ORIGIN AND IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY IN DARLONG SOCIETY.
The Darlongs experienced the light of Christianity in way back 1919. The social scenario at the time of the advent of the first missionaries among the Darlongs was full of inter- village feuds, nature worships and malpractices. The people were primitive, poor and totally illiterate. The coming of Christianity is a landmark which has brought a total changes in the socio-economic and educational life of the Darlong. Today all the Darlongs are Christian who have been able to attain a commendable percentage of literacy within a short span of time. So, the Darlongs, cannot but praise the Lord who have saved them from the clutches of fears and ignorance and pay tribute to the missionaries who introduces the GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION to them. In this paper we shall deal in brief, the growth of churches and impact of Christianity on the Darlong Society.
MISSIONARY ENDEAVOUR
Several attempt had been made by the missionaries to spread the gospel in North East India, but much could not be achieved due to strong objection from various corners. In 1890, J.H. Lorrain, a Baptist Missionary from London tried to enter Tripura but he was not allowed to. He and his friend E.W. Savidge tried again but failed. Under the initiative of Rev. W.R. Roberts, a reknown London based Evangelist, Dohnuna was sent to Tripura who stationed himself at Tlangsang, Jampui Hills in 1917. Dohnuna carried out his preaching with some other Evangelist, like Zatua of Behliangchhip, Jampui. The first missionary had to struggle very hard as they had to prove their worth in the midst of killing deseases like Cholera, small pox on one side and the barriers from the local chiefs and the Maharaja on the other side.
Ngurkhuma, Ngurdingliana, Hmuna and other embraced Christianity in 1919 due to strong endeavour of evangelistsm Dohnuna and Zatuaa. These young men were Baptised on 20th February 1920. The same year Hrawma, the father of Ngurkhuma also embraced Christianity which incurred the displeasure of the Chief who drove him out of the village. Evangelist Zatuaa was not a man to give up his mission; he also shifted to the new village from where he converted many people to Christianity including Liankaia who served as evangelist from 1921.
The life of the first Christians was full of difficulties. They were hated, despised and discriminated by the non-Christians who outnumbered them. Out of utter displeasure, The Maharaja ordered that whoever preach Christianity should be imprisoned and their houses should be burn down. The local chiefs were equally displeased, and requested the Christians to abandon their new religion. But the Christians were ready to face anything for the sake of upholding Christianity. So, the chief drove them out of his village, Saidara. The Christians left their village and made themselves a new village and called it TUALSUNGI LUNGDAW. The desperate Christian lived in their Jhum huts from where they attended Sunday School services held in the village. However, the chief insisted that they must cross the river Manu (‘Minaw’ in Darlong’). As a result of this order, in 1923, Sualiana, Renga, Zatuaa, Liankaia, Lalhmuna, Kapa and Thuama had establish a new village called DARCHAWI, from where they started spreading the gospel to all the villages far and near.
In this way, under great hardship the first Darlong Christians grew in number. The Darlong Christian Golden Jubilee was Celebrated in 1969, that is five years before the remaining non – Christians were Baptised in 1974. And in 1994, the Darlongs have attained its 75 years of Christianity and celebrated its great Day of Salvation, Diamond Jubilee.
EMERGENCE OF DENOMINATION:
The Darlong Christians confined themselves in five denomination – the Baptist, the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), The United Pentecostal Church (UPC) and the Presbyterian Church. A brief account on how the Darlong embrace them:
THE NOTHE EAST INDIA GENERAL MISSION: Rev. Watkin R. Roberts founded the “Thado Kuki Pioneer Mission” which came to be known as the “North East India General Mission” in 1924. He assumed his responsibility for the Missionary work in Tripura as the welsh Mission could no longer take care of the Tripura Christian.
Rev. W.R. Roberts sent two evangelist, Thangte and Khuanga in 1917 and Rev. Dohnuna in 1918 to work in Tripura. Rev. Dohnuna worked as Field Officer. This way a few Missionaries came to Tripura to preach and proclaim the Gospel.
Insipte of the strong opposition both from the local chiefs and the Maharaja, Rev. Dohnuna, who was well known for his will power and intellect did not give up hope for mass conversion to Christianity in Tripura. Because of his enthusiastic evangelism, it was possible to bring the Darlong under the domain of Christianity.
THE JAMPUI PRESBYTERY: The first meeting of the Presbytery formed by the Mizo Christians (Presbyterians) who migrated from Lushai Hills (Now Mizoram) to Tripura was held at Tlangsang Village in Jampui Hills in 1919. In that Presbytery some Mizos notably Darthanchhunga, Laia, Lailianchema and Thankunga were appointed as evangelist. Under the supervision of Rev. Dohnuna, Darthanchhunga was sent to the Darlongs at Saidara village in 1918. Saidara villages was also known as Lalvankunga Khua (Village). At the beginning of 1918, Cholera broke out at Saidara and about 70 adults died. But this could not even discourage the Missionaries. As a result of the unfailing endeavour of the Missionaries, the first Darlong Christians were Baptised in this village on 20th February 1920.
THE NEW ZEALAND BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY: The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society had tried to enter Tripura as early as in 1885. But only in 1937 the Eade Brothers were permited to visit Tripura and in 1938 the Tripura Maharaja permitted to established a station at agartala.
The NZBMS started their mission of preaching and trespassed into the organised Presbytery under NEIG Mission. As a result the Darlong Christian were separated from Jampui Presbytery, and in 1942 all the Darlong Christians joined the NZMB. Rev. G.H. Jones was one of the first Missionaries of the NZBM to enter the North Tripura District and to proclaim the gospel mainly from Darchawi, the Sub-Center of the NZBM.
The Darlongs experienced the light of Christianity in way back 1919. The social scenario at the time of the advent of the first missionaries among the Darlongs was full of inter- village feuds, nature worships and malpractices. The people were primitive, poor and totally illiterate. The coming of Christianity is a landmark which has brought a total changes in the socio-economic and educational life of the Darlong. Today all the Darlongs are Christian who have been able to attain a commendable percentage of literacy within a short span of time. So, the Darlongs, cannot but praise the Lord who have saved them from the clutches of fears and ignorance and pay tribute to the missionaries who introduces the GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION to them. In this paper we shall deal in brief, the growth of churches and impact of Christianity on the Darlong Society.
MISSIONARY ENDEAVOUR
Several attempt had been made by the missionaries to spread the gospel in North East India, but much could not be achieved due to strong objection from various corners. In 1890, J.H. Lorrain, a Baptist Missionary from London tried to enter Tripura but he was not allowed to. He and his friend E.W. Savidge tried again but failed. Under the initiative of Rev. W.R. Roberts, a reknown London based Evangelist, Dohnuna was sent to Tripura who stationed himself at Tlangsang, Jampui Hills in 1917. Dohnuna carried out his preaching with some other Evangelist, like Zatua of Behliangchhip, Jampui. The first missionary had to struggle very hard as they had to prove their worth in the midst of killing deseases like Cholera, small pox on one side and the barriers from the local chiefs and the Maharaja on the other side.
Ngurkhuma, Ngurdingliana, Hmuna and other embraced Christianity in 1919 due to strong endeavour of evangelistsm Dohnuna and Zatuaa. These young men were Baptised on 20th February 1920. The same year Hrawma, the father of Ngurkhuma also embraced Christianity which incurred the displeasure of the Chief who drove him out of the village. Evangelist Zatuaa was not a man to give up his mission; he also shifted to the new village from where he converted many people to Christianity including Liankaia who served as evangelist from 1921.
The life of the first Christians was full of difficulties. They were hated, despised and discriminated by the non-Christians who outnumbered them. Out of utter displeasure, The Maharaja ordered that whoever preach Christianity should be imprisoned and their houses should be burn down. The local chiefs were equally displeased, and requested the Christians to abandon their new religion. But the Christians were ready to face anything for the sake of upholding Christianity. So, the chief drove them out of his village, Saidara. The Christians left their village and made themselves a new village and called it TUALSUNGI LUNGDAW. The desperate Christian lived in their Jhum huts from where they attended Sunday School services held in the village. However, the chief insisted that they must cross the river Manu (‘Minaw’ in Darlong’). As a result of this order, in 1923, Sualiana, Renga, Zatuaa, Liankaia, Lalhmuna, Kapa and Thuama had establish a new village called DARCHAWI, from where they started spreading the gospel to all the villages far and near.
In this way, under great hardship the first Darlong Christians grew in number. The Darlong Christian Golden Jubilee was Celebrated in 1969, that is five years before the remaining non – Christians were Baptised in 1974. And in 1994, the Darlongs have attained its 75 years of Christianity and celebrated its great Day of Salvation, Diamond Jubilee.
EMERGENCE OF DENOMINATION:
The Darlong Christians confined themselves in five denomination – the Baptist, the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), The United Pentecostal Church (UPC) and the Presbyterian Church. A brief account on how the Darlong embrace them:
THE NOTHE EAST INDIA GENERAL MISSION: Rev. Watkin R. Roberts founded the “Thado Kuki Pioneer Mission” which came to be known as the “North East India General Mission” in 1924. He assumed his responsibility for the Missionary work in Tripura as the welsh Mission could no longer take care of the Tripura Christian.
Rev. W.R. Roberts sent two evangelist, Thangte and Khuanga in 1917 and Rev. Dohnuna in 1918 to work in Tripura. Rev. Dohnuna worked as Field Officer. This way a few Missionaries came to Tripura to preach and proclaim the Gospel.
Insipte of the strong opposition both from the local chiefs and the Maharaja, Rev. Dohnuna, who was well known for his will power and intellect did not give up hope for mass conversion to Christianity in Tripura. Because of his enthusiastic evangelism, it was possible to bring the Darlong under the domain of Christianity.
THE JAMPUI PRESBYTERY: The first meeting of the Presbytery formed by the Mizo Christians (Presbyterians) who migrated from Lushai Hills (Now Mizoram) to Tripura was held at Tlangsang Village in Jampui Hills in 1919. In that Presbytery some Mizos notably Darthanchhunga, Laia, Lailianchema and Thankunga were appointed as evangelist. Under the supervision of Rev. Dohnuna, Darthanchhunga was sent to the Darlongs at Saidara village in 1918. Saidara villages was also known as Lalvankunga Khua (Village). At the beginning of 1918, Cholera broke out at Saidara and about 70 adults died. But this could not even discourage the Missionaries. As a result of the unfailing endeavour of the Missionaries, the first Darlong Christians were Baptised in this village on 20th February 1920.
THE NEW ZEALAND BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY: The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society had tried to enter Tripura as early as in 1885. But only in 1937 the Eade Brothers were permited to visit Tripura and in 1938 the Tripura Maharaja permitted to established a station at agartala.
The NZBMS started their mission of preaching and trespassed into the organised Presbytery under NEIG Mission. As a result the Darlong Christian were separated from Jampui Presbytery, and in 1942 all the Darlong Christians joined the NZMB. Rev. G.H. Jones was one of the first Missionaries of the NZBM to enter the North Tripura District and to proclaim the gospel mainly from Darchawi, the Sub-Center of the NZBM.
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