By: Wahengbam Rorrkychand
Kharam community of Manipur is one of the diminishing groups of people in the state. Kharam today inhabited in the seven villages of Manipur. Kharam Pallen village under Sapormeina Police station in Senapati district is one of the main settlements of the community.
The word Kharam might have been derived from Kha (south in Meitei language) and lam (land) which the kharams used as ram (land) which means “Southland”. They have a language affinity to Purum, Koireng, Aimol, Chiru, Kom, and Halam tribes of Manipur.
The community has no written document to support their support for their history other than the folk songs, folktales and story which is passed on to generation after generation.
Sensing the looming threat of extinction, two youths from the village have taken an unusual road to protect their year old tribal customary tradition, culture and folklore.
Two students of Manipur University namely Bosco Jaiche Karma (28) and Khamsosham Jaiche (27) have been visiting their hometown every Sunday to collect folk songs and tales from local elders. During their visit, they met with local elders and jotted down folktales and songs of Kharam tribe in a special book, which they used for the purpose only.
Bosco is the first PhD scholar student from the village while, his friend Khamsosham, who is a Post-graduate student in Manipur University and also the President of All Manipur Kharam Tribe Union.
The village has total number of 91 household and a population of 474 people including 257 male and 217 female, however only two persons namely Rengtankhel Jaiche (70) and Thangsinsel Jaiche (65) are adopting their traditional faith while, others have embraced Christianity. There is a looming threat of dying out of folklore of the community after some years when elders have passed away and failed to pass on the folklore to younger generation. Besides, another point of worrisome is that the literacy rate among the community is minimal, said the duo while speaking to representative of Imphal Times.
Bosco said that they have started collecting unwritten lore of the tribal community out of love for their customary practices and culture. They have not asked nor received any financial help from the side of government and governmental agencies for their endeavor to preserve and protect the customs, folk tales and songs.
Kharam Pallen is situated just around 40 KM from the capital city of Manipur; but it remains as one of the most backward villages in the state without proper basic amenities. Presently the village has 9 (nine) graduate, 7 post graduate and one PhD student. It has 1 (one) MBBS, Bachelor of Theology student each and a female nurse. The female nurse namely Reineichim Rangla Khouchung is currently working in a private hospital in Guwahati, Assam.
The two youth also appealed the central and state government to kindly take proper initiative to protect the diminishing tribes of Manipur including the Kharam community and preserve their tribal folk legacies.
4 comments
Name should be Khamsoshan jaichea and designation is Prez. All Kharam students’ union manipur.
Great initiative and commitment contribution made for their community. Hope and wish the visible impact in long run. Go forward and be means of instrument to your people.
I salute Mr. Bosco and my dear Cousin bro Khamsoshan for having shown their interest to preserve the folklore of our community. I fully agreed and my support is with them. Having said this, I would like to comment on the Title of the Story. What about the people who have worked before us and who has done documentary on our culture and folkfore and the mojority christians in the village. Should we not recognised their contributions? who is responsible for our tribe recognition?. I myself have seen there are people in the church encouraging people to learn our custom dance and folklore every year during christmas its mandatory. According to me every individual of the kharam tribe feels the need to preserve their traditional folklore and they are doing their little bit. Another thing I would like to comment is that there has been a research done on ‘Ethno History of the Kharam Tribe of Manipur’ by Gina Shangkham I have read it and it contains the following: 1.Habitat. 2. History. 3. Society. 4. Polity. 5. Economy. 6. Religion. 7. Cultural life. 8. Folk tales. Tell me now shall we called her our heroine? Which unwritten documents you are referring to? Therefore doing research on any tribe does not make you a hero or heroin of the tribe. Let us acknowledge the contribution of everyone from small to big. Therefore the Title is misleading.
Thanks for your hard work bros keep it up