Jonbeel Mela keeps barter system alive in online era

Guwahati: In an era of online transactions, people from the plains and the hills in Assams Morigaon district are still contuining with the practice of barter system to exchange agricultural products.

This practice is still prevalent at the 500-year-old Jonbeel Mela, which is an annual affair.

The historic three-day-long mela is held annually from the first Thursday of Assamese month of Magh by the pristine bank of the wetland ‘Jonbeel in Morigaon districts Dayang Belguri village. The fair starts with ceremonial offering to the fire god by the Tiwa king and the barter system takes place from early Friday morning. The fair will culminate on Saturday.

Members of Karbi, Khasi and Jaintia tribes of the neighbouring hills beside the Tiwas, bring their agricultural and locally available products and exchange them during the mela. The hill dwellers bring turmeric, ginger, black pepper, broom, chillies and other essentials found in abundance in the hills for trading in the fair. People from the plains bring traditional homemade delicacies such as pitha (rice cake), sandoh guri (traditional Assamese breakfast made from roasted rice flour), dried fish and various other products.

Jorsing Bordoloi, secretary of the Gova Deo Raja Jonbeel Mela Development Samity, told TOI that this year people from 61 villages of Karbi Anglong and around 25-30 villages of Meghalaya have assembled for the mela, while people from around 100 villages of Morigaon will also take part in the age-old custom.

This fair has been acting as a bridge between the people of hills and the plains for ages. There is no standardised mechanism to determine the amount of products in the barter system and it solely depends on the satisfaction of both the parties involved in the system. For around three small bundles of bay leaves from an individual from the hills, another from the plains would exchange six pithas (rice cakes). Apart from keeping the tradition alive, the fair has been able to foster a sense of brotherhood and harmony among the people, Bordoloi said.

The hillmen of Meghalaya have to pay tax to ‘Gova Roja, who is the ‘supreme leader of the Tiwa customary laws, in the form of items grown in the hills while the hillmen from Karbi Anglong are historically exempted from paying the taxes by the king.

On the second day of the fair, under the royal head of the Tiwas, ‘Gova Roja whose kingdom spread up to present day Tezpur from Morigaon in the ancient times, there are a total of 18 kingdoms — Mayong, Amchoi, Dimoria, Nelie, Sohori, Domal, Khaigarh, Topakuchi, Barpujia, Mikirbheta, Torani, Teteliya, Kumoi to name a few — which will gather at the mela, hold a ‘durbar and discuss social, economic and cultural issues among themselves.

Talking to TOI, the ‘Gova Roja Dipsing Deo Raja said according to legends the durbar has been taking place from the sixth century. The kings of 19 kingdoms listened to the grievances of their subjects at the durbar and discussed about different social problems pertaining in the kingdoms. However, no political matters are discussed in the durbar. Apart from the durbar on the second day of the fair, another durbar is held on the third day to count the taxes collected by the royal head in front of the public and to distribute it among the kingdoms for carrying out various developmental works, the king added.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday inaugurated the historic fair and presented govt assistance, ‘Annual Bhtta to the kings. The CM also inaugurated the book Tiwa Rajyar Buranji, authored by Shri Narayan Kumar Radu Kakaty. Terming the fair a living symbol of Assams rich tradition and cultural heritage, he reaffirmed the govts commitment and emphasised on continuing efforts to preserve and promote the rich heritage of Jonbeel Mela.

Assam cabinet on Thursday decided to extend a financial assistance of Rs 5 crore for promotion of the historic fair.

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