By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 28: "I am glad to see the symbols of earlier dress, culture and accessories of Assamese in the tiol Museum here, about which my forefathers used to tell us in Burma," said Rajani Devi, an Assamese Burmese lady who came from Myanmar (Burma) for the first time in 200 years after their forefathers had left Assam.
Devi and Rat Mani are the descendents of the Assamese families, who were taken away from the state to then Burma in various times by Burmese invaders. Both these ladies reached Assam to see their mother land for once. Research scholar and convener of the programme Satyakam Phukan organized a felicitation and get-together. They have to adopt two mes, one Assamese and the other Burmese, so as to get government facilities there.
Phukan said: "Due to lack of connectivity between Burma and Assam after the Burmese attack on Assam, these Assamese people could never come back to their land. They have forgotten their language, ethnicity, culture and everything, but not the Assamese identity and the land. These migrated people still worship lord Krish and identify themselves as 'Assamic'. According to the historical data, around 5,000 Assamese people were taken to Burma in phases. While some were sent by Ahom king to assists Princess Hemo Devi or Bhano Devi, who was rewarded to the Burmese king in 1817. After that, many people were taken to Burma either as free people or as slaves by Singphou Burmese. Now, only 50 per cent of these people are left in Burma. While some of them embraced Buddhism, others kept their earlier religion."
Phukan also said: "We found them in 2013 for the first time when we went to Burma in search of them. These two ladies are the descendents of Padamala, who was from the family of people sent to Burma to assist Bhano Devi. They came with some Manipuri people to see their mother land."
Rat Mani said: "We met Phukan in 2013 in Burma, and talked to him as we are the descendents of those Assamese families who had left Assam before 200 years. There are many Assamese people in the places like Katchin and Bhano regions. I am very happy, and I feel proud of having seen my mother land. I hope this bond will last long hereafter, among our people."