The Spread Of Christianity in Darlong Villages

THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN DARLONG VILLAGES 

             With the foundation of North Eastern India General Mission in the year 1924, emissaries were sent to different villages starting from Darchawi which was and is the centre of Christian policy formulation. Apart from Sȃidȃra Village, there were many villages that strongly opposed Christianity yet succumbed to it. In the year 1923, a missionary, under the supervision of Jampui Presbytery landed in a village called Ṭlângte Khua also known as Tualsungi Lungdaw Ṭlȃng. During the time, the village was under the rule of Ngursailiana with forty families inclusive of few Christian converts who escaped from Sȃidȃra Village. However, the Christians could not settle at the village for a long period of time. Ngursailiana was a pro-Christian. Thus, the villagers who were deadly against the new belief parted with their chief resulting in the formation of new villages such as Bero Billage also known as Chuaithuama Village consisting of seventeen household, Kelkhua Village also known as Ngurliana Village consisting of ten household and the Ṭlângte Khua was left with only seven families. In one instance, an evangelist by the name Channa was asked to sleep under a fig tree every night and the non-Christians called him “crying Channa, the coughing Channa” (Souvenir 1994). Selawia who later migrated to Darchawi Village along with few others was the only faithful devotee that the Christian missionaries could harvest from Ṭlângte Village. Ṭlângte Village could hardly survive with the remaining families and ultimately had to abandon the village in the later days.

            In the same year when the Christians were tormented at Ṭlângte Village, the first evangelist of Darlong tribe appeared in the guise of Tualiana Darlong posted at Rawiengapa Village also known as Talȃn. The village comprised of only thirty families then and personnel like Liankunga, Thangkhama, Rawivunga, Dinga and Khama were the first to accept the religion at the village. The personnel actively participated in the Christian activities and alike. In the village, the Christians enjoyed comfortable life with no strong opposition. The circumstance in this village was just the opposite of what was at other villages. The Christians mocked the non-Christians who were the minority group and destroyed their worship places at many circumstances. In one instance, the Christians laughed at the sight of the non-Christian performing a rite that provoked the later to excrete at the church’s holy pulpit at nightfall.  

            In spite of the Christians’ happy lives at Talȃn, the Christians living at the Zawngkhawṭlȃng Village was not the same. The village was then under the rule of chief Lal Sutkhama and his descendant Suakhama. The village and the chief were deadly against the new religion. It is said that Kapa Darlong and Thuama Darlong were imposed a Sepui penalty because of their loyalty towards the new religion. Besides, the chief also snatched the flocks and other belongings of the Christians at the village. Some of the names of the men who accepted Christianity were Laizathanga Darlong, Lianthangpuia Darlong, Khuma Darlong, Thuama Darlong, Tuadinga Darlong and Hrangkunga Darlong. However, all of them were chased out of the village and end up as emigrants.

             The lower part of the present Kailashahar was another Darlong tribe’s residential territory. The process of Christianisation also reached the region. In the year 1917, evangelist Hanga and Thiala (both of whom were Lushai missionaries from the Jampui Presbytery) initiated the mission of Christianisation at Damdiai Village. The very next year, Hmarngula Darlong became the first convert of the village. However, a conflict arouse among the Christians and the non-Christians that led to the expulsion of the evangelist and his team. The expelled families established a village called Vawmsual Khua in the year 1926. Nonetheless, the village was abandoned and failed to survive. In the present context, the village no longer exist.  

            Towards the later part of the year 1920, Evan. Thiala, was called off from Vawmsual Village and was sent to Bawkte Village. The first person to be baptised was Thuama Darlong. After couple of years, Evan. Thiala moved to a village namely Belkum Village. In 1924, Thauma Darlong and few others too followed Evan. Thaila. Evan. Thiala, Thuama Darlong and few others who followed entered the village of Belkum in the year 1926. In the village, Evan. Thaila and his followers did not receive a warm welcome particularly Thuama Darlong. A Sepui Lei ‒ penalty of rupees sixteen was also imposed upon him for bringing the Christians to the village. However, the fight between the Christians and the non-Christians cannot continue for long. In the year 1930, fire broke out at the village burning the entire but few families.

             Apart from the villages discussed, mentioned may be made of Nȇngsen, Tuikawinek, Thahup and few others. However, the villages inclusive of Bawkte Village, Zawngkhawṭlâng Village, Vawmsual Village, Bero Village, Kelkhua Village, Ṭlângte Village, Rawiengapa Village and Sȃidȃra Village have all but succumbed to the circumstance of Christianisation. At present, the villages have no existence and hence their records too vanished alongside them.