Jamatia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jamatia is one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura [1] state of India. They are mainly dwelling in the West Tripura [2] and the South Tripura [3] districts. They speak the language Kokborok which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin. Their appearance is mongoloid.
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[edit] Origin of the Jamatia clan
Jamatia clan is the third largest sub-tribe of among indigenous Tripuris, after the Puratias(Debbarma), and the Reang sub-tribe in Tripura. The origin of the word Jamatia, in one opinion had derived from the word Jamat, which means collection or union of peoples. This later on turned to Jamatia. It is to be noted that the people of this clan live in unity and concentrated in any particular place even today.
According to other opinion Jamatia is conjugation of two Kokborok words, Jama, means tax and twiya means no need to pay. It is fact that the men of this clan were used to engaged in Tripura royal force as soldier by the kings of Tripura during the rule of Manikya Dynasty. So the peoples of Jomatia clan were exempted to pay any tax by the king for their loyalty, service and sacrifice for the royal regime. Later on the people of this clan had been known as Jamatia.
The Jamatias are physically very strong, stout, and courageous, muscular as a whole. This fact had led to induct them to royal force during kings' regime. It was evidently proved by the mighty rebel leader like Porikshit Jamatia who fought against the unjust oppression by king's corrupt officials.
[edit] Economy and livelihood
The economic condition and financial condition of Jamatia clan is better than rest of the indigenous Tripuris. It is the Jamatia clan who had first discarded the shifting cultivation called huk chamani and opted for modern way of agriculture and farming in plain land. The other clan followed them later on gradually. That is why they are in possession of more plain land than any other indigenous Tripuri. They are economically more sound and self sufficient than rest of fellow clans. Nowadays many youths are getting education and employed in various state and central government office. Many people of this race are doing business in Tripura and many are settled out side of Tripura as success full business man as far as up to Shillong, Guwahati, and Mumbai etc.
[edit] The Jamatia Hoda
The Jamatia are also follower of traditional Tripuri religion like rest of the clans of Tripura. They worship the Goria mwtai the most, which is worshipped by all other clans. Goria celebration of the Jamatias need special mention and shall be dealt separately. Besides this, they worship the Mahadev or Mwtai Kotor, Tripura sundori, twima, and other god of fourteen gods. The Jamatias were annoyed and agitated after the armed rebellion under the leadership of Porkshit Jamatia was brutally curved out. The Jamatias decided to leave the state en-mass and migrate to neighbouring state. The king Beer Chandra pacified the agitated Jamatia clan by placing them as higher class than rest of the Tripuris. They were motivated to convert to Vaishnavism, since then, they had feeling of superiority and did not allow other clans to enter to their kitchen. They had stopped drinking wine, eating various meats, raring various live stocks like pigs, goats, hens, and etc altogether. The Jamatia men started wearing holy thread puida and applying chandan tilak at fore head. But recently the Jamatias had discarded this tradition and started consuming meat and other things and such discrimination has abolished today.
[edit] Social structure of the "Hoda"
The Jamatia clan had three tier social structures for smooth inter action and social order. These are:
- Hoda,
- Moyal, and
- Luku.
[edit] Hoda
Hoda means the apex body of the Jamatia society. It is headed by the Okra who is the supreme of the clan. The whole of the Jamatia population is divided in to sixteen regions called Moyals. The head of the moyal is known as panchai.
[edit] Moyal
The Moyal is consisted by five to thirty-two villages, where two panchais are selected in each moyal by the regions Chokdiri and prominent persons of the village for the period of five years.
[edit] Luku
The luku is the village whose chief is called chokdiri.
The village head or the chokdiri is selected unanimously by the head of each family of the village once in every five year.
Similarly the head of the hoda, which is the hoda okra, is selected unanimously by the village chokdiris and moyal panchais at the annual conference for five years. There are two hoda okras at the apex body at present.
The supreme authority to govern the society is vested collectively with the two HODA OKRAS. They are assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of four members, possessing sound knowledge and experience of traditional religion, cultural affairs, administrative rule, and Jamatia customary law.
There are ten priests appointed by Hoda Okras and accountable to Okras. There is also a Hoda Working Committee consisting of 33 members which function under the direct supervision of Hoda Okras. One third of the board members have to be women folk. Hoda have an audit board comprising of five members, who are selected by the hoda members for three years. All the income and expenditure are audited by this board once in every year, to maintain the financial regularity of the hoda. The hoda has 321 villages which are governed by the above social system. The hoda is very strong and influential among the Jamatia clan, and that is why the traditional social life and the customary laws are still strictly practiced by the Jomatia clan of indigenous Tripuri.
[edit] Duty of Hoda Okras
- The twin Hoda Okras shall not do or follow opposite or contradictory policy.
- They should ensure that the Hoda rules and regulation are adhered in performing social occasions and worshiping different gods.
- The first and the foremost duty of the Okras are to implement the resolutions and decisions of the Hoda.
- The hoda Okras should protect any person who is assaulted while protecting the society's rules and regulation.
- Whenever there is disputes or conflicts among the members of the clan the Okras shall do the conciliation independently and impartially.
- The okras should hold the responsibility for five years. But if they indulge in any unfair and corrupt practice, they may be removed before the expiry of the terms. Such expulsion from the post can be done only by 2/3rd majority of the advisory board and 2/3rd majority of the Hoda working committee. There should be a majority support for the removal by the moyal Panchais also.
- The Okras can resign from the post by giving appropriate reasons. They should do so jointly as they were elected.
- If any okra dies or any of their wives dies the two okras shall resign from the post and the emergency meeting of the Hoda shall be convened and new Okras selected unanimously.
[edit] Duty and power of the Panchai
- The prime and primary function of the pachais is to peace and discipline of the Moyal.
- They shall solve all the disputes among the members by the help of working committee.
- They should implement the programs of the Okras.
- They shall keep contact with the Okras to maintain peace and tranquility at the region.
- They should tale any such step to maintain the harmony and discipline of the society with the approval of Okras.
- They should collect he subscription for the welfare of the society.
- They should preside over any working committee of the moyal.
- They can do arbitration in any problems related to women, theft, dacoity, burglary etc. and punish the accused accordingly.
