By Oken Jeet Sandham
It is not out of nowhere, but it is God`™s plan that I landed in a village called Rongphar. It is one of the Amri Karbi tribe`™s villages in the Amri Karbi areas of Assam. The village is some 40 kilometers away from Guwahati and some 4 kilometers away from the National Highway 37.
I along with my colleague Takoba Teron reached the village on October 21, 2012. I was invited to present a paper in a `Seminar` on the theme `Awareness of Political Consciousness of Amri Karbi Tribes and Their Chartered Demands` on October 22 and 23, 2012 at Rongphar Community Hall. It was organized by Amri Karbi National Council (AKNC) which has been spearheading for the `Autonomous District Council` under Sixth Schedule for a separate Amri Karbis in Assam. Over the last decades, the leaders of the AKNC have been meeting various Central leaders including former Prime Ministers late Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. They have also submitted various memoranda to previous Dr Manmohan Singh Government and also the present Narendra Modi Government at the Center.
The day we reached the Rongphar village was Sunday and did not know where we would be staying. But, so lucky that our accommodation was arranged in the Church Guest House. In fact, we were received by Pastor of the Rongphar Baptist Church, Pichong Ronghang when we reached in the village. Our team was first received by President of the AKNC, Mr Pudum Ingti, when we arrived at Sonapur, and from there, he led us to Rongphar village where I would be addressing the `Seminar.`
After having exchanged some pleasantries, the Pastor invited me to speak in the Church the same evening as that day was Sunday. I was really happy on being invited to speak in this Church, though not showing immediate response to him feeling a bit of reservation thinking it wouldn`™t be fair as I reached in the village for the first time in my life, and not knowing anything of its background rather.
My sharing in this Church was one of the most memorable ones in my life but the most important one, which I would like to tell here, is the way the Christianity started coming in this village and also other villages in the Armi Karbi areas. I didn`™t have much to share except my happiness of coming to this beautiful village. Although the attendance was thin, every moment was historic for me as it was the first time for me attending Karbi Church Service in my life. The news of sharing my feeling in the Church spread like a wildfire in the village and many complained the next morning saying that they would have attended the last evening`™s Church Service if they knew that I would be speaking in the Church. I really felt humbled by such responses from the villagers in this village.
It is heartening to note that the Christianity has been planted in this village and other Amri Karbi areas by the Ao Church leaders under the Merangkong Godhula Mission (MGM) of Mokokchung, Nagaland.
Rongphar village is inhabited by mostly Amri Karbi tribes. This village lies at the foothills and the people were mostly non-Christians but after the Christianity came in 32 years ago, majority of them are today Christians. The village has two denominations `“ Baptist and Catholic.
The Rongphar Baptist Church (RBC) was first set up under the sponsorship of MGM in 1983. Those first converts are still active in Church activities in the village and also in other neighboring villages. The initial thatched Church with few negligible members has today become a symbol and prestige for the Christian community in the village. Today they have a huge RCC Church boasting of having a good number of members from the village.
Many Ao missionaries from Nagaland`™s Mokokchung district have been actively engaged in promoting and developing Christianity in this village and other Amri Karbi villages. Yet, they still need supports for running and maintaining the Church administration and other activities. Prominent Ao Church leaders and high profile officials have been extending financial and material supports to the Churches, which have been established under MGM, from time to time. One of the known families not only among the Aos but also Nagas in Nagaland, late NI Jamir`™s family had their share for the growth of the Church activities in the Rongphar village. The name of late NI Jamir, father of former Nagaland Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir and grandfather of present NPF MLA Marentoshi Jamir, has been written and displayed in the Church.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/the-aos-in-church-movement-in-amri-karbi-areas/