In my childhood, I often heard about a place called
'Bam' in the southern part of the Cachar district in conversations among my
family members and elders. Some families from my ancestral village, Bariknagar,
had already moved to Bam. From the information I gathered about Bam, it seemed
to me like a remote and underdeveloped place located near the Lushai Hills
(present-day Mizoram).
In the early 1950s, bus service was only available
up to Kabuganj, 23 kilometres from Silchar. Those who travelled from Silchar to
Bam in those days would first go to Kabuganj by bus and then walk 14 km to
reach Bhagabazar. To reach Vidyaratnapur in Bam, one had to walk 22 km from
Kabuganj. And to reach Bishnupur village in Bam, bordering Mizoram, one had to
travel 28 km from Kabuganj.
Before the bus service started between Silchar and
Kabuganj, people had to walk 35 kilometres to travel to and from Bam from
Silchar. There were no hotels on the way at that time. They had to carry
"Macha" for their lunch during their arduous journey. The traditional
"Macha" of Cachar is a rice cake made of "Birain" rice with
fried chicken or fish wrapped in soft banana leaves.
Along with Bam, the name of 'Bauri', a new
settlement located not far from Sonai to the east of Silchar, was also
occasionally mentioned. The names of these two places combined to form the
phrase 'Bam-Bauri' in the vocabulary of the people of the mainland of Cachar
district, used to refer to backward and remote places. This still exists. Bam
remained in my childhood memories. But I never thought that I would one day
travel to Bam.
But in 1960, when I was a seventh-grade student at
Silchar Government High School, an opportunity to travel to Bam arose.
It was the summer vacation of 1960, and the occasion
was the wedding ceremony of Turfan Ali Laskar, son of Mirjan Ali Laskar of
Bhagabazar.
My first journey to Bam began from our house in
Meherpur. Our family had relocated from Bariknagar to Meherpur. At that time,
there was no abundance of vehicles on the roads, so we travelled the
five-kilometer distance from Meherpur to Premtala bus station by rickshaw,
paying a fare of four annas.
Premtala was the heart of Silchar and served as a
major bus station for various destinations in rural Cachar. The ticket counter
was located on the west side of Central Road, near the Premtala police point.
Buses to various destinations—such as Bhagabazar, Sonai, Matinagar, and
Amraghat—departed from Gul Dighi in the Premtala area. Currently, Gul Dighi
Mall stands in the place of this Gul Dighi bus stand. It is now a busy
commercial area, but at that time, it was empty. It was occasionally used as a
venue for small public meetings by activists and left-wing parties. A cameraman
would stand in the open space with his large camera on a stand, covered with a
black cloth, to take pictures. Usually, passport photos were taken.
On the banks of Gul Dighi, there were a few hawker
shops known as "Noy Ani Dokan" (Nine Anna Shops), which sold every
small daily necessity for nine annas. Opposite Gul Dighi, on the west side of
Central Road, stood the famous three-story GMC Building of the late Khan Saheb
Gabru Mia Chowdhury. Built after World War II, it was the first three-story
building in Silchar and remained the only three-story building in Silchar until
the late 1950s.
Our three-hour bus journey to Bamer Bhagar, located
35 kilometres away, began from Gul Dighi, Premtala. The bus, like other buses
in Cachar at that time, was divided into two sections: upper and lower. The
front part of the bus had two wooden benches covered with coconut fibre.
This was the upper class. Behind
the upper section, there were three wooden benches placed vertically, and one
bench at the back of the bus, which was the lower class.
The upper-class ticket from Silchar
to Bhagabazar cost 1 rupee 7 annas, and the lower-class ticket cost 1 rupee. We
bought upper-class tickets for the first bus from Silchar to Bhagabazar, which
was scheduled to depart at 7:00 AM. The bus was full; some passengers were
chewing betel nut, and some were smoking. It was an old and dilapidated bus, so
old that it did not have a normal ignition system. Its engine had to be started
with an iron handle.
The driver had a young assistant,
who was called the handyman. The handyman poured a bucket of water into the
engine and tried to start it by turning the handle with all his might, while
the driver simultaneously turned the key. After several attempts, the engine
started with a loud noise.
The bus was moving slowly, stopping
occasionally to pick up and drop off passengers. The town of Silchar extended
up to Rangirkhari. Holy Cross School in Kanakpur had not yet been established.
After Rangirkhari, we passed through Kanakpur, Krishnapur, and other villages.
After Rangirkhari, there were lush
green paddy fields on both sides of the road. There were no shops or
establishments along the roadside. The paddy fields were captivating in their
vibrant green beauty. The first shop after Rangirkhari was Rahim's shop in
Saidpur. It was a little before Sonabarighat. Clean water was flowing in the
drains on both sides of the road, and villagers were seen catching fish using
bamboo traps, nets, etc.
After about half an hour, the bus
reached Sonabarighat, its first scheduled stop. Some passengers got off, and
some passengers, including some women in burqas, boarded the bus. The driver,
the handyman, and other passengers took the opportunity to enjoy tea and snacks
at a nearby stall.
Meanwhile, the bus's handyman had
poured a bucket of water into the bus's engine. Again, the handyman started the
engine using the handle. This process was repeated every time the bus stopped
at other stops.
After stopping for a while at Natun
Bazar and Narsingpur, the bus reached Kabuganj and resumed its journey after
resting there for about 15-20 minutes. The road after Kabuganj was unpaved and
uneven, which significantly reduced the bus's speed. The first stop in Bham was
at Dhalaibazar. After crossing Panibhara, the Rengti hills of West Bham became
visible with their lush green landscape. The Rengti hill range is a natural
landmark of Bham and its western boundary. It enhances the natural beauty of
Bham. After a strenuous three-hour journey, the bus reached Bhagabazar, the
central hub of Bham, at 10 AM. The bus was parked under a tree.
The wedding party welcomed us. We
walked a short distance through Bhagabazar to the house of Mirjan Ali Lasker,
where we would spend the next four days attending the wedding ceremony.
Bhagabazar is in the middle of Bangram village. Bhagabazar served as a weekly
market for the villagers of the southern part of Bham, and Dhalaibazar served
as the marketplace for the villagers of North Bham.
At that time, Bhagabazar was a
small weekly rural market with only a few permanent shops. The market would
come alive on the designated market days of the week – Saturday and Tuesday. On
these two market days, traders from Silchar and Dhalaibazar would come to buy
raw materials and sell goods. Villagers, dressed in lungis and dhotis, would
come to sell their grains, vegetables, fruits, eggs, chickens, goats, and cows
(on Tuesdays) and mainly to buy salt, kerosene oil, and cloth etc. The Mizos
from the Lushai Hills district (now Mizoram) and people from various Mizo
villages of Bham would bring their 'jhum' cultivated produce depending on the
season, which included ginger, turmeric, chillies, pineapples, oranges, and
other forest products such as rema and honey. The Mizo men and women, dressed
in traditional attire, would carry their jhum produce on their backs in large
bamboo baskets (Lakhai). There was no electricity then, and buying and selling
would end after sunset. There were small, temporary huts called 'Bachoighar'
with thatched roofs made of 'Nera' grass, where the shopkeepers would sell
their goods on the weekly market days. On other days, these huts remained
empty. After sunset, the shopkeepers and traders would illuminate their shops
with bamboo torches.
The bride was the daughter of Siraj Uddin Majumdar
of Ruknipar, not far from Bamer. Siraj Uddin was a former headmaster of Silchar
Town High School. His grandfather, Munshi Mahmud Hossain Majumdar, had moved
from Niyairgram to Ruknipar in the early 20th century. Munshi Mahmud Hossain
Majumdar's brother, Munshi Kabir Mohammad Majumdar, moved to Hawaithang village
in Bamer at the same time. The descendants of Munshi Kabir Mohammad Majumdar in
Bamer are known as the 'Bhat Khara Ghushti'. It is rather interesting that this
marital alliance took place between the 'Chalan (curry) Khara Ghushti' and the
'Bhat Khara Ghushti'.
This journey to Bamer in my early life introduced me
to Bamer and the social life of its people. In particular, the wedding ceremony
I witnessed provided me with a deep understanding of the cultural, social, and
economic aspects of Bamer society.
On the wedding day, the entire village was abuzz
with excitement. Everyone in the village was invited to participate in the
'Sinni' or midday meal. Preparations began from dawn, and the villagers worked
together. There were no professional cooks; rather, skilled volunteers from the
village did the cooking, with the young men assisting them. This collective
effort reflected the tradition and spirit of cooperation in Bamer.
The midday meal was served to the villagers in rows
in an open area. The village youths served rice, water, curry, salt, and other
dishes with much fanfare. After the meal, many took some food home with them.
In the afternoon, it was time for the groom's
procession to depart. Before leaving, a special feast known as
"Damandkhani" was arranged for the groom and his close friends. The centrepiece
of this feast was a large platter placed in front of the groom, overflowing
with delicious food—pilaf, fried eggs, khurma, chicken curry, and a beautifully
garnished roasted chicken on top. Following local custom, there were no fish
dishes in the meal.
In a joyful traditional moment, the groom, with the
help of his best friend, shared the roasted chicken and other food from his
platter with his friends. The meal created a festive atmosphere filled with
laughter and lighthearted conversation. The feast concluded with desserts,
including the traditional "murabba" made from ash gourd. The other
members of the groom's party had their meals separately.
After the feast, the groom entered the "Damand
Hajani," or the groom's dressing ceremony. Adorned in an elegant salwar
kameez and other embellishments, he sat facing west. Then a decorated turban
was placed on his head, and attar or perfume was applied. After being dressed,
the groom offered salutations to his father and other elders, who in turn
bestowed blessings upon him.
The groom's party, consisting of male members,
departed for the bride's house in a bus in the afternoon. The groom, some of
his close friends, and I—a young member—travelled in an old 1957 Landmaster car
(ASC 1703). The car belonged to a family relative from Kankpur.
The groom's party was warmly welcomed at the wedding
venue. They were greeted with respect and reverence, exchanging salutations
with the elders, and seated on 'pati' (mats) covered with clean clothes on the
ground. As a mark of respect, betel leaf and areca nut were served in several
'pandans'.
The
groom's party was welcomed with sherbet. Several long-stemmed hookahs were
provided for the elders to smoke.
After
the initial formalities, the groom's guardians formally handed over the
ornaments, saree, and cosmetics brought for the bride to the bride's guardians.
The groom had to enter through a ritual already known as
"gate-holding." The bride's friends and young relatives blocked the
gate and demanded a hefty monetary reward for entry from the groom and his
friends. After some bargaining and payment of a minimum amount, the groom was
allowed to enter. They were seated in a separate enclosure.
After
the reception, the Nikah ceremony was held according to Islamic customs. Afterwards, the guests were treated to a
lavish feast. They all sat cross-legged on mats, and a "dastar" (a
long piece of red cloth used to place plates on during meals) was spread in
front of them. A person would go around with a brass vessel called a "chilimchi"
or "pikdan" and a water jug, allowing the guests to wash their hands
while seated. This ritual was repeated after the meal for washing hands and
face. It was a custom of hospitality towards the guests. Guests considered it
disrespectful to get up and wash their hands and face themselves.
After
the meal, betel leaf and areca nut were served from a 'pan dan'. A
"hookah" was also present, and tobacco was occasionally refilled and
lit with a 'tiki' (a small burning ember). The groom's party returned with the
bride before sunset.
Before
the groom's party departed, the groom was taken inside to be introduced to the
bride's female relatives. In a ceremony known as 'Mukh Chani', the women were
formally introduced to the groom, who gave them gifts as 'Mukhchani', and
sweets and tea were served. The groom showed respect by offering traditional
greetings.
Returning
before dark was a tradition in Bam's weddings due to the lack of electricity.
There
was no system of dowry then. However, the parents provided the necessary
furniture and cooking utensils so that their daughter could start her new life.
That night, I returned home in the same Landmaster car and did not witness the
festivities of the bride's arrival the next day. There were no reception
parties in Bam at that time. The customs were not the same as they are today.
Traditionally, the village women and relatives would come to see the bride over
the next two or three days, a custom locally known as "seeing the
bride" (Koinā
Dekhā). The bride would be seated on a mat placed on the
ground, completely covered with a veil. The women of the family would lift the
bride's veil to show her face to the visitors. The women would then give money
or other gifts as a token of appreciation for seeing the bride's face (Mukhchāni). Lively and engaging conversations would take
place among the women about the bride's attire, ornaments, and beauty. For the
first few days, the bride had to be very restrained in her movements. She had
to walk with very slow steps, looking down at the ground, while remaining
veiled. This was locally called 'Koināpārā'. A woman would assist her.
I
enjoyed the wedding festivities during my adolescence and gained an
understanding of Bam and its valuable social customs, which remain in my memory
to this day. My second trip to Bam was in 1962, when I went to Vidyaratnapur,
located at the foot of Bhuban Hill, five kilometres west of Bhagabazar. A neighbour
from my ancestral village, Barik Nagar (established in 1853 on a defunct tea
plantation), had moved to Vidyaratnapur. He had limited land, which was not
enough to support his family. Due to its proximity to Silchar town, the land
prices there were relatively high. The neighbour sold his land and, like many
farmers around Silchar, bought more land in Bidyaratnapur in Bam and settled
there.
The
first-generation settlers in Bam received up to one 'hal' (12 acres) of land
free of charge from the British Indian government. They cleared the jungle,
made the land habitable, and became landowners, paying annual land revenue.
This reminds me of Pahom, the character in Charles Dickens' story "How
Much Land Does a Man Need?" In the story, a greedy farmer, Pahom, was
allowed to claim as much land as he could walk around from sunrise to sunset.
In
Bam, later settlers had to purchase land from the original inhabitants of Bam.
When I visited my neighbour's house in Bidyaratnapur, I found him to be a
well-established farmer. He owned a considerable amount of land, and his
descendants are now members of the middle-income group, engaged in fish
farming, gardening, and cultivating fertile paddy fields.
The
village of Bidyaratnapur, situated at the foot of Bhuban Hill, was beautiful,
and the people were friendly, simple, hospitable, and hardworking. The
villagers would gather at a local market known as "Nishkar Bazar"
(meaning "tax-free market"). The market served not only as a place
for buying and selling but also as a centre for social interaction. There were
few means of entertainment like today; the villagers would sit on bamboo
benches in tea stalls, enjoying a glass of tea while engaging in conversation
and storytelling.
I
have visited Bam several times during my service and after retirement. The
gradual development of Bam has unfolded before my eyes. The progress of the Bam
region has been faster compared to other parts of Cachar—be it in education,
culture, trade and commerce, or road connectivity.
If
this pace of progress (especially in education) continues, Bam will become a
leading rural area of the Barak Valley.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
About the author:
Abu Nasar Nazmul
Islam Lasker resides in Guwahati. He is a retired Superintending Engineer of
the Irrigation Department of Assam. A former president of the Guwahati Rotary
Club and the Guwahati Senior Engineers Forum (North-East), and currently
working as a Senior Consultant at the Indian government organisation NEDFi,
Lasker is involved with various NGOs and continues to engage in social work.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
No comments:
Post a Comment