A new chapter in Singpho legacy as 8th Bisa King takes throne in Bisagaon
Though just 55 & a little shy, his admirers said that he has got it in his genes to become a popular leader too
Bisagaon (Ledo), May 18: It was raining heavily all morning as I started the 150 km drive to Bisagaon, about 7 km interior from Ledo town. But once I reached Bisagaon and entered the compound of Bisa Mungdang Gam Singpho, the rains subsided, and within half-an-hour, the Sun was shining bright.
Perhaps for the first time in living memory, a Singpho king was coronated in such a style on Saturday. While the function was not too extravagant, the locals relished every moment.
Earlier in the morning, Buddhist monks carried out the religious conventions. Two chief priests led the ceremonies.
The eighth Bisa King was coronated on Saturday in the presence of DC Tinsukia Swapneel Paul and local civil officials from Margherita, local MLA Bhaskar Sarma and guests from all over upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The 55-year-old new Bisa King told The Assam Tribune that he is the eighth king of the tribe. Bisagaon, which is a tribal area within the Tirap tribal belt, has eight main Singpho families. The Singpho community in the Margherita Assembly constituency adds up to about 12,000 people.
The King told this reporter that he has a huge responsibility to uphold his father’s image. Though he is just 55 and a little shy, his admirers said that he has got it in his genes to become a popular leader too.
Though Saturday’s “coronation” doesn’t give the new “king” any constitutional authority in the democratic setup, his admirers and the Singpho community hold him in high esteem, and will be consulting him in various social matters. The camaraderie is what is more important, says Dr Ranjit Kumar Dutta, a retired general manager of Coal India Limited.
In his brief acceptance speech, he said that he will always be with his people and sought the blessings of his belated father and forefathers.
Speaking on the occasion, Margherita MLA Bhaskar Sarma said that he would associate himself with two projects – to build up a Sighpho cultural museum in and around Margherita and to have a statue of Bisa Nong Singpho at a prominent place.
To mark the occasion, two books on the Singpho community were released by the MLA and the Tinsukia DC. Both the books are in Assamese and penned by a local leading citizen and retired college teacher, Jagat Changmai.