Jamatia, Noatia and so on. To be more inclusive: all 19 tribes or communities in Tripura can be part of ‘Greater Tipra’. This inclusiveness will be all pervasive for us. They will continue have to be within ‘Greater Tipra’. Why does this so?  The term ‘Tipperah’ or Tipra’ is embedded its roots in history. They were rooted in history for more than the tenure of 184 kings’ rule in Tiperah of Tipra Kingdom. We can not uproot our connectivity with history and coin another word for our identity other than the term ‘Tipra’. When we turn to the page of history, there is no term like ‘Tripura’ or Tripuri. It is ‘Tipra’ or ‘Tipperah’ but not ‘Tripura’ or ‘Tripuri’. The name of our present ‘Tripura’ was Hill Tipperah; which was changed in to as ‘Tripura’ as I said. Accordingly; we got changed our identity by the name of ‘Tripura’ or ‘Tripuri’ by burying our own term of identity ‘Tipra’. The irony is – even today we introduce ourselves as ‘Tipra’ amongst ourselves. Yet when we introduce ourselves to other people other than Tipras, We introduce ourselves as Tripuri forgetting our own tongue in which we call ourselves ‘Tipra’. It is like somebody may call me by a different name other than my actual name given when I was born and I accept the name redunce my prior name and the new name is approved by some authority. This has delinked us from our actual being ‘Tipra’ which mens delinking from history. Therefore, now we are Tripuri to others and Tipra to ourselves. We should be known as ‘Tipra’ to the ourselves and to others as well. This has become unfortunate that we are unable to decide by which name of our race is to be known after 184 kings’ rule plus after 69 years of merger with Indian Union.   Kokborok is one of the principle languages of Tripura. The Tripuri should be Tipra or Tipperah. Today, the question is as to whether we want to leave our old identity like discarding a sackcloth to identify ourselves with newness by cutting off from the root of history. It does not happen to any other race like Tipra. The Tipras are always in pursuit of imitation to the roots of other communities which they feel better than of their own. We need to retrospect ourselves through our history that we do have. We ought to retrospect because history – (a) it helps us to understand the past; (b) it helps us to understand the present in relation to the past; (c) it gives identity and helps us to understand culture, society etc.; and (d) it helps us to be responsible citizen and improve our present.

The last king of Tripura who introduced reservation of 2060 square miles of land for Tripura, Jamatia, Reang, Noatia and Halam communities belonging to ‘Tipra’ did not spell out that they belong to Scheduled tribes. To introduce ourselves a Scheduled Tribes(ST) have become identical with the term ‘Tipra’ which is completely unacceptable as it does not denote with the term ‘Tipra’. Very often, we tell others with pride that we belong to Scheduled Tribes(STs); as if the category of status given as a recognition for gaining certain government benefits is our real identity in place of our real or apt identity should be ‘Tipra’. Since the time ST status has been conferred upon us by the strength of the Constitution of India; we take pride to be ST rather than being ‘Tipra’ or any other identity that is being nomenclature for others too. We have forgotten that we are Tipra and ST is the categorical status for us to gain opportunities is the posts and services (all kinds) Many of us understand that an ST means that they are Mongolians. The people of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and etc. are Mongolians but they are not STs. Another side of the coin is that the Meena of Rajasthan belongs to ST category and are not Mongolian. Their identity is not as ST but they are Rajasthani. The Tipras have been enlisted and included in the list of ST category by the Government of india and they are more an ST than a ‘Tipra’. In Tripura, there are Scheduled Castes(SCs) who are of Bengali community. They do not introduce them that they are not Bengali and they are rather known as SCs. Their (these SCs) identity is Bengali. They do not utter and introduce that they are SCs or they are more Scs than Bengalis. First; they are Bengali, then they will belong to different categories (four categories) of castes.  By imitation, even an individual can not progress without a root in himself or herself. It is just like a person who is being spoon fed. It is exceptional to the case of a tribe or race. They can not have an identity of their own unless they upkeep their good practices of traditions, customs and social values. One social values of Tiprasa was to assist the poor families, especially poor woman with her small children living in a para. How does the people of the her out? The head of the Para ( in Kokborok known as ‘Kasko’ ) convened a meeting in his residence on a scheduled date in which at least one major member of each family is to attend it compulsorily and discussion is held as to how her thatched hut can be repaired of if it is needed to construct a new thatched hut again. As the case may be; after whether to repair or construct a new thatched hut has been decided;  the next stage is to schedule a date for collection of construction materials like wooden post for pillar, bamboos and thatch by all the members of the households of the Para in question. Once the materials are collected; the next stage is to schedule a date for an actual construct of a thatched house. Accordingly, the members of the community does take a social responsibility in taking care of a poor widow and his children. In the same manner and method, another step for economic assistance is organized for such poor widows by the ‘Kasko’ of each Para in Tipra society. Once upon a time all Tipra families’ source of economic activities was ‘Huk’ or Jhum or shifting cultivation. Therefore, an area of ‘huk’  was also arranged by the members of the Tipra societies for such poor widows with dependent children. There were a host of such practices that with the passage of time, the Tipras have stopped practicing due to imitation to others. We are about to lose all these things completely. Today, we talk about what is or what should be our identity! With elapse of about 100 years; we were known as Tipra but we want that we should be known as Tripuri (as it is officially known now ) or Borok . We want to be known as ‘Borok’ for we want to have affinity with Boro. Therefore, we want to be known as Borok, that is from the concept: we speak Kokborok and be known as Borok or we want to have affinity with Boros and so we are ‘Borok’. But just because we are officially branded as ‘Tripuri’ that’s the end. Is it we can not utter anything anymore for what we were historically recorded as ‘Tipra’ and even today we identify amongst ourselves as ‘Tipra’ everyday. So there is no scope to say that it may be historically recorded as Tipra but we should obliterate now. We can not but continue to identify ourselves as ‘Tipra’ or be ready to get sunk in to oblivious memory of the history hereafter.

We do have had our history. Many other tribes might have unrecorded history. In order to own a history, a race must have its territory. Without territory, a race can not its establish identity. Without territory – a race is no race. It is not a matter of meanness. A race may be small with its small territory. This was done with a purpose-to demolish or erase Tipra history in totality. But ask the any member of Tipprasa ( member of Tipra ) on the extent of their knowledge on their history. The Tipra people are such that they are being tutored of the distorted history sating that your kings did a little for your development in all respect. Therefore, the kings did not want to develop Tripura ( Hill Tipperah) for they feared that they (kings) might be ousted by his subjects; had the kings educated and make them economically grow? With this fairy tale the Tipras and other tribes are indoctrinated and made belied. They are so gullible that the cooked up story is believed to be true. The kings had a limitations that unlike the present Government of Tripura is facing financial hardships in spite of the fact that a sizeable quantum of funding is being done by the government of India in many flagship Schemes. The kings of Hill Tipperah ( presently Tripura ) with merger sources of revenues was running its show in their Sate. It is not unknown to the critics. But to tune the attention of the people in the State that they aired the acute deprivation of the people in order to deviate towards them.

In conclusion, we were known in the records of the history as ‘Tipra’ and we should continue to be known as Tipra and our identity should be ‘Tipra’ as even today, we introduce  or identify amongst ourselves as ‘Tipra’, so let us uphold both our history and glorify ourselves to the  present too as ‘Tipra’.

N.B:-This write was submitted for seminar on identity of us as organized by the MFK in collaboration with KoHM on 25-26 July, 2016 at Matangini – Pritilata Hall, Women’s College, Agartala.