Our Root is our Identity
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 meager 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.
