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VALUES IN KARBI FOLK LITERATURE:

AN EVALUATION
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Introduction

1.00 Folklore: Folklore is a sociological science and the study of folklore throws
considerable light on the modes of life and thoughts of the people. Folklore covers
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everything which is a part of the traditional life of the folk. Folklore of a community
is understood from their arts and traditions, beliefs and customs, magic and practices,
rituals and festivals etc. The social and spiritual selves of the folks are also the subject
matter of folklore. Folklore or folk life of a community is studied in terms of folk
literature, material culture, and social folk custom and performing folk arts of the
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community concerned. And folk literature covers myths, legends, tales, ballads,
different types of folk songs, rhymes, riddles, proverbs, sayings, charms etc. Karbi
folk literature like that of any tribe of North-Eastern India is very rich and varied. It
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can be broadly divided into five categories - a) folk tales b) folk songs c) riddles d)
proverbs and finally e) charms. The folk tales of the Karbis cover their myths, legends,
stories, jokes etc. Their folk songs include marriage songs, epic and ballads, festival
songs, songs of ritual, Hacha Kekan songs, love lyrics, children songs, play songs,
work songs, religious songs etc. Karbi folk literature also abounds in riddles, proverbs,
chants and charms and expresses life and thought of the folk, reflects their folk mind,
explains their behaviour and sustains socio-ethical, cultural and environmental values
cherished by their folk society. The study is carried out with a view to searching for
the values of life transmitted through their folk literature from generation to generation
and evaluating those values in present day context and reorienting the new generation
of the community towards their indigenous environment, culture and identity.

1.01 Folk Values: Every community or society rests on certain values. Values are
certain desires and goals, aspirations and standards, norms and codes, morals and
disciplines which are considered fundamental to lead the approved way of life by the
community concerned. Values, relying on a state beyond the question of being moral
or immoral, are considered individual and social, cultural and religious, environmental
and material standards used to judge, compare, approve or disapprove things in
relative terms as desirable or undesirable, correct or wrong, more correct or less, more
meritorious or less, useful or harmful, necessary or not etc. The values remind the folk
of his or her own duties, liabilities, responsibilities as individual and as a member of
the community for the survival of their culture and heritage, their society and its social
system. These values are the causes of the sort of uniformity seen in the behavioral
pattern of the members of the folk society of the community, constitute a lofty part of
the heritage of the society and are expected to be inculcated in by all the members of
the community. B. K. Barua refers to the values of heritage as the equipments for the
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future which may reorient the cultural and national life of the community. In the
present technology-based world characterized with moral chaos the folk values of the
Karbis, a part of heritage of the community, are in crisis and in a state of degeneration.
In such a crucial situation folk literature can play an educative role, inculcate the folk
values of life in the young generation and help them to live being committed to their
community and nature, human and non-human others.
1.02 Values in Karbi Folk Literature: In Karbi society their folk literature is one of
their socio-cultural agencies integrated with values and assigned with the duties of
inculcating the values in the folk. Karbi folk literature not only reflects their folk
mind, their art and tradition, thoughts and beliefs, ideas and ideals, hopes and fears,
dreams and realities, aspirations and superstitions, but tells us a good deal about their
folk mind, folk life and folk values. Karbi folk literature reflects a coherent Karbi folk
society with lofty socio-ethical values which in many respects is in contrast with the
present Karbi society striving for values in life showing ample scope for research to
be done with a view to reorienting the new generations toward a life to live with
values, culture and identity.
1.02.01 There are Karbi folk songs and tales that present us the Karbi worldview,
their folk views on creation of earth and objects of nature, plantation of earth and
nature of environment, creation of the first Karbi man, formation of society, role of
village chief, division of rank and position, formation of clan, human life and nature,
enculturation of the community, Jirsang and community activities, agriculture and
work culture, rites and rituals, culture and tradition, status of women, past and present
etc. In the “Legend of Creation” it is seen that the deities Hemphu and Mukrang after
creating earth and before creating animal and man on earth decided thus “ We must
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now cause plants to grow on it”. It is surprising to see that this folk tale of date
unknown, beyond the reach of History, talks about the necessity of plants for survival
of human community signifying its present day relevance regarding ecological
imbalance and environmental degradation. According to ‘Karbi Keplang’, a song on
creation of earth and lives on it, the creator after creating the earth created first the
hills and mountains, green vegetation, lakes, rivers, tributaries etc. and then birds and
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animals. It also reveals the community’s indigenous ecological wisdom that
plantation and water are the basic needs for a life on earth. In an another folk song
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‘Musera-Kehir ’ , sung on the third day of ‘Chomangkan’, their cremation ceremony,
it is said that with a sense of hesitation the first Karbi man came out of course from
the biggest of the eggs laid by the bird ‘wo-pluk-pi’ with a view to rescuing the earth
from the utter chaos prevailed in the society. This song reminds the living fellows of
the community of their origin, migration from one place to another, pains and
sufferings, rights and duties of the Karbis signifying high note of social and historical
values. These Karbi songs and tales on creation are reflective of their ethnocentrism,
life living with nature and environmental ethics.

1.02.02 The Karbi world of folktale with myths, legends and tales is rich and varied. If
the Karbi myths are stories of creation and origin of things like bottle guard, chili,
song, rice beer, Hemphu and creation of socio-ethical rules etc.; the Karbi legends are
about some historical events, places and persons like Harbamon, Thong Nokbe, Sat
Recho, Rongpherpi etc. told to educate people of their own glorious and eventful past
and to encourage people to live with their own history; the tales of the community are
all about some imaginary episodes, fairy events, magical spells told basically to amuse
the youngsters of the community and inculcate in them certain human values. The
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legend of Rangpherpi not simply presents the womenfolk of the community with
self-respect and dignity, but the community as a whole revolting against
marginalization, injustice and humiliation, suffering and exploitation. The Karbi
grandmother tells a tale sitting with children at ‘hongpharlat’ of their
‘changghar’ (front space of their traditional bamboo house) about ‘Jangrecho’
(orphan) and his journey from sufferings to success, village life and its features, birds
and animals, supernatural elements and Tenton the clever rogue who goes on cheating
other persons. Some of the Karbi folktales like ‘Sun And Moon’, ‘Takun Recho’ etc.
are meant for understanding the national character of a Karbi man, social codes of
conduct in their society, religious rules, traditional knowledge etc. Sir Charles Lyall
dealing with Karbi folktales namely ‘Story of a Frog’, ‘Story of an Orphan and His
Uncles’ and ‘Story of Harata Kunwar’ is of the view that these Karbi folktales
undoubtedly correspond in every respect to the general characteristics of folk
literature and contain the same incidents or the same sequences of events or have the
same forms what is peculiar to the folktale of all over the world, what is distinctive
and characteristic is not the progress of incidents, but the local dressing, the narrator’s
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point of view, the colour of his daily life which he lends to the details of the story.

1.02.03 The world of Karbi folk song is multidimensional. The Karbis have folk
songs for almost every ritual of their folk life which are meant to get the folk involved
in the situation concerned and make the occasion lively. Hardly any celebration of
wedding, childbirth, any cultural-religious function, any rite and ritual, work or play in
a Karbi traditional society is considered complete without singing the folk song meant
for the occasion. The songs are spontaneous and lyrical expression of the folk
resulting from their accumulated aesthetic sense and socio-cultural responsibilities.
These songs reflect their folk society with culture and tradition, knowledge and
wisdom, rules and regulations of their socio-religious, political world, rites and rituals,
codes of conduct, taboos, their gods and goddesses, faiths and superstitions, their
ancient socio-political institutions, their patriarchal society and pains of women, their
animism, relation to nature and non-human physical environment. For example the
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Karbi folk song sung ‘Char Kebat Alun’ shows how grandfather Harbamon
organized the village and let it to be flourished under the strong leadership of the
village chief and advocated for village centered governance for the growth of the
village in its all branches. Such a political value may be relevant in the present society
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of regional inequalities. In a song related to ‘Man-Peng Kepnangcheng’ it is said
that in ancient times the Karbi society was without social
ethic and suffered from utter chaos. So a couple known as Kaku and Sam Teron
introduced to their society different designation, rank and position such as king,
village chief, leader of youths, priest etc. In the song related to grandfather Kashen
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‘Rukasen Alun’ it is said that he following the advice of his wife established the first
Karbi village at Nangkula on the bank of river Kapili where everyone lived together in
peace.
Moreover the songs related to ‘Jirsang’ reflect the community life of the
Karbi people through their institution called Jirsong which regulates all the social
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activities within the community. As it is said in these songs that once Harbamon
established Jirsong, the social institution, with the cooperation of the boys and girls.
Jirsang engages the youths of the village in community activities such as community
cultivation, harvest of crops, handy-crafts etc. The activities of Jirsang are performed
through Terang, the office of Jirsong, the community house. The concept of Jirsong is
associated with inculcation of work culture among the youths and thus preparing the
new generation to live for the community rather than to be a cheap commodity in the
hands of multinational companies of some foreign strong capitalist groups. It may be
highly effective in solving unemployment problem of our society.
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In another folk song belonging to ‘Adamasar Kangthur’ it is said that
Har Langbe and Be Langbe resolved to fight against the people of a neighboring
village who polluted a river, the source of their drinking water. In this song the
grandmother Maranpi advises her grandsons Har Langbe and Be Langbe not to fight
but to learn some good rituals of marriage from them. She also tells that war makes no
good to the society but good rituals do. The folk song of the date unknown with its
stress on problem of drinking water and pollution, cultural assimilation and anti-war
campaign is highly relevant in our polluted, violence ridden society.
In the ‘Jahang’ festival the Karbis sing and dance with their ancient sword
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and shield. In a song associated with the festival it is said that all boys and girls
should come forward, sing and dance together and maintain old rituals and tradition,
otherwise the ancestors would curse them. The Karbis are proud of their ancestors and
old rituals and feel great pleasure in singing the glorious story of Reng Beng Ham.
The respect for old thing and tradition seen in the folk songs of the Karbis reflect their
high ethics and may appear instrumental in making a rootless generation learn what
tradition is and how important to live with it for the survival of human community.
The folk belief of the Karbis that the fertility of their agricultural land can be revived
if boys and girls sing and dance together on those lands is in direct contrast with our
self-consuming process of reviving fertility of land by using chemicals and fertilizers.
Further their community feasts after collecting grains from the field, their worship of
the god of forest and goddess of peace etc. have metaphorical importance in our
present day context.
1.02.04 Though the Karbi folk society is basically a patriarchal one the advantages
enjoyed by Karbi women, their cross cousin marriage system, no dowry system,
widow marriage, women’s self- dependent nature, the role of Uchepi, girls’ singing
and dancing with the boys at Hachaa Kekan and Chomangkan festival, Domahi Kekan
etc. clearly indicate a balanced society where womenfolk live asserting their self and
identity in healthy harmony with the male folk in a Karbi society. G.C. Sarmah Thakur
says- “the men folk do not think that they are a superior lot and likewise the women
folk do not develop a complex that they are neglected. The sexes are not status
conscious and there is mutual co-operation between the sexes in each other’s
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activities” A study of their folk tales and songs reveals that a Karbi woman respects
dignity of labour and likes to be self-dependant. She is simple but becomes furious
when her self-respect is in danger. She does all household duties and also helps the
male folk in their works. She prepares horlang, weaves cloths, maintains the family
and also remains active in their socio-economical cultural life. The tales and songs
portray jolly girls working, singing and dancing ; loving, caring witty daughter-in-law;
devoted wife caring for husband’s honour; kind-hearted, strict, responsible mother;
wise old women, social organizer and pacifist and at the same time the cunning,
jealous, villainous step mother and betrayer to lover and husband. The tales and songs
also talk about the sufferings of women and the victimized girl. No doubt to attend
certain functions in a Karbi traditional society is a taboo for Karbi women. The Karbi
woman are the ‘Charhepi’ and ‘O’chepi’, on whom Chomangkan relies, who guide the
souls of the dead back to their ancestors’ land. The ballads record the tales of anger
and anguish, pain and sufferings of women in a Karbi society.
1.02.05 The Karbi proverbs, riddles, chants and charms reveal thoughts and beliefs,
experience and wisdom, codes of conduct and values of their folk life in a poetical
way of expression. These culture-bound indigenous expressions, used as answers to
recurrent problems or as the self-contained unit to show their approved way of life,
travelling orally throughout the centuries from generation to generation have finally
become an indispensible part of their written literature. In the present age of
technology and urbanization the new generations of the community are hardly
interested in these indigenous expressions ignoring its values to their total identity.
1.02.06 This rapid survey of Karbi folk tales, folk songs, proverbs etc. made with a
view to understanding social life and socio-ethical values in Karbi folk society leads
to a realization that the Karbi folk society is a rich store house of socio-ethical
environmental values which may reorient the new generation to live for their
community and their land. Certain values of their folk society such as erotic behaviour
in funeral ceremony, curing disease through maternal uncle, increasing fertility of land
through songs and dance may not be relevant in present day society. Further their
obsession with a sense of fear, hesitation and tragedy constitute a part of their
character. The folk values of the Karbis such as accountability to the ancestors,
community, humanity and environment are highly relevant in present age of
ecological imbalance and degeneration of total environment. Moreover the stress seen
on rights and duties of man, organization and development of village, work culture,
engagement of boys and girls in socio-economic, cultural and creative activities,
cultural assimilation, love and respect for tradition, protest against injustice and
exploitation, women’s respectful position, longing for peace etc. portray the picture of
a coherent Karbi folk society with lofty socio-ethical values. We are living in an age
where every individual owns a tendency to go away from his or her root, the Karbi
folk literature can save the Karbi society from more degeneration inculcating in the
minds of the youngsters of the community a sense not to be mere commodity in the
present age of consumerism and reorienting them towards a life to live with their
indigenous values, culture and heritage.

1.03 Review of Literature: The proposed project on Karbi Folk Literature with a
view to studying it as an index to their folk values and also as means of reorientation
of their younger generation is a virgin soil in the field of research. However different
critics have studied Karbi folk literature and extended their views on related topics or
aspects.
B.K. Barua in his pioneering book on folklore Asomar Loka Sanskriti, P.
Goswami in his books Ballads and Tales of Assam, Asomia Jana-sahitya and Essays
on the Folklore and Culture of North-Eastern India, B. Datta and N.C. Sarma etc. in
their books on folklore show the way for us how to make a scientific investigation to
and systematic study of folk literature with certain objectives. The book The Karbis
from the Papers of the late Edward Stack edited by Sir Charles Lyall makes a
comprehensive study of Karbi community and throws a considerable light on Karbi
folklore and narrates a few Karbi folk tales. The books like Parbatia Sadhukatha and
Tribal Folk-Tales of Assam (Hills) compiled by S.N. Barkataki, Karbi Studies:
Folktales from the Fringe edited by Dharamsing Teron and Sikari Tisso, Karbi Sadhu
By Champaklal Boishya, Puwa aru Kukurar Dak by Suren Kramsa, Karbi Ratnamala
by Longkam Teron and Deben Gogoi, Karbi Kristir Utshwa edited and compiled by
Longkam Teron and Karen Das, Karbi Kimbadanti Sankalan by Longkam Teron etc.
narrate Karbi folk tales, myths, legends and rituals and festivals, rules and codes etc
and help in understanding the values associated with their folk society.
The books like Lun Barim Aphar and Armung by Jorsing Bey, Sabin Alun by
Samsing Hanse, Arnam Kipu by Hangmiji Hanse, Lamjir Kangdak and Jambili Athon
Alun by Bidya Sing Rongpi, Ha-I, Karbi Sar Alun and Ronglin by Bonglong Terang,
Chomlin Alun by Phulmati Teronpi, Choti-Choter Lapen Sar Kebat by Lunse Timung,
Pengsomir by Mon Timung, Ret Kinong Alun by Sar Rajendra Timung, Rangshina
Sharpo aru Karbi Samaj by Dilip Kalita etc., if dealt with translators, are of great help
to enter into the world of Karbi folksongs. Similarly the book Karbi Proverbs by
Longchandra Tisso helps in understanding the Karbi proverbs.
Rong Bong Terang in his article “Karbi Loka Sahityar Abhas” published in the
book Asamia Loka Sahitya edited by Prahlad Kumar Baruah categorizes Karbi folk
literature into groups and provides a glimpse of its lofty socio-ethical aesthetic values.
Jajnuram Gogoi in his article “Mikir” published in Asamar Janajati edited by Promud
Chandra Bhattacharya talks about the Karbi, their origin and language, their
folk literature, songs and dances, rituals and festivals, their social activities. Dipti Rani
Changmai and Bani Phukan in their book Bhaiyamar Karbi Loka-Sanskriti deal with
folklore and folk literature of the Karbis of the plain. Upen Rabha Hakacham in his
book Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti makes a comparative and contrastive analysis of
the songs and festivals of Karbi with that of other tribes of North East India. Dhruba
Kumar Talukdar in his book Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti also deals with Karbi folk
songs and dances. G.C. Sarmah Thakur in his book Selected Essays on Tribes and
Castes of Assam discusses Karbi folk custom, beliefs, deities, tradition, institution and
also the status of women in Karbi folk society. Dharamsing Teron in his books Karbi
Studies, Vol. I and II makes a critical and comprehensive study of Karbi folk literature
and its relation to their folk life. N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum in their article
“Karbi Folk Narratives: A window to social reality” published in Tribal Studies in
North- East India edited by Sarthak Sengupta are of the view that Karbi folk
narratives give an essential clue to the evolution of their social life. The point is that
these critical analyses appear as a gateway to the research on the said subject.
1.04 Objectives: The objectives of the proposed project are as follows:
a. To make a survey of Karbi folk tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, sayings,
charms etc. found in oral or written form.
b. To make a categorization of those tales, songs, proverbs, riddles etc. into
groups and a critical analysis of those with a view to projecting the Karbi folk
society with its indigenous values.
c. To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their folk mind and daily practices,
their culture and tradition, rites and rituals, customs and festivals, their ideas
and ideals, hopes and aspirations, dreams and realities, fears and superstitions
d. To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their social mind and social life, their
interrelation and responsibilities as member of society, their formation and
development of society, clan system, role of village chief, division of rank
and position, their activities in the society and also the values associated with
their institutions and activities.
e. To see how Karbi folk literature reflects their folklife and its relation to
nature, human accountability to nature and environmental ethics.
f. To highlight the Karbi folk values such as human, social, ethical, political,
economic, religious, environmental, aesthetic ones sustained in Karbi folk
society as reflected in their folk literature.
g. To make an evaluation of the Karbi folk values in the present day context.
h. To analyze the educative role played by Karbi folk literature and its
inculcation of values in young generations.
i. To reorient the present generations towards their indigenous values and
heritage, culture and identity.
1.05 Chapterisation: The chapters of the project are as follows:
a. Chapter 1: Introduction.
b. Chapter 2: Karbi Folklore and Folk life
c. Chapter 3: Values in Karbi Folk Narratives in Prose
d. Chapter 4: Karbi Folk Songs: A Thematic Study in Search of Values.
e. Chapter 5: Karbi Proverbs: An Identity to the Expressive Self of the
Community.
f. Chapter 6: Karbi Riddles, Tongue-twisters, Chants and Charms
g. Chapter 7: Conclusion.
1.06 Methodology:

a. Primary and Secondary Sources are collected and thoroughly studied in


search of values.
b. The folk tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, riddles and chants found in Karbi
language are made accessible with the help of translators.
c. The accessible pieces of Karbi folk literature are categorized into groups and
analysed with a view to projecting the Karbi folk society with its indigenous
values.
d. A few of the Karbi villages of Nagaon and Karbi Anglong Districts are visited
and a few of their rituals and festivals are attended with a view to
understanding the place of values of Karbi folk life in their present society.
e. Approaches like narrative, informative, analytical, sociological etc. are used.
f. Field-trips are conducted and interactions with Karbi folks and elites are done
from the perspective of values.
g. Socio-cultural organizations of the community are interacted with.
h. The place of Karbi folk values in a traditional Karbi society is compared and
contrasted with that of those in a present Karbi society characterized with
technology, English language and modern values of life.
i. The Karbi folk values are also studied from the perspective of an insider and
outsider, women’s position, human-nature relationship, position of
marginalized section, socio-ethical concept, economical and political
consideration, religious and magico-religious practice, social integration and
scientific thinking.
j. Theories like Utilitarianism, Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism,
Ecocentrism, etc. are used in evaluation of the Karbi folk values sustained in
their folk society.
k. Suggestions and future scope of the study are also pointed out.
1.07 Significance of the Study: The folk literature of the Karbis is the mirror of their
folk life and folk values, traditional society and institutions, culture and tradition,
indigenous knowledge and wisdom, individual and social behavior and adopting
variations in different space and time it deserves systematic and scientific study. In
present age characterized with technology and moral depravity the folk literature of
the Karbis and their folk values are in a state of danger owing to different causes like
urbanization, modernization, aggression of English language, lack of the narrators and
singers of their folktales and folksongs etc. No doubt a few books and articles are
coming to light, yet a comprehensive work making a scientific categorization of every
components of Karbi folk literature and systematic recording of those in written form
is far reaching. The present study aims at a scientific and systematic division of Karbi
folk tales, folk songs, their proverbs and riddles found in primary and secondary
sources into different categories according to certain norms and for the first time tries
to search for and evaluate the folk values of the community sustained in their
traditional society in present day context. With the repository of these folk values the
Karbis may emerge in Indian scenario with a unique contribution to the formation of
Indian identity at large instead of remaining at the receiving end of centralized Indian
ideology. One may ignore their animism and their religious philosophy and take
pleasure in introducing them as members of a dominant religion, but the point is that
no one can compel them to retell or rewrite their tale of creation or ‘Sabin Alun’ in
terms of the greater Indian context. The canonical texts should be read in the context
of folklore which along with similar components all over the country constitute Indian
culture and construct Indianness from the below. The plurality and diversity of the
Indian self rests with such convolution of peripheral resources.

Notes and References:

1. P. Goswami, Ballads And Tales Of Assam, G.U., Assam, 1960, pp.1-5.


2. Richard M. Dorson, " Introduction Concepts of Folklore and Folk life Studies” in
Folklore and Folklife An Introduction , ed. Richard M. Dorson, The University of
Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1972, pp.2-5.
3. P. Goswami,Asamia Jana-Sahitya, Bani Prakash P. Ltd, Assam, 1994, p.4.
4. B.K.Barua, Preface, A Cultural History of Assam, Bina Library, Guwahati, 1951, Fourth
Edition, 2003, p.vii.
5. Sir Charles Lyall (ed), The Karbis, Spectrum Publications, Guwahati, 1997, pp.70-72.
6. N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum, “ Karbi Folk Narratives: A window to social reality”,
Tribal Studies in North- East India ,ed., Sarthak Sengupta, Mittal Publications, New
Delhi, 2002, pp-118-119.
7. Jorsing Bey, ‘Mosera Kehir Alun’, Lun Barim Aphar, K.L.A., Diphu, 2004, pp. 84-89.
8. Jajnuram Gogoi, “Mikir”, in Asamar Janajati, ed., P. C. Bhattacharya, Lawer’s Book
Stall, Assam, 1999, p. 119.
9. Sir Charles Lyall (ed), op.cit., p.45.
10. Jorsing Bey, op.cit., pp.24-29.
11. Longkam Teron and Karen Das, (compiled and edited), Karbi Kristir Utswa, AIRTSC,
Guwahati, 1998, p.16.
12. Phulmati Teronpi, Chomlin Aloti, Karbi Lammet Amei, Diphu, 2006, pp.113-118.
13. N.K.Gogoi and Farhin Ara Begum ,op.cit.p.121.
14. Rongbong Terang, “ Karbi Loka Sahityar Abhas”, Asamia Loka Sahitya, ed. , P. K.
th
Baruah,66 Assam Sahitya Sabha, Dibrugarh, 2001,pp. 320-321.
15. Dhruba K. Talukdar, Axamar Janajatiya Sanskriti, Bani Mandir,Assam, 2005,p.75.
16. G.C. Sarmah Thakur, Selected Essays on Tribes and Castes of Assam, Guwahati, Assam,
2007, p.196.
Conclusion

7.00 In an indigenous environment inclusive of socio-cultural religious aspects it is


fundamental for the Karbis to inherit or acquire certain traditional rules and
regulations, desires and goals, aspirations and standards, norms and codes, morals and
disciplines collectively called values with a view to leading their traditional or
approved way of life. Values, relying on a state beyond the question of being moral or
immoral, may be individual or social, cultural or religious, environmental or material
standards used to judge or compare, approve or disapprove things in relative terms as
desirable or undesirable, correct or wrong, more correct or less, more meritorious or
less, useful or harmful, necessary or not etc. The values remind of one’s own duties,
liabilities, responsibilities as individual and as a member of the community and are
instrumental behind the survival and future of their culture and heritage, their
traditional society and its social system. For the Karbis, apart from constituting a part
of the heritage of their society, their folk values determine the behavioral pattern of
the everyday life of the Karbis and provide uniformity to it. The present study of the
Karbi folk literature, the earliest and oral literary compositions of the community,
shows that it is well integrated with their folk values with a view to providing
exposure of those in working situations to their younger generations irrespective of
time and space, and inculcating those values in them and enabling them to lead the
approved way of life in their society. It does not mean that these values are meant to
keep them primitive and away from modern knowledge but to let them live as the
Karbis committed to their culture and tradition and with their indigenous nature
considered beneficial and relevant in present day context.

7.01 Importance of Values: It is a fact for the greater Karbi society, from the
perspective of within and outside, that community and national consciousness and
even mere political right cannot serve the community as expected if the leaders look
for development at the cost of the marginalized sections or ignore equal development
of all - the basic folk value advocated by their earliest social organisers like Hemphu
and Harbamon and cherished by the community for long. Present revolutions at the
Karbi soil, with due apology to a few good and dedicated workers to the community,
are giving birth to on one hand a good number of leaders trapped by Dispur and
personal materialistic zeals and on the other hand an opportunist middle class society
who are found badly in want of their folk values, accountability to community and
nature, human and non-human others and finally they search for personal gain at the
cost of the rural pitiable Karbi folk. What is alarming is the growth of pseudo socio-
cultural political workers interested in manipulation of revolution and
commercialization of their culture, mere celebration of their festival rather that in the
avowed causes of their tradition. The deforestation going on in the hills of Karbi
Anglong for example in Parkup Pahar and adjoining hill areas to Chapanalla is
providing temporary economic benefit to a group looking for easy money but in
totality it will do no good to the community and destroy the indigenous physical
environment of their land. The presence of a rootless generation detached from their
folk values, animism and tradition and looking for easy money and spicy dishes is also
a by-product of their one sided political revolution. The ongoing demand of the Karbis
for political right to rule themselves should be reread or dealt with by the community
with a holistic approach and should be accompanied by socio-cultural, religious,
economic and environmental risings. Here lies the importance and relevance of
understanding of their folk values especially by the younger generations, the future
leaders and citizens of their land who can proceed with their feet planted in their root.
If the pan-Indian folk value ‘Ahingsa Param Dharma’ (Non-violence is the prime
religion) could be instrumental of India’s freedom from the British, the Karbis too, if
remain committed to their basic folk values like ‘live together in peace’ and ‘equal
development of all’, their folklore can provide them their right to rule themselves and
help them to establish their identity in national context. In such crucial situation their
folk literature can play an educative role, inculcate their folk values in the minds of the
members of the community right from the early part of the lives of younger
generation and make them proud modern Karbis living in their indigenous
environment with their values and heritage.
7.02 Values in Karbi folk literature: Karbi folk literature is the working constitution
of values for the Karbis, the heritage of the community, which not only record and
transmit but also help the younger generation of the community to inculcate and live
with those in their practical world and face the realities in changing scenario. Karbi
folk literature is one of their socio-cultural agencies integrated with values and
assigned with the duties of inculcating and developing the desired values in the folk.
Karbi myths, legends and tales are reflective of the lofty values of life nourished in
Karbi folk society such as - live and let live together in peace and order, triumph of
good, moral and honest over the evil, immoral and dishonest, human qualities, work
culture and hard work for success, love for nature and ecocentrism, love for
community and ethnocentrism, equality of all, welfare and development of all, love
and sympathy for the needy, fight for the subdued and exploited ones, voice against
injustice and marginalization, respectful position of women, sustenance of struggle, a
strong sense of endurance, ability to travel through suffering in search of something
new and better, longing for new experience and new knowledge, unhappiness with
dullness, acquisition of traditional or practical knowledge and folk wisdom, use of wit,
intellect and cleverness to save own life and property at the time of danger or for the
sake of the community, love for tradition, respect for their glorious past, and respect
for their local or national historical figures, village centered socio-political economical
system and institutions. The folksongs are reflective of values such as - search for
peace and happiness, purification of body, purification of mind and soul, purity,
nobility, honesty, humbleness, goodness, humanity, giving up of ill temper, self-
dependence, healthy competitive spirit, obedience, obligation, good dealing and self-
confidence, love for metre, rhyme and order, longing for justice, aesthetic beauty and
creativity, the victory of goodness over evil force, love for culture and tradition,
freedom and identity, self-respect and dignity, ethnocentrism, obsession with sense of
hesitation and tragedy, acknowledgement of contribution, respect to the elders and
ancestors, culture and tradition, a sense of sacrifice and chivalric spirit, perseverance,
will power, respectful place to maternal uncle,
ecological wisdom, concern of drinking water and strong position against pollution of
water, love for and accountability to environment, woman’s participation in policy
making, training to the youths to make them skilled in all aspects of life, work culture,
sense of cooperation, equality of king and the subjects, community service, worship of
objects of nature as beneficent force, intercultural tolerance, unity, cultural openness,
voice against injustice and exploitation and marginalization, joys of love and union,
endurance of the pangs of separation and depression, a sense of fear and doubt,
eroticism, passion and compassion of love felt through nature, belief in eternity of
love and soul, belief in ancestors’ land as the final destination, symbiosis of folklife
and nature, a quest for past and sociology of their fore-fathers and reconstructing the
present etc. Karbi proverbs are the reflection of indigenous knowledge, practical
wisdom, minute observation of the Karbis and the socio-ethical, environmental values
prevailing in their folk society such as reverence to elders or old people, sense of
moderation, love for peace and happiness, virtue and joy, love for truth and goodness,
moral sense, love for tradition, folk costume, love for song and alliteration, metre and
rhyme, sense of humour, love for co-villagers, especially for the weaker sections of
the society, and condemnation of drunkard, inculcation of work culture, a sense of
equality of all, welfare of all, love for nature and its objects like birds, animals, river
and worship of trees etc. The proverbs are neither based on personal nor on universal
values but based or shaped on Karbi folk culture. The Karbi people use these proverbs
and own the values reflected as a result of the process of their own enculturation
which make sense to them in terms of their own culture. Some of the proverbs are
meant for respecting the old, some are for rebuking the parents and some are for
advising the younger generation. Of course, the respectful position that generally a
Karbi woman enjoys in their folk society is not seen in the proverbs discussed.
However lots of proverbs are used in understanding human character irrespective of
gender. A good number of the proverbs also reflect their sympathetic attitude towards
the weaker sections of their society and that can be treated as a voice raised against
any sort of exploitation and marginalisation of people. What way of life they approve
or what they consider the best and true or their accumulated wisdom as revealed in
their proverbs is culture-bound and may be read as ethnocentrism. The Karbi riddles
and the tongue-twisters with recreational values are the assets of their folk society
meant to socialize their new generation with their indigenous environment, material
culture and eco-centric folklife, while their chants and charms with literary and
religious values are the resources or means of saving of lives and agriculture.
7.03 Evaluation of Values Sustained in Karbi Folk Literature: Karbi folk literature
studied for the project reflects a coherent patriarchal Karbi folk society with much
freedom to women and love for nature and sustains different type of values which may
be evaluated as individual or social, local or universal, environmental, religious,
historical, political, moral, socio-ethical etc. having scope of reorienting the cultural
and national life of the community.
7.03.01 Oneness with Nature and Environmental Values: Nature is the best
companion, the best teacher, the most comfortable zone for the Karbi folk. They love
nature, live with nature and learn from nature the best tricks to address their problems
and thus the best way to live on. Karbi folk literature mirrors their folk life inseparable
from nature through the images drawn from their non-human physical environment
like forest, flora and fauna, elephant, tiger, dear, bear, dogs, crocodile, hawk, wild-cat,
musk-rat, white-ants, fowls, vojaru birds, trees, seeds, lakes, rivers, pit, sky, fish, crab,
batulu and also the images like pi, pinee, rikong, chang and chang ghar, horlang,
deities and demons in relation to human environment and helps the younger
generations of the community to develop a sense of oneness with nature and their
indigenous environment.

The prime environmental issues and challenges dealt with in the Karbi folk
prose narratives are intra-human and human and non-human conflicts, poverty,
malnutrition, problem with drinking water, selfishness, cruelty, cheating, longing for
easy material gains, jealousy, immoral wishes and illicit relation, male chauvinism,
society’s indifference towards women’s wishes and aspiration, misuse of non-human
beings and exploitation of natural resources, human immigration to and undue human
interference in non-human world.
In the present day context of ecological degradation Karbi myths, legends
and tales may play the role of practical educator in environmental teachings. The
study shows that the environmental values meant to be inculcated through the
Karbi folk prose narratives are of such nature - anthropocentricity is the tragic flaw of
human beings, the human must pay the price for their maltreatment of non-human
beings and exploitation of natural resources, happiness is ensured when the human
listen to the voice of nature, no one is meant to be consumed by others if there is no
natural demand, no one is important or strong in an ecosystem, whoever tries to
disturb another component in due course of time itself gets destroyed, every non-
human being has right to live and we should be sympathetic towards them, an activity
for the well being of the non-human beings always gets rewarded, a sense of eco-
consciousness and a give and take relation between human and non-human beings and
accountability to others lead to a better environment, forceful use of nature and non-
human beings by the human for their material benefit causes unending sufferings to
all, human immigration to or colonization of the forest and marginalization of the
weak lead to degeneration of the environment and as a rule of the nature the
suppressor or oppressor is ultimately uprooted, the environmental challenges should
be properly addressed, conservation of the indigenous environment should be ensured
and understand the secret of a healthy environment – love all and live together in
peace.

A piece of Karbi folk literature is generally an environment oriented text. The


creation songs of the Karbis, in totality, narrating the origin of various objects of
nature are characterized with human dependency on nature and human accountability
to environment. The “Legend of Creation” and ‘Karbi Keplang’ stressing on the
importance of plantation and non-human beings for sustainability of human life, the
myth of Be Langbe and Har Langbe resolving to fight with the people of neighboring
village for polluting the water of their river and advocating for cultural assimilation,
the tales projecting the indigenous environment at the centre, the songs depicting the
inseparable relationship between Karbi folklife and nature etc. are environmental
oriented texts. These properties of their heritage, if read or told from environmental
viewpoints, not only help the young generations of the community to understand their
land with its beauty and richness, its relation to their life, language and culture, but
can undoubtedly make them environmentally re-oriented.
The greatest challenge before the human race in the new millennium is to
pass on a safe and healthy earth for the generations to come. Mere formal compulsory
environmental education will not work much if the young generations are not made pro-
environment or environmentally-oriented before. Here, in the field of environmental
education, selected Karbi folktales will be a handy and effective tool for it is not
expensive but simple, general, interesting, entertaining, neutral and what is more the
story-teller and the listeners can easily adjust themselves to the context of the tales. In
changing scenario the story-teller needs to be an environmentalist who can inculcate in
the listener acceptable behavior and environmental values. For example, the tales ‘An
Orphan and a Vulture’, ‘Vokronso’ ‘The Tiger’s Revenge’, ‘Mangbon the Brute’, ‘The
Tiger and His Human Twin’ ‘An Orphan and a Vulture’ etc. are reflective of a Karbi
indigenous environment characterized with ‘give and take’ way of life living with nature
where sustainability of human life depends on coordination between human and non-
human environments and propagate environmental values like importance of vulture,
tiger or bio-diversity in sustenance of human life on earth. The tale ‘The Hog-deer of
Pantisang’ projects the eco-system at the centre and the environment with its challenges,
makes the human pay for their maltreatment of non-human beings and exploitation of
natural resources, propagates environmental ethics such as anthropocentricity is the tragic
flaw of the human community. It is meant to inculcate that the human is not to finish the
other species nor to exploit the natural resources but to live in harmony with nature, help
the needy and save the bio-diversity for sustainability of life and their bigger home. The
tales ‘Tale of a Dove’, ‘The Hog-deer of Pantsang’, ‘Frog and the Tiger’ witness
colonized forest, sufferings of the colonized selves and the tragic end of the oppressor of
nature at the end. The tale ‘The Tiger’s Rongker’ poses a relevant environmental question
that if the human can celebrate a festival sacrificing animal then why not the animal can
do the same sacrificing a man. These tales can effectively reorient the children to build an
emotional bond between human and nature, make them come forward to understand and
preserve and fall in love with their own land, soil, air, river and water, wet lands and
agricultural fields, forest and hills, indigenous species and its varieties, the beauty of their
own language, culture and folklore and be proud of their own identity. In
future they will neither construct building on wet lands nor vote for big dams, will
never be indifferent to the cries of rhinos, human-elephant conflict, loss of indigenous
species, manipulation of folk culture, the agonies of marginalized sections, unequal
and unsustainable developments. If we succeed in creating such a pro-environment
generation and develop a sense of eco-consciousness all around, their total
environment will be safe and congenial for all to live in and ensure sustainable
development of their land for the existing and the generations to come.
7.03.02 Articulation of Sub-alternity: Karbi folk literature, though takes the elites of
the community under its purview who are especially instrumental in collecting and
preserving Karbi folk literature in a scientific way, is basically the literature of the
rural, illiterate, underprivileged Karbis and have been transmitted by them orally from
generation to generation. The term ‘subalternity’ here consciously avoids the critical
notions associated with and simply refers to the underprivileged Karbis subdued and
marginalized by internal or external forces or living at the bottom layer of their
society. Two types of subalternity are articulated in Karbi folk literature - the
sufferings of the Karbis as a community and the poor and powerless, rural and
ignorant Karbis as individuals. The migration song ‘Muchera Kehir’, the legends of
Thong Nokbe, Rongpharpi Rongbe, Larbin and Lirbon, etc. portray the Karbis the
subalterns as a community and record the plight of the community in the hands of
their strong political neighbours like Ahoms, Jayantias etc. The tales of Dengrali,
Serdihun, Larta, Didi, Dimmir etc. reflect the plight of the marginalized Karbis in
their patriarchal social structure and in the names of tradition and social norms. Didi
and Larta are compelled to lead a humiliated life and marginalized by the male
friendly strict rules of ‘Jirsong’ and society. Dengrali gets herself reduced to a tree out
of shame caused by her socio-culturally strong maternal uncle and raises a voice
against any sort of exploitation either of human or non-human environment. Dimmir
spitting at the mouth of economically and socially strong village head protests against
strong male’s conspiracy and marginalization of women. The tales of Ha-i-mu, Kave
and Kadom etc. are the tales of pain and suffering of women at the hands of socio-
culturally strong males. The Karbi women characters in their folk literature are seen
obsessed with hesitation, a sense of loss and tragic consciousness. Most of them can
be read as the unfortunate victim of patriarchal authority. They are the means or
objects of sustenance of the anti-women patriarchal norms and ironically the subjects
of execution. The tale ‘How the Monkeys were born’ is reflective of the atrocities
done to the members of bachelors’ dormitory by heartless leaders in the name of
providing training or work culture which took away pleasure of life from them. The
tale ‘A frog and a Tiger’ is meant to inculcate that none is born to be marginalized and
even the weakest with self confidence, boldness, cleverness and intelligence can raise
his or her voice against the exploitative forces. The trickster tales like ‘Tenton and the
Ploughman’ show cheating of the powerful by the powerless and inculcates sympathy
toward the poor and needy and develops a platform for them to raise a voice against
the powerful. The tale ‘The Crow and the Snake’ is meant to inculcate in the young
minds of the community that no one is born to be made subordinated forever, rather
the marginalized ones should fight for their right and establishment of their identity.
Love and sympathy for the needy, subdued, exploited and marginalized ones
characterizes the Karbi folk society seen in their tale world. Jangreso, the orphan, the
dominant character of the Karbi folk tales is loved, taken care of and rewarded with
beautiful heroine’s hand and kingdom. Jangreso, the orphan in different roles is always
approved, appreciated and rewarded. Even the deity who betrayed the orphan after
getting married is never excused by their society in the tale ‘Orphan and King of
Vices’. The society is very much critical towards those who do wrong to the needy
people and go against the values of the society. Karbi folk literature with such
expression owns ability to make the younger generation understand the causes of
sufferings of the community and of the marginalized groups within and feel oneness
with the plight of the community and of the Karbis living at the bottom layer of the
society. It may arise in them a sense of urgentness to address the same from
community consciousness and humanitarian ground. Thus the subalternity articulated
in their folk literature as referent to the wronged community and the underprivileged
ones may reorient the target groups towards a better understanding of the right and
equality, justice and identity of all irrespective of gender, socio-religious position and
status, economic condition etc. and may contribute to the reconstruction of the value-
based cultural selves of the young ones through their folk literature who will not be
merely sympathetic towards but fight for the underprivileged Karbis in true spirit.
7.03.03 Representation of Women and the Values associated with: A good number
of women-oriented Karbi folk tales, myths, legends, love songs, ballads and proverbs
reflect how the women self is constructed and voiced in their narratives, her socio-
culturally constructed roles and values associated with, her reaction to those roles and
circumstances and its impacts on the target group. These are meant to socialize the
girls, make them disciplined and complete adult women, to mould their behavior in
the expected way to suit the mind of the narrator or the demands of the patriarchal
society, to teach them how to live for others, to make them bearer of tradition and
culture. Of course a rereading of the women oriented tales with feminine sensibility
leads the girls to probe deeper into the causes of women’s sufferings and finally to
locate their place in the male made society and to transgress their situation into a
means of ‘search for self’ and reconstruct their roles for themselves.
The woman world seen in the Karbi folk literature especially in Karbi ballads
and woman-centered tales is essentially a tragic one in which the womanhood is
undoubtedly at the centre but projected as an unprivileged self whose body and mind
gets tossed up in the system. These narrate the tales of unending owes and sufferings,
pain and agony, anger and anguish of Karbi women and reflective of the Karbi folk
society’s perception of and attitude towards women. The society has no objection if
the strong male having a wife at home goes in search of a beautiful lady and takes her
away to get married paying little attention to her willingness (Ingru Tulapi) but
punishes the faithless wife to roam forever with the cloud in the sky (The Orphan and
the King of Vices). The husband the prime agent of the patriarchal society is not
sympathetic towards the pains of the over-worked woman but physically assaults her
for being pitiless towards the males wasting time in idle. (Dog, Hyena and She-
Elephant). Looking through a vulture feather the husband discovers animal spirit in
mother and wife and considers them the real source of familial and domestic disorder.
He never looks at himself through the feather believing in the society’s conviction that
the male is always right, restores his life getting rid of the old one and married to a
new one (Orphan and Vulture’s feather). The maternal uncle who made Dengrali
pregnant and left her to a state of committing suicide goes unpunished (‘The Myth of
Dengrali’). The beautiful girls are bound to suffer whose parents are poor and
ignorant, who do not have a brother or brother-in-law (‘Origin of Toe-Sore’). The
male leaders of ‘Jirsong’ are not considered the guilty who sexually seduce the
beautiful girl members and compel them to commit suicide or make their life pathetic
(‘Origin of Toe-Sore’, ‘The Legend of Baby-Hill’). In spite of taking separation from
the careless husband the wife cannot get herself fully free from the so called
emotional-sexual bond of marital relationship and makes her husband happy assuring
that he would be the first to suck her nectar in her next life. (The Sunbird and his
Wife) The society is indifferent towards the pains of the young mother feeding a baby
who is compelled to work harder (‘The Legend of Baby-Hill’). Dejection of the new
born baby girl in a jhum field is another example of injustice done to women (‘Womu
Langlupi’). The wise old women of wit and intelligence, practical knowledge and
wisdom, secret and special knowledge who can play crucial role in changing other
people’s lives are marginalized by the society and let to live like beggar women living
all alone in a wretched hut in a deep forest. The male chauvinistic Karbi folk society
tries to establish triumph of so called goodness of women over evil forces within the
periphery of women. Thus the Karbi folk society, as reflected in the women centered
tales, appears biased against women and leads the young girls to understand the
unequal man-woman relationship and their traditional role in sustaining that sort of
unequal relationship or uneven social position in present day context and provides
them scope to construct their character in their own way. These tales of women’s
sufferings not merely reflect the loss of womanhood and dishonor to her inner self in a
patrilineal set up but mirror the Karbi folk society from sociological perspective. The
tales and songs record the agonized crisis of the Karbi woman’ body and mind and
contain the embryo of their folk social discourse. It is her body and mind that is tossed
up in love, passion, agility and elder hood. Poverty and insecurity rob many of them
late in their life of her agility and nativity.
Karbi folk literature is also reflective of the fact that the Karbi women, in
spite of living in a male chauvinistic and male dominated society, enjoy certain
advantages as compared to their counterparts among the non-tribals. They have full
freedom to move about in their house, fields, farms and forests. They are not
considered a burden and free to make choice of their life-partner. They are not seen
suffering from dowry, bride price, child marriage etc. Separation happens easily and
there is no taboo in widow marriage. It is seen in the supernatural tales that getting
married to a rich lady or princess ensures prosperity and in ‘Orphan and Vulture’s
Feather’ only a good woman restores familial and domestic peace and order. The tales
like ‘Vokronso’, ‘The Legend of All Women’s Village’, Mangbon the Brute’ project
women as the protector of husband and village, culture and community. The tales like
‘The Sunbird and his Wife’, ‘Dog, Hyena and She-Elephant’ etc. are reflective of
female expressive behavior different that of the males. The tales show that women are
capable of leading their life being free from the conventional order, pose a challenge
to patriarchy and male domination and leave their husband’s house in search of their
own selves. The ‘Tale of a Dove’ portrays the Karbi woman, represented by the
female dove, as the voice raised against colonization, exploitation and humiliation of
woman self. The simple and submissive female force in the tale suffers a lot in the
hands of her strong male neighbour, the intruder who consumes her children again and
again, compels her to shift from one place to another and kills her husband and is
finally killed and his colonization is overthrown by the so called weak female force.
Being unable to give justice to Hi-i-mu, Dengrali, Larta, Lirbon, Kave and Kadom,
Marpi etc., finally the traditional Karbi female force, inspired by Rongpherpi and with
a willingness to live independent, has fulfilled its wish and desire through the female
dove and encourages the minds of the young girls to raise a voice of protest against
any sort of exploitation and humiliation, colonization and marginalisation of woman
self and to fight for respect and dignity of women, equal place and position of women
in their society.

7.03.04 Values of Historicity: Study of Karbi folk literature is the study of the masses
of the community, their worldview, migration and their earlier socio-economic cultural
religious and political affairs which may reorient the young minds of the community
as well as outsiders to understand the history of the community from the below. The
Karbi myths which are all about gods and goddesses, folk belief and folk religion are
also expressive of the earliest worldview of the Karbis, creation of Karbi
land, human and non-human beings and their indigenous environment. The realm of
Karbi creation songs dealing with the origin of right from the creator to the various
objects of nature constructs the Karbi worldview. The song narrating the origin of rice
has reference to China. There are folk songs celebrating the existence of their earliest
villages like ‘Amsikacho’, ‘Klahupacho’ and ‘Lamthamkep’, Miring Rongchopi,
Teron Rongchopo, Akli Rongchopi, Boroli-e etc. which shaped and organized the
earliest forms of the Karbi society. These villages led by Kashen, Harbamon with
gracious presence of Hemphu gave birth to deities, rituals, worship, incantation, ways
of purification, ways of life right from birth till death and from their accumulated
knowledge, wisdom and imagination formulated rice-beer, bachelors’ dormitory,
village chief, village administration, tales, songs, dance, rites and rituals etc. and
gradually established the Karbi folk society and its sociology. Even a marriage song
projects villages like Arkling and Mirring and deals with historical figures like Har
Longbi and We Longbi, the grandmother and their contribution to socio-cultural
history of the community. Muchera Kehir, sung on the third day of ‘Chomangkan’,
can rightly be called the Oral History of the Karbi community with the sense of
historicity prevailed throughout, historical life of the community with reference to
their legendary figures, historical characters, events and relation with other
communities of the region, their establishment of kingdom and migration, of their
battles won and lost, their socio-cultural custom, economic condition, cultural
assimilation etc. The song takes the names of their neighbouring communities like
Ahom, Naga, Kuki etc, the places like Demra, Lemra, Boriching, Barkong etc.
through which their migration took place, takes into account the names of different
places, rivers and hills such as Kukichin, Mirring, Warkong, Lut, Masum, Chalu,
Arkan, Tameng, Mokindun, Chaling etc. Muchera Kehir narrates the pathetic tales of
Larbin-Lirbon, Rongpherpi Rongbe and Thong Teron and shows how they were
tortured and humiliated by the Kachari and Jayantia kings and also states their
amicable relation with their strongest neighbour the Ahoms.
The Karbi society may not have a written history of their ancient days but is
proud to have a good number of legends about their legendary figures of their
historical past constituting the voice of the past of the community. The Karbi legends
are based on historical events, places and legendary persons. These are supposed to be
happened at different places inhabited by the Karbi people at different times and
naturally considered to be true by the community. These are the records of reality,
expression of owes and sufferings, anger and anguish, exploitation and humiliation,
valour and freedom of the community and its members. The characters in Karbi
legends like ‘Thong Nokbe’, ‘Waisong’, ‘Rongpharpi Rongbe’, Larbin and Lirbon
instead of hanging after knowledge about the unknown are more concerned with the
well being and security of the Karbis, freedom and identity of the community and
remain busy in conflict with the oppressive neighbours. These legendary figures
sacrificed their lives in their conflict with outsider oppressors while internal conflict is
shown in the legend of Rongkhang. Further the Karbi kings like Har Pokkang, Kadeng
Chiri, Rongkhang, Rengbonghom, Waisong etc. are seen establishing or ruling liberal
Karbi state establishing capital at Socheng, abolishing capital punishment, extending
boundary up to Kapili Dhonsiri etc. and are concerned with well being, happy and
peaceful living of their people.
The Karbi legends and folk tales are reflective of the early socio-cultural history
of the community. For example, the tale ‘Ghalakghatk’ reflects a glimpse of their
geographical and cultural history projecting the total environment of a Karbi land with
village ‘Ronghidi’, kingdoms ‘Kowansi’ and ‘Chukcheng’, river ‘Lut’, folk festival
‘Dumahi’, community fishing, indigenous fish and fishing instruments like ‘polo’,
‘dupani’ etc., indigenous animals and insects, folk deities like ‘Mosondhori’ and
‘Langbar’, indigenous musical instruments like ‘chen’ and ‘murut’ and their folk
wisdom that one is the master of one’s own will. The tale ‘The Crow and the Snake’ is
metaphorical of the painful historical past of the community and their ever longing for
a peaceful life. The historical tales of the community are characterized with local
historical elements such as- local hero, village chief, local events, local place, local
socio-cultural, political, religious happenings. The ‘Legend of All Women Village’
gives exposure to ‘Arloso Arong’, the village of all women which had its trace in the
time of Karbi legendary hero Thong Nokbe. The tale records two neighbouring
villages ‘Miring-Murong’ and ‘Arkli-Arklo’ and deals with a long-running
environmental dispute over the sharing of the water of ‘Marle’ river. The tale projects
Karbi women as expert weaver, protector of village and community and leaves scope
for research in relation to the mythical women kingdom at Kondoli of Nagaon
District. The ‘Legend of Baby Hill’ narrates the historical background of calling the
‘Putsari’ range of hills in western Karbi Anglong the ‘Baby Hill’. The tale also records
factual account of sexual abuse and exploitation of women members in a bachelor’s
dormitory by the male leaders. Further the names like ‘Mikir-Hat’, ‘Ling-Lang’
market, ‘Kaziranga’ etc. are expressive of the fact that the region from Kaziranga to
Puranigudam and from Kathalguri to Kandoli via Chapanalla and Bamuni were
initially inhabited by the Karbis. A scientific and systematic study of the historical
tales and legends may lead to construct early history of the community.
7.03.05 Moral Values: The Karbis believe that Hemphu descended from heaven to
earth with the sole aim to protect the Karbis on earth. Hemphu incarnated among the
Karbis as Langmingpo and taught the community certain moral ethics considered
necessary for leading a healthy social life and enjoying heavenly blessing. He neither
quarreled with any villager nor envied others and inculcated in the community the
values of non-violence. According to him one should always consider own self
inferior to others, but perform own duty the best and thus should show instance to
others. He stressed on equality of all and purity of body and mind and advised all to
live together in peace with love and affection for each other. According to
Langmingpo people should always work with patience, self-control, farsightedness
and perseverance, faith on god and work with confidence. The principles advocated by
Langmingpo or Hemphu for the well being of the Karbi people and their society as
well are – purification of body, mind and spirit, purity in whole life, nobility, humble
and amiable nature, rejection of ill temper, self dependent, competitive spirit in mind
and good sense, obedience, good dealing and self confident. However in present day
context the concept of purification and purity can hardly attract the younger generation
and remain relevant basically in ritual and religious activities. Thus Langmingpo who
is later known as Hemphu established these rules and regulations and socio-moral
ethics expecting to have an everlasting Karbi folk society of a definite texture where
the villagers would live together happily in peace with love and
affection. No doubt these values constitute the backbone of the Karbi folk mind and
Karbi folk society.
Most of the Karbi narratives appear tradition bearer, didactic and may be used
to provide moral lesson. For example, even a village head like Sar Mangbi is punished
by the villagers for not respecting ‘Honjengkekok’ and violating Karbi tradition.
Similarly Dengrali suffers for breaking the boundary of love designed by the
patriarchal society and committing sin. Through such tales the young Karbis are
warned not to do anything wrong which results in bitter consequences. The tales are
reflective of the values of the socio-moral ethics of Karbi society and leave success
for the patient, controlled, confident, hard worker, independent, noble and humble,
honest and obedient and above all project triumph of good over the evil forces.
7.03.06 Socio-Political Values: The traditional Karbi state is characterized with good
governance, democratic ideals and values, equality, fellow-feeling and a sense of
cooperation seen in right from the process of making decision up to its implementation
articulated with the help of its folk socio-political institutions. The traditional Karbi
state is divided into three ‘Alongris’, divided into twelve ‘Longris’ constituted of a
number of villages known as ‘Arong’. The Karbi king known as ‘Lindokpo’ is the
administrative and judicial head of the entire state followed by ‘Habe’ and ‘Sarthe’
who are in charge of ‘Longri’ and ‘Arong’ respectively. The ‘Bor-Miji’s prime duty is
to supervise if the affairs under the ‘Habe’ are running perfectly or not. ‘Mei’ the
Village Council is the traditional socio-political institution at the ground level in the
Karbi state. It is constituted of the portfolios like ‘Sarthe’, the village Headman,
‘Kurusor’, the priest, ‘Richobacha’, the Assistant village chief, ‘Ferangke’, the
messenger and ‘Webarim’, the coach. The ‘Mei’ under the leadership of the ‘Sarthe’
performs various functions related to the socio-economic, judicial and religious
activities of the villagers. The ‘Sarthe’ not only controls the day to day affairs of the
villagers but also the inter-village and intra-village issues. The village headmanship is
hereditary in character. Of course people can remove a ‘Sarthe’ if he is found
inefficient. ‘Jirkedam’ or ‘Jirsong’ is the bachelors’ dormitory of the village meant to
train up the youths in all aspects of life –socio-cultural, economic, religious and
agricultural, handicrafts, community-oriented etc. and to inculcate in them the
democratic values, sense of cooperation, fellow-feeling, work culture, folk art and
craft and aesthetic sense. The Karbis have a distinct Clan System and certain rules and
regulations associated with. The community consists of five clans with certain
branches. The Karbis strictly follow clan exogamy and consider a marriage between a
boy and girl of the same clan a sin. The children belong to the clan of their father and
own his property. The important point is that the clans of the girls after marriage are
not changed and so they do not take their husband’s surname. ‘Kurkepon’ is another
important feature and ritual associated with through which a child without a father or
a Hindu or a non-Hindu person is converted to the Karbis and given a clan of the
community. Totem, one of the important features of a Karbi folk society, is an object
of nature, may be a bird or a tree or an animal, adopted by the Karbis or by the
members of a particular clan of the community as an emblem and believed to have
spiritual meaning and metaphysical connection with them. The Karbis worship their
respective totem and at no circumstance they kill the bird or the animal or cut the tree
if it represents their totem.
Karbi Customary Laws are the properties of the community. The Karbis follow
the patrilineal system tracing their descent in the male line. After the death of the
father the eldest son becomes the household. He becomes the owner of the father’s all
movable and immovable properties and owns the obligation to perform the rites. But,
if he marries a girl from the same clan he loses all right and in such a situation the
next son inherits the property and the household as well. If there is no son in the
family, after the death of the father, a daughter can inherit the parental property, but
cannot become a household. In such a situation the nearest male relative from father’s
side owns household and obligation to perform rites. Marriage is monogamy. Clan
plays an important role in maintaining exogamy. ‘Kursenem’ the marriage between a
boy and a girl of the same clan is a punishable crime. There is no bride price or dowry
system. Divorce is permissible. After divorce, the husband and wife get the custody of
grown up and minor children respectively. If she remarries, all her children are bound
to go back to the father. Widow marriage is permissible. Junior levirate and junior
surrogate are permitted. But at no circumstance the widow is allowed to marry the
elder brother of her deceased husband. If a widow or a widower gets married violating
the prescribed categories, they have to pay a fine fixed by the village head or council
for acceptance. A widow is entitled to receive maintenance from the family of her
deceased husband. If she remarries, she loses her right over her dead husband’s
property. The villagers hold full right over the land they use. They can cultivate or
transfer the land to others. According the demand of a situation, the village head or
‘Sarthe’ or a group of ‘Sarthe’ in a village council prescribe punishment for the
wrongdoers and provide justice to the victim.
There are certain Codes of Conduct traditionally followed by the Karbis in their
folk society. The Karbi folk society is characterized with equality of all and equal
growth for all and naturally free from high or low caste politics, exploitation and
suppression in the name of caste, colour and race. People especially the elders and
office bearers are honoured in a traditional way according to their social designation,
role played in the cultural and religious activities. There are different form of
traditional honours such as ‘Chi im Jirlang’, ‘Akjor’, ‘Toman’, ‘Banta’, ‘Horhak’,
‘Munchin’, ‘okkeng okbor’ etc. well defined by the folk society. It is a code of
conduct for the males involving in cultural and religious activities to wear their
traditional dress and especially the turban according to their designation. The host in a
feast should respect the tradition ‘Ankelok’ and use ‘chobak’ in serving rice to the
guests. The Karbi folk society is conscious of prestige and respect of women in their
society. ‘Nihu charkan’ is one of such rule through which males are compelled to
respect the ladies like the wife of maternal uncle. Further the society stresses on
maintenance of a distance between a Karbi woman and her father-in-law or the elder
brother of her husband.

7.03.07 Folk Religious Values: Karbi Religion is animistic in nature characterized


with its own philosophical base, purifications, worship of nature and its objects,
ancestors’ worship, worship of household, varying beliefs and practices, religious
experiences and behavior, deities and demons, priests and sermons etc. The Karbis do
not believe in the concept of heaven and hell but think that the final destination of the
Karbis is their ancestors’ land. The souls are considered immortal and can take rebirth
to the corresponding clans. They believe in the concept of unity of all things- earth,
man, nature and ancestors’ land. Within this unity there is a duality between ‘demon’
and ‘deity’ well represented by ‘Hi-i’ and ‘Arnam’ respectively. The unity and duality
of the negative and positive forces and the balance between them are what constitute
the philosophical basis of the Karbi folk religion.
Under the strong Assamese ego or Hinduised centre the Karbis with their own
religion are compelled to remain in the periphery with suppressed identity. People
immediately start to identify the Karbi deities with Hindu gods and read them from
the centre. It brings crisis to the deities of the Karbis and makes them suffer from
colonial ideology of the centre. Whatever the situation made by the outsiders, the
reality is that most of the Karbis are still with their indigenous religion and happy to
take part in their religious activities.
7.03.08 Folk Medicinal Values: Karbi Folk Medicinal values imply their traditional
viewpoints about and attitudes towards health and disease and the aspects associated
with. It is the accumulated outcome of the community’s thoughts and perceptions,
beliefs and customs and faith in deities and nature. They worship their household
deities like Hemphu, Peng and the deity ‘Hi-i’ for the well being of their family
members ensuring a balance between the good and evil forces of nature. They also
celebrate the ritual ‘Vo Kartap’ for curing ‘maternal uncle searching disease’ of a
child. They also worship a few deities taking names from diseases. It is not surprising
that folk medicine is still the only answer for a poor Karbi living in a remote village
suffering from a killing disease. Karbi folk medicine is not merely a means of curing a
patient but a socio-psychological therapy providing health to the entire environment.
To what extent worship to a household deity or the ritual ‘Vo Kartap’ can save the life
of a Karbi but one cannot deny the structural unity that it provides to the family or the
community. The meaning and significance of Karbi folk medicine which cannot be
reduced reading it from the desk of modern medical science but lies in own cultural
background and its function in its folk society. Waning of popularity of folk medicine
among the Karbis in the context of spread of modern education and dissemination of
scientific knowledge is a fact. Plantation and preservation of the medicinal plants will
surely contribute to bio-diversity and to have a sustainable home.
7.03.09 Social cohesion and integration: Nothing remains the same forever in a
human situation. In present Karbi society too celebration has become the life force of
most of the rituals. In today’s environment characterized with dissemination of
scientific knowledge the Karbi youths especially the educated ones have lost their
faith in folk ways of life. The limited participation festivals like marriage, purification
or worship of a deity are of immense significance in the sense that these moments are
not merely meant to assign new role to the individuals or to ensure welfare of a family
member or for abundance of harvest but celebrated with a view to cementing the
individual’s membership in the society and providing opportunity to develop oneness
with culture and community. The general participation festivals like ‘Chomangkan’,
‘Rongker’ etc. let the Karbis to take part in large number by virtue of their
membership and belongingness to the community and provide them opportunities to
associate themselves with their greater socio-cultural occasions and to develop
oneness with their folk ways of life. No doubt it promotes social cohesion integrating
the individuals to the society and culture. For example, in ‘Chomangkan’, whether the
souls of the dead are safely led to the ‘ancestors’ land’ or they are made free to take
rebirth to their respective clans or whether the boys and girls after taking part in
‘Nimso-Kerung’ are sexually united to ensure new birth to compensate the loss caused
by death etc. are not so relevant as it were before and naturally no longer remain the
prime objectives or functions of ‘Chomangkan’. Its prime significance lies in the fact
that it provides opportunity for the individuals to identify and associate themselves
with their rites and rituals, folk belief and tradition, art and craft, songs and music etc.
and helps them to develop oneness with the community and its culture. Thus
‘Chomangkan’, a celebration of death and rebirth, fertility and regeneration, appears
one of the prime means of social cohesion in a greater Karbi folk society. In the
present crucial juncture of time for the community sustaining a struggle for long for
right and identity, the real meaning and significance of ‘Chomangkan’ lies in its
sociological function promoting the individuals’ integration to the community,
developing their oneness with culture, inculcating in them their prime values in
changing scenario - social integration, a sense of community consciousness and right
and identity.
Another important feature seen in their social custom is the collective spirit and
energy seen on the part of the entire community. Most of the festivals of the Karbis
start at family or individual level but ends at the community level transforming a
personal matter into a matter of community concern. In the structural line their
festivals like ‘Chomangkan’, ‘Rongker’, ‘Hacha-Kekan’, ‘Chojun’, ‘Wolo Keter’, ‘Vo
Kartap’ etc., the examples of meta-folklore describing and defining different folk
genres within, a proper understanding of the interrelations of the components in
relation to the complex whole will certainly lead the young generation of the
community to understand the real meaning of their social folk custom, its significance
as a living and unifying force and its role in their growth and development as a
community.
7.03.10 Socio-Ethical Values: The Karbi myths, legends, tales, songs and music,
epics and ballads, proverbs and riddles, chants and charms are treasure house of their
socio-ethical values of their approved way of life. Karbi folk literature is not merely
the source of transmission of their socio-ethical values from one generation to another
but also expected to be the prime means of inculcating those values in the young ones
of the community.
a. Triumph of good, moral and honest over the evil, immoral and dishonest is the
prime value constituting the base of Karbi folk society meant to be inculcated through
their folk literature.
b. Almost all the narratives give stress on inculcation of work culture,
development of skill, self-dependency and encourage the young generation to search
for fortune within human limitation.
c. Goodness and honesty, justice and righteousness, innocence and fidelity,
honesty and faithfulness, pleasure and amusement are the lofty values of life
nourished in Karbi folk society and inculcated in the young ones through their folk
literature.
d. Stress is always on acquisition of traditional knowledge and folk wisdom and
also of human qualities like love, affection, fellow-feeling, equality, kindness, help,
sympathy etc.
e. Equality of all, even between the ruler and the ruled is the striking feature of
the Karbi folk society and compels even the king’s son to work hard in the paddy field
for his establishment. The rules are the same for all.
f. Love and sympathy for the poor and the needy characterizes the Karbi folk
society and raises a voice against any sort of marginalization of the weaker sections.
g. Almost every tale ends with the establishment of peace and order reflecting
the motivating value of their folk society, the motto of their life– live and let live
together in peace and order.
h. Ability to travel through suffering in search of something new and better,
indomitable will power, longing for new experience and new knowledge, unhappiness
with dullness are also inculcated through the tales.
i. A Karbi woman must be true to Husband. Betrayal or faithlessness is never
tolerated in the patriarchal Karbi folk society.
j. The codes of conduct, norms and rules laid down by the Karbi folk society and
transmitted orally through the tales, songs, proverbs etc. are meant to be strictly
followed by all and violation of the rules or tradition by anybody invites only
punishment. For the Karb folk society the approved way of life is the only road to
happiness.
k. The Karbis are not coward or escapist but they hate war and love peace.
They have been living with their own identity fighting against their stronger
neighbouring communities. Sustenance of Struggle and a strong sense of endurance
have been in their blood.
l. The Karbis believe that greed, lazyness, cruelty, foolishness etc. are the
causes of downfall and invite drastic consequences which are found in the tale world
of the Karbis transmitted with a warning to the new generation to get rid of those.
m. Cleverness and tricks used in greater interest or against the oppressor is
appreciated.
n. Love for tradition, respect for their glorious past and historical figures,
acknowledge of the contributions of their elders are the values meant to be inculcated
in the new generations of the community through folk literature. They like to live with
their history, the pleasures of the triumphs and agonies of their painful past.
o. A good number of Karbi tales right from their legend of creation are marked
with eco-centrism and environmental ethics while ‘Karbi Kaplang’ and a few legends
are characterized with ethnocentrism.
p. The faith in village centered socio-political economical institutions and equal
growth of all is one of the great properties of the Karbis to avoid regional disparity
and ensure all round development of the community.
7.04 Values in the perspective of Cultural relativism: Cultural relativism deals with
the roles of values in a culture. As far as the values in Karbi culture are concerned, the
values related to human qualities, truth and beauty are fixed and owned or inculcated
throughout the ages without question. On the other hand certain folk values of the
community like eroticism in ‘Chomangkan’, animism, values with magico-religious
rituals like ‘Vo Kartap’ etc. are flexible in the sense that in such cases the individuals
or the community or the culture, under the influence of time and space, may desire
change. But the degree, to which the change is desired, within the same culture, varies
from educated to uneducated, rural to elite, young to old, East Karbi Anglong to West
Karbi Anglong. Someone has totally discarded animism and adopted a different
religion while a good number of Karbis converting themselves to Hinduism still
worship their folk deities. Someone has rejected eroticism in ‘Chomangkan’ as savage
and the host may like to change the time of singing and dancing erotic ones from
midnight to early morning. Similarly the magico-religious practices are hardly
followed for its avowed causes but for familial cohesion, emotional release,
psychological strength and aesthetic pleasure.

Ethnocentrism, prevailing right from their creation from the biggest egg and
considering themselves only the ‘Arleng’ the human beings up to their control over
good and evil forces, deities and ‘ancestors’ land’, is also a value in Karbi culture
suggesting that their way of life is the best and should be preferred by all. It helps the
young Karbis to identify and associate themselves with the community and its culture
and above all to its approved modes of behavior and value system. However, the new
generations of the community, being exposed to modern education and technological
progression and having close connection with the cultures around, though inherit
ethnocentrism as a part of their early enculturation, initiate an reorientation in their
thought-process, try to distinguish between reality and supernatural, and desire a
change. Cultural-relativistic point of view is not meant to underestimate a value but to
understand the validity of a set of norms within the periphery of the culture in present
day context. In today’s environment whether the boys and girls after taking part in
‘Nimso-Koerung’ are sexually united to ensure new birth to compensate the loss
caused by death is not relevant. For another group, in the present day society
characterized with so many evils and moral depravity, to what extent the Karbi erotic
folklore harms the ideals and morals, values and ethos of a modern man is a matter of
a big question. The point is that an outsider should not but the Karbis themselves are
to judge their erotic folklore in relative terms and mark the future of the unique
folkloristic phenomenon.
7.05 Way to scientific thinking: Karbi folk literature is the domain of numerous oral
songs, ballads and epics, myths, legends, tales, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters,
chants and charms and reflective of their material culture, custom and practices, art
and craft, celebrations and their folk religious activities etc. Sustaining Tradition and
continuity, pervasiveness and variation and travelling through time and space Karbi
folk literature becomes historically resourceful, culturally inter penetrating and
socially representative of their local features and national glory. It provides insight
into a collective psyche, accumulated thought and wisdom. The human civilization or
its surface growth does not necessarily segregate the people from its root. Viewed
historically, the study of folklore presents before us a roadmap of a community’s
growth from antiquity to modernity, from religious belief to scientific thought. The
point is that the so called unscientific past is not at all disposable garbage, it has scope
to make the future better. The legend of creation signifying the importance of
plantation and other beings for human life on earth, teachings of Hemphu constituting
the national character of the Karbis, stress on equality and equal development of all,
village centered ways of social development undertaken by Harbamon, the tale of We
Longbi and Har Longbi protesting against environmental pollution, teachings of
grandmothers like ‘Marongpi’, the tiger tales metaphorically suggesting the
importance of bio-diversity, the folk belief that fowl came into being from serpent, the
‘Muchera Kehir’ preparing for the present through their past, ‘Jirsong’ developing
skill of the new generation etc. are enough to give birth to reasonable, rational or
scientific thinking in terms of the present total environment and lead the young
generation of the Karbis to look forward to the welfare of the community
scientifically. Such a reading of the Karbi folk tales and creation songs may strike the
thinking zone of the younger generations of the community, lead them to scientific
values of many of their folk beliefs and cultivate scientific way of thinking.
7.06 A Sense of Duality among the Karbis: The Karbi folk literature depicting the
existence of opposite forces like spiritual and erotic in the socio-cultural, religious folk
custom of the Karbis, sense of submission and aggression in their mythical and
legendary characters, love for humour and obsession with a sense of tragedy, longing
for order and living in chaos, hopes and aspirations for a change with a sense of
hesitation, wish to go to the final destination the ancestors’ land only to come back to
the same clan for living on earth, death and rebirth, degeneration and regeneration,
purity and impurity, ‘demon’ and ‘deity’ represented by ‘Hi-i’ and ‘Arnam’
respectively, ‘Jangreso’ the Orphan the honest and the trickster, the tiger the means of
savior or damnation, the grandmother the wicked and the wise, encouragement of
women participation in bachelors’ dormitory and their subsequent exploitation,
projection of demon’s village at the vicinity of that of the Karbis metaphorically
suggesting the co-existence of good and evil, positive and negative forces etc. is
reflective of a sense of duality inbuilt among the Karbis. Yet it cannot be said that the
manipulation of folk self witnessed in the caretaker of nature destroying a forest,
savior of community betraying the race for individual benefit, bearer of tradition
becoming instrumental in degenerating the values have not originated from that sense
of duality sustained in their national character, but it is the result of pollution of folk
mind with rootless materialistic zeals.
7.07 Negative Folk Values among the Karbis: Exposure to Karbi folk literature and
a few of their rural societies it is realized that the Karbis are neither coward nor
escapist as they are considered by a group of outsiders. Similarly it is nothing but a
mere superstition on the part of the non-Karbis of Chapanalla and its adjoining areas
when they accuse the Karbis of that locality of making the non-Karbi young boy eat
the ‘Pohan’ a kind of poison and get him killed and sacrificed before cultivation.
There is nothing to be called ‘Pohan’ and it is injustice to the Karbis associating them
with such a heinous crime.
From outsider’s point of view Karbi folk literature reflects certain negative folk
values such as consideration of own self inferior to others, obsession with a sense of
hesitation, fear and timidity, obsession with a sense of tragedy, use of tricks and
violence against the wrong-doers, violation of human rights in the name rules and
community works, marginalization of women to a certain extent, inability to
understand the pains even of a over-worked mother feeding a baby, anti-
environmental jhum-cultivation and forest-fire, deforestation, hunting of wild animals,
community fishing pouring poison to river water etc. which appear detrimental to the
welfare and development of the individuals and the community as well. The tales and
the songs reflect that the Karbis right from their creation seen in ‘Karbi Kaplang’ are
obsessed with a sense of hesitation and tragedy, a feeling of unease and
uncomfortable, a sense of sadness of being unfortunate which may give rise to a sense
of complexity in the minds of the young ones. A sense of hesitation towards
something or somebody new is seen in the characters of the tales which is peculiar to
the national character of the Karbis. Such negative traits may be beneficial in
maintaining their own culture free from any foreign influence but also responsible for
developing negative force within. To see a Karbi person leading the state of Assam
especially in political affairs is still a far cry. It is surprising to see that the Karbis, the
son of the soil, the earliest of all communities to inhabit the land, are still struggling
for their rights to rule themselves. The internal negative forces like hesitation to lead
are also to blame along with the strong unfriendly external forces.
7.08 Suggestions:
f. Aggression of English language and western culture should be checked.
g. Karbi language should be made the medium of instruction especially in the
pre-primary and primary schools.
h. Tale-telling session should be made compulsory in pre-primary school.
i. In teaching of Assamese and English languages translated versions of texts
from Karbi folk literature should be prescribed so that the students can easily
contexualise the texts and learn the target language.
j. Secondary Education Board of Assam, All Assam Higher Secondary Education
Council and the Universities of Assam should prescribe translated
texts from Karbi folk literature. The students of Assam made so familiar with
Shibaji, Akbor, Hemingway or festival Holy should no longer be kept away
from the tales of Rongpherpi, Thong Nokbe, Ha-i-mu or Chomangkan.
j. The universities of the state should encourage more research in Karbi folklore.
k. Telling of the folktales in its true spirit and natural setting should be
experienced by the younger generation.
l. The narrators should retell the tales to the younger generations with a view to
inculcating in them the values relevant in the present context.
m.The narrator of folktale should tell the tales from different perspective
considering the need of the situation. He or she should be ready to retell the
tales as an environmentalist or moralist, with feminine sensibility or
community consciousness.
n. At no circumstance the folk songs should be allowed to be commercially dealt
with.
o. Workshops, seminars, competitions etc. may be arranged for popularization of
folk tales, songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters and folk speech.
p. Training camps should be arranged with a view to preparing narrator of tales,
singer of folk songs, diviner, priests, player of folk instruments, singer of
chants and charms etc.
q. Secondary existence of Karbi folk songs and their folk dance in its indigenous
forms may be practised with a view to popularizing those and providing
opportunity to the young generation to learn the skills required for
performance in its first existence.
r. ‘Jirsong’, ‘Chang Ghar’, indigenous kitchen and loom etc. should have
existence in tune with modern needs.
s. Not the celebration but the avowed causes of celebrating a ritual should be the
life force of the rituals.
t. The community should be concerned with equality and equal development of
all Karbis and all people living in Karbi land instead of locating development
only for one section.
q. Stress should be on to sustain the indigenous nature of the environment of the
Karbi land.
h. Loss of faith in folk beliefs and animism should be revived.
i. Conversion to Hinduism and Christianity should be stopped.
j. Karbi Religion should be recognized. If the Hindus are not ready to read their
goddess Saraswati as Athena or Minerva the practice of understanding Karbi
deities through Hindu gods and goddesses should be stopped.
k. Now it is the duty of the community and the students of folklore around to ensure
sustenance of the indigenous nature of the Karbi folk literature along with its
traditional values especially the human, cultural and environmental ones from
the influence of the technology and moral depravity of the modern world with a
view to reorienting their present generations to their indigenous

environment, adjusting them with their own culturally constituted world and
thus enabling them to be not the rootless modern but the proud Karbis of the
global world living with their own culture, history and identity.
7.09 Future Scope of Study: The present study with introduction on Karbi folklore
discussed in terms of folk literature, material culture, social custom and performing
arts, systematic division of Karbi folk tales, folk songs, proverbs, riddles, tongue-
twisters, chants and charms accessible, analysis of those from the perspectives of
values sustained in, carefully made bibliography and glossary, appendices of folktales,
lullabies and chants etc. may attract attention of and appear as gateway to students of
folklore to go for further research in the topic dealt with or in any aspect associated
with Karbi folklore and folk literature. The discussion on Karbi myths may lead one to
make comparative study of Karbi creation myths in relation to that of other cultures of
North East India. Similarly the project leaves scope for scientific study of Karbi
legends and historical tales as oral history of the community. The study also leads to
morphological study of Karbi folk tales and stylistic study of Karbi folk songs.
Reading of Chomangkan in the present study may encourage structural study of Karbi
rituals and festivals or the festivals as means of social integration. One may make
scientific and systematic study of variants of Karbi folk tales and songs. The present
study also leaves scope for study of Karbi folk literature from sociological perspective
or environmental point of view. One may opt for the topics initiated in the study such
as articulation of sub-alternity or feminine sensibility in Karbi folk literature. The
study also points out that there is scope for research in Karbi folk arts and crafts,
Karbi religion, their folk medicine, folk speech and performing arts. Further the role
played by Karbi folklore, their language and their socio-cultural political history in
constructing greater Assamese culture and identity, history and sociology demands
further research.
7.10 Conclusion: The Karbi world is essentially a value-based one. Karbi folk
literature reflects their worldview, the way of life approved and the values of life
fostered by the community. The real value of their folktales and folksongs, as a source
of sociological data, lies not in its concern with particular persons or incidents, but in
its typical portrayals of situations, relationships and attitudes towards life. These are
reflective of typical pictures of Karbi familial relationships, social institutions, relation
between an individual and society, society and nature etc. and these pictures, when
synthesized, provide a more balanced and comprehensive view of the Karbi folk
society and have been playing the vital role in the sustenance of socio-cultural
religious structure of the community. The values whether moral, socio-ethical,
cultural, aesthetic, religious or environmental ones constitute the backbone of their
folk society. Some of the values are personal, some are community concerned.
Whether these values are egoistic or universalistic, hedonistic or utilitarian, good or
bad, relevant or irrelevant, in present day context these are realized in relative terms
and are undoubtedly the properties of the cultural heritage of the community and
naturally its future never lies in the attitude of the outsiders. Some of their folk values
appear relevant and appropriate to other community and seem to have universal
appeal. For instance, their tree worship may reorient us to think about the relevance of
trees in keeping our home sustainable. Such look-universal environmental value is the
bye-product of a Karbi proverb considering the trees having different gods, but the
point is that here the value is deeply rooted in their folk belief and animism and has
inter-textual reference to their legend of creation. Thus the richness of a Karbi folk
value sustained through their folk literature lies not in its appropriateness to other
communities but is best realised in their own culture.
With the passage of time and introduction of electronic recreational machines
neither the proverbs nor the riddles and tongue-twisters, the indigenous forms of
passing time, are popular with the younger generations of the community. The
children of town areas can hardly solve the riddles for their inability to identify the
referents, for not having access to their folklife and not seen interested in learning the
tongue-twisters. The guardians too feel the limitations of riddles or tongue-twisters for
development of intelligence or cognitive abilities of their children in the present age of
competition. The point is that the community cannot let such indigenous expressions
which mirror the earliest form of poetic and intellectual, creative and imaginative self
of the community to be washed up. Workshop may be organized and it should be
preserved in its original form for the interested generations to come.

The socio-cultural religious values reflected through their chants and


charms are basically community oriented utilitarian ones and sustained or rejected on
the basis of its consequences in changing scenario. For instance they still inculcate in
their younger generation a sense of commitment to their culture and tradition, elders
and ancestors, belongingness to their people and community. But the patriarchal and
male-centric values behind women’s restricted position in certain rituals are now
questioned and purification of their dead body without ‘Duk’ before cremation are
totally rejected for ensuring women’s respectful position in their society. Similarly
they have almost rejected erotic folklore as obscene in their modern set-up. It is sorry
to see that a few of their household and many of their territorial and agriculture related
deities are now struggling for existence in modern Karbi homes and developed areas.
It is painful to see a good number of youths of the Karbis, whose ancestors
worshipped trees and suffered at the pain of a tree, are now seen being detached from
their folk values and instrumental in deforestation of the Karbi hill leading their home
to a state of ecological imbalance. The loss of faith in their animistic belief would be
detrimental to their indigenous environment and identity of their community and
religion. Naturally the younger generations of the community, in present day context
discovering themselves in a state of transition from tradition to modernity, are though
in favour of continuing their religious rituals but most of them, especially the Hindus
are seen detached with the philosophy of their folk religion and values associated with
and hardly interested in learning their chants and charms. And the Christian Karbis
interviewed are seen interested only in cultural aspects and want to keep themselves
detached from their indigenous religious rituals. The future of their chants and charms,
especially after the death of the present priests and diviners, will be in danger if a few
groups of their new generations do not come forward by themselves for acquiring
those invaluable properties of a Karbi folk society.
All principles, norms or codes of conduct in a Karbi folk society, whether
moral or ethical, socio-cultural or environmental, political or religious, guide the
behavior of a Karbi folk and collectively mould their indigenous value system. A
value is a value in the context to which and for the people to whom it belongs, hence
evaluation of values is a relative concept and can be understood better in its own
background. Each and every practice in a Karbi folk society, whether getting married
to the maternal uncle’s daughter or erotic songs and dance of cremation ceremony,
customary laws or ways of paying honour, tree worship or obsession with hesitation
has its own values and cannot be devalued from outside. These are not inborn
characteristics of an average Karbi folk but are taught to and acquired by the folk
through oral literature, the process of socialization, interaction with nature and others,
participation in community activities etc. In a traditional Karbi society the values are
significant not simply for shaping the folk’s behavior and individuality but for
constituting the texture of their folk society and nature of their approved way of life.
Some of their traditional values may be no longer relevant in present day society. But
those values whether good or evil, relevant or irrelevant, right or wrong, are the
properties or cultural heritage of the community and should be preserved in a
scientific way if cannot be practised or inculcated in. Now it is the duty of the
community and the students of folklore around to ensure sustenance of the indigenous
nature of the Karbi folk tales and songs along with its traditional values especially the
human, cultural and environmental ones from the influence of the technology and
moral depravity of the modern world with a view to reorienting their present
generations to their indigenous environment, adjusting them with their own culturally
constituted world and thus enabling them to be not the rootless modern but the proud
Karbis of the global world living with their own culture, history and identity.
Assamese culture and language belong to none but to all communities who
have been living in the region since pre-independence era contributing to the growth
and development of Assamese culture and language, formation of Assamese
community and identity. No one should ignore the interpenetration of the Karbi
elements in formation of cultural and linguistic, anthropological and sociological
identity of Assam and the greater Assamese community. This study simply exposes
the richness of Karbi folklore and their folk values in reorientation of their younger
generation towards proper understanding and sustenance of their environment in
totality, culture and language, right and identity, but leaves certain questions
unanswered - what are the contributions of the Karbis to the Assamese culture and
folklore, language and nationality? And the same question needs to be extended and
scientifically addressed in the context of global India. What is precisely there in the
cultural and political history of Assam and India as well that represents the Karbis and
their land? The Karbis are not happy with the occasional recognition of their needs
and rights and carefully made explanation of their culture and history by the
advocators of the elite centre. Rather it should be acknowledged that they are
undoubtedly a strong peripheral reality contributing to constitute Assamese and Indian
culture and nationality with their own uniqueness, folklore and identity.
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