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Tai Phakes: maintaining legacy of once mighty Ahoms (FEATURE)
By Zafri Mudasser Nofil, Indo-Asian News Service

Naharkatiya (Assam), Oct 2 (IANS) The Tai Phakes, descendants of the great Ahom race that ruled undivided Assam for more than 600 years, have now dwindled to less than 250 families.

The Ahoms had entered the state in the latter half of the 18th century from Thailand. Today they are scattered in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

But as is evident from the 150 odd families in Namphake village, 37 km from Dibrugarh town, they are keeping alive the unique identity, customs and traditions of the Ahoms. 

"The Phakials, as they are popularly known, are bilingual - they speak Phakial among themselves and Assamese in other places," says Amchen Gohain, a woman from the village who teaches economics in a higher secondary school.

"The Tai Phake women still wear colourful dresses woven by them - an ankle-long skirt ('chin'), a blouse ('nang wat') and a girdle ('chai chin') to tighten the skirt around the waist," Amchen told IANS.

The people have a fine tradition of keeping records of family history. 

"Ho Likboi is such a record in which genealogies of a particular family are recorded. Generally, an elderly man called 'pathek' who is well versed in all the details of the people prepares it."

The tribe practises Buddhism. A monastery at Namphake village was established in 1850. The head priest of the monastery is a man in his late 50s. He is assisted in his daily work by nearly 10 junior priests.

The Phakials also have a sound knowledge of Pali language. The residents claim to be hundred percent literate, with the village having produced a number of doctors, engineers and lawyers. 

But the villagers continue to follow several practices. For instance, living in stilt houses called 'changghars'. "It is not that we have to, but 'changghars' are safe as the area is flood-prone," says Ngen Gohain. 

They are constructed in such a way that there is sufficient land for vegetable cultivation and flower gardens. 

And there are quite a few novelties. The villagers claim police have never entered their premises as the monks settle all disputes.

Also, people rely on herbal cures.

"We eat fresh vegetables and food and seldom fall ill. In case of some complications, we rely on our traditional ways of healing," 92-year-old Jingmya Gohain says. 

"The Phakials usually marry within the community. But there is no hard and fast rule that they cannot marry outside. The society is basically patriarchal - the son inherits his father's property." 

Though few in number and in spite of an identity crisis, the Tai Phakes have been able to maintain their glorious legacy.

Noted historian Edward Gait in his "History of Assam" writes: "Coming to Assam, the Tai Phakes first settled under their chief Chow Ta Meng Khuen Meng of the royal line of Mung Kong at a place called Moongkongtat, a little above Ningroo (in Arunachal Pradesh) on the banks of river Buridihing (in upper Assam)." 

An Australian scholar - Stephen Morey of the Department of Linguistics, Monash University, Melbourne - has started a research project called "Tai Languages of Assam". 

In addition, the project will include the production of teaching material and grammatical study of the Tai language. His "Tai Phake Primer" is the first of the teaching material to be produced in the Tai language. 

Indo-Asian News Service