[ Karyir Riba ]
HAWAI, 25 Feb: The Cultural and Literary Society of Mishmi (CALSOM) has expressed concern over the naming of various rivers and bridges on the stretch of the BRTF road from Tidding to Walong in Anjaw district, and has called for renaming the rivers and bridges as per the original local names.
It claimed that several bridges built over various rivers and streams on the said stretch of the road have been erroneously named by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in the past.
“Distortion of the names of rivers and places might gradually distort the history of that particular area and eventually create unnecessary confusion among the future generation,” it said.
Explaining the importance of keeping the original local names, the CALSOM said, “The Mishmi community resided in various river valleys in the past, and these rivers served as natural boundaries between different villages inhabited by various clans. For centuries the community depended on these rivers and streams for their sustenance. Many Mishmi clans have derived their names from rivers where their ancestors resided. The rivers are associated with the local community’s cultural and ritualistic beliefs. Hence, they are still emotionally attached towards the rivers flowing through their ancestral lands and rightly wish to retain their original local names.”
The CALSOM has also written to the deputy commissioner regarding the matter.
CALSOM secretary Suraj Tayang informed: “We had a meeting with the BRO authorities last month regarding this matter. We were told that they would rename the bridges and rivers/streams if the DC endorses the renaming. We have submitted a letter to the DC and he said that he would gladly endorse our appeal.”
