Obituary: Noted Mising leader Sibaram Pegu dead

Late Sibaram Pegu Photo: misingagomkebang.com

Noted Mising personality, who was involved with various community organisations in critical juncture of the tribe- Sibaram Pegu- is no more. Pegu left for heavenly abode after a week-long illness at his Laimekuri residence yesterday in Jonai.

Pegu was a dedicated community mobilizer who lead the people during nascent stage of Mising ethnic nationalism from seventies to early nineties. He was a founder member of Takam Mising Porin Kébnag ( TMPK), that was re-christened on October 16, 1972 at Jonai Higher Secondary School, after the bifurcation of All Abor-Miri Assam-NEFA Students' Union ( another group is the powerful All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union), when the state of Arunachal Pradesh was declared first as union territory. During the period of anti-foreigners movement of Assam from 1979 to 1985, he had to left his post-graduation studies incomplete from Gauhati University. He went to establish, later on, the Laimekuri Koneng High School, realizing the importance of women education and empowerment in the society.


Pegu was an active member of Mising literary movement in the eighties. He served as the general secretary of Mising Agom Kebang from 1983 to 1987 consecutively. It was during his tenure the Mising language was recognized formally with adoption of Roman script in October 30, 1986, when the regional party AGP was in power in Assam, which is today observed as language day by the community. The Mising organizations have expressed deep condolence over his untimely demise and said it was irreparable loss to the society. His mortal body was taken around several places in Jonai where hundreds of people paid their last respects to the deceased Mising national personality. His body was cremated with full honours according to Mising social rituals and rites. He was born in Haldhibari village of Sisikalghar and was 58. He left behind his wife, a son and three daughters as well as number of friends, relatives and well-wishers.

Reminiscence of personal encounter with the leader

Last month in early July, when I met him in Laimekuri, whom I fondly called Tato, he was looking quite well. When I enquired about his well-being , he replied in positive and exhorted me for further good studies. " No okkoméi idakji aiyo:pé ilang", he advised me. Once in summer 2009,  he came over to our house to congratulate me on hearing the news that I passed my graduation with flying colours from Cotton College, my parents told me, later, since I was already back to Guwahati . When I was doing my post-graduate studies,  and was in home  due to a brief vacation, he once  stopped me and passed me hundred bucks seeing me to have light refreshment in the journey to Guwahati. He didn't gave me just the bucks but shared inspiring thoughts with me,  which I will remember it in my entire life,  for it is done rarely in our place. He had that personality , at least ,  to inspire the lower strata within the community, not just a leader. I am really very sad to learned that a towering personality like him is no more in the society. I was thinking of having an interview relating to the present and past state of society with him one day but he didn't lived upto that. With tears...I am expressing my grief. RIP my dear Tato!

Agom kéba:do Jonai gíyén ajona?

            Ngo silopé agom kébang ba:namdém kangkima:da...bangke agom kébalok ba:namém ko:ka dokké ka:sa sula ngo gítak...émdaggom ki:ni kéba lokkém  kangkímang.Ajjou dodo ngolu lambé do mike,sound box bommín sudanla yamgo nammém ka:bekdungai ....dítak dok 30 October longé do lambé lo dek poriné  ko:kangém abí:nkíd yamgobola  Mising agom turyaryé !,Mising réngam  írroi ya írroi ya !émna jé:mín sula do:mír ésaré  mírgo mínsu do:pé ,sargomínsudo:pé  inamém Laimekuri amo:lo ka:pa dungai.

      Sium sí:ro mo:tép du:langkula kangkitokumabong...aropé édé  bulu oko longan émna mé:dag ngo lékom,yumé ayir míloi dírbí yumdéng inam kangkolo berdungai.Lékom ajon gidakbo émna tadbekla apin dosud doludla lomnak-pisak la dugdungai...longém abín ami kídídé agom do:yíng ém kéba lo ludagai,yumé do ngolu oi ni:tom,anu ni:tom,natok,luse: senam,sonam atí atí tarung inam kabek dungai....harmonium élang tabla lo oi ni:tom monamém aipé ka:lídakku...asinang airup odak...suk 2012 so January 16 dokké ba:yé émdag Jonai to January 19 dop.Jonai émyém ngok le:keké poriko school lotta do....amindé Jonai Higher Secondary School.Agom kébang do Jonai gíyéne ajona,édésin ki:ni kéba lokkar malang ayi?


            Agom Kébang agomdém luyémílo a:písé kapéike idak..supak agom sé kapil dun émdodém okkomna lulad bipayekusong kinma:bo....Agom  jarmonam légangé  sekoi okkoméi gerdusong okkomsin kinto kumang...po:pé  ké  LP School lok pa:nam potin kidi dok Ta:to tolíng sipak,tapum tari dopak;Mipak ao malbuk,bomla anu abbuk(mensarung ko ka:bekla sikang émnam lube: lusak ka:na ,édésinyowwa!);ba:yom ba:to,ya:yoké  ra:sor ra:nam doppo....édé mo:bulum mé:padag .Odokké  kinsed tokumang ...O Ru:na!Bojeko pagtakbo ngo:sin,souo lok ngo silo attér du:bo... Yo! agom ako...Jonai gíyem ngomsin goksudanlang ajona,léko lakko:pé ír-pongkír bolapé Jonai mongke tém!Mikpandanyoka déi ajona...sa!!

Agom Kebang conference from Jan 9,TU varsity campus likely to declare in Jonai

Come 2012,the first Mising organization formed in the post-independent era will organize its 30th Biennial Conference at the border town of Jonai from January 9.The venue for the grand literary meet will be the Jonai Higher Secondary School premises,which is located in the heart of the town.The meet will be continued till January 11,2012.The Mising Agom Kebang or the Mising Literary Association that spearheaded the Roman script movement with flying colours in 1985 after it was founded in 1968 at Disangmukh.Since then the day government of Assam declared the introduction Mising language in schools,annually 30th of October is observed as Mising Language Day.This year another milestone was bagged due to the restless efforts made by the MAK leadership,the country's premier literary body the Sahitya Akademi agreed to award the prestigious 'Bhasa Samman' even as the language dreams for Eight Schedule recognition.However,the rich oral history,folklores and mores were acknowledged by the Akademi ,considering which ground it was decided.The language of Tani people is getting momentum with leaps and bounds even as many urban middle classes Tani parents has left their wards bereft of their mother tongue.The Mising Agom Kebang(MAK) has brought about the culture of writing for those enthusiasts of the community who loves to put their thought into printed letters notwithstanding the literature of this Tani language is still in nascent stage which needs a renaissance among the people.However,this Tani language can still boasts of having more than 5 lakhs speakers across villages and towns in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Tezpur University to set up extended campus in Jonai
Sources in the central committee of the MAK told this blogger that a campus of Tezpur University is likely to be declared by the government of Assam in Jonai during the meet itself.The chief minister as well as the education minister are the top political invitees to the literary meet,the sources said.The Tezpur University is a central university established under the Assam Accord.This will be a historic new year gift for the people of entire upper north bank districts of Assam and Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.The temple of learning is expected to boost the educational atmosphere and related economic activities of the backward north bank regions plagued by perennial floods from where hundreds of youths particularly from Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts migrate to various metropolis of India often leaving their education mid-way to join petty odd jobs.