DEREK- a village full of greenery

 

Mintho Sangma

     

Derek is one of the oldest, most significant, and memorable villages among the Garo villages in Goalpara (Assam). The population of the village is more than 2,500. The main sources of the village are cultivation, gardening and so on, and people mostly depend on natural resources. The river Jinjiram flows through the face of the village and people could depend on it for fishing. Numerous streams flow from the hills within and around the village and irrigate the cultivating fields. The village was very much greenish in summer because of the paddy cultivation. At the earliest, the village was covered with thick jungles with numerous wild animals. Later, as the population grows the wild animals began to disappear moving behind to the deeper jungles. Still, numerous birds and little wild animals have existed. The village was divided into seven sectors or blocks i.e. Songma, Rokkepa, Nayapara, Poncha, Ranggadam, Sildubi, and Chatanpara. As we dig deeper and deeper and study about the village more interesting things would have been able to discover but due to the limitation and shortcomings I may not be able to mention everything about the historical fact of the village Derek.  

             

Origin of the village:

The village Derek was named in the name of a person. Historically or according to the Souvenir of the Derek Baptist Church Jubilee celebration of 125 years and 150 years (though the names of the first inhabitants were not mentioned) there were two young women (Spinsters) who were sisters, Nokin and Mekin whom the Souvenir mentioned. For me, it is very important to mention these two sisters in order to track back the origin and history of Derek. Nokin and Mekin were Jhum cultivators. One day as usual both Nokin and Mekin were cultivating in their Jhum field, two young men, Jongna and Rongna who were the inhabitants of the other side of the Kosi Rongga Hill, located to the South-East village Derek arrived to their Jhumfieldas they were hunting. These two young men fall in love with Nokin and Mekinand traditionally got married and settled their family. Jongna and Rongna were not familiar of the Jhum cultivation and both with their family came down from the hilltop plains so they can cultivate in the plans to support their family. Jongna settled down in the West with his family which is present Derek and Rongna settled down in the East with his family which is present Dalek. Before it was named Derek, it was named Jongnapara in the name of Jongna this is still existed and was mistakenly recorded by the Government Jognapara. Jongna bore a son and named him Derek, Rongna also bore a son and named him Dalek. Since then the village Derek was named after the name of Jongna’s son Derek or Derek-Jognapara.

Derek is located at the foot of the Derek Hill which is the range of Ajagar Hill. So people mostly live in the foothill surrounding the vast paddy fields. In the Eastern part it is surrounded by the village Dalek and its hill, in the Western part it was surrounded by villages Gadampara, Keotpara, Rajapara , and Ambari Hajong. In the Northern part, it is surrounded by Agia town, Balijana Bazaar, the village Dalok and Fatepur. In the southern part, it is surrounded by Ajagar Hill and its ranges.

Memorable Places:

From the very beginning as the population began to grow the inhabitants of Derek live in seven different sectors or blocks i.eSongmaRokkepa,Nayapara, Poncha, Sildubi, Ranggadam and Chathanpara. 1. Songma: At the beginning the sector or block Songma had the highest population in the village, for this, it was named Songma meaning mother of the village. It is located in the central part of the village. 2. Rokkepa: There was a certain man name Rokki who was very much an expert in the practice of divination. Since then it was named Rokkepa meaning the sector or block of Rokki. It is located in the Eastern part. 3. Nayapara: It is one of the most significant sectors or blocks of the village Derek. Before it was named Rajbongsipara for it was the Rajbongsi’s who settled in that block or sector. Once a very insignificant happens in that particular block or sector that mass death took place due the pandemic Cholera disease. Few survivors or remnants change their settlement and shift away emptying the sector or block saying there is a fearful and powerful god in that particular area. Later, few Garos came and settled in that block or sector and named it ‘Sigrima’ meaning ‘mass death’. At present, the present sector or block is given a new name in Assamese “Nayapara” meaning the new block or sector. It is located in the South-Eastern part. 4. Poncha: Poncha is a very small block or sector. Earlier when the villagers have to gather together for a meeting or some other purpose the villagers gather in Poncha block or sector. That’s why it is named Poncha meaning the place for gathering or meeting. It is located in the Western part. 5. Sildubi: Sildubi block or sector is located to the west of the village Derek. There was a saying that non-garos called the Rock “Sil” meaning ‘iron’. Near that particular block or sector, there was a small lake where a huge stone seems drowning. For that reason, the particular block or sector was named ‘Sildubi’ meaning ‘drowning of a huge stone’. It is located in the North-Western part. 6. Ranggadam: There was certain priest who lived in Ranggadam block or sector name Abed Rangga. He does sacrificial work for god in a particular place of that block or sector. That is why that block or sector was named ‘Ranggadam’ meaning ‘sacrificial place for god or goddess. It is located in the South-Western part.

The Hidden Treasures:

Earlier in the days of forefathers thought they were illiterate or uneducated but they were very talented in their own ways of living. They are very skillful in various means of making, inventing, and creating. There were little anvils at the sector or block Ranggadam, where earrings, noserings, bangles, bracelets, and so on were made from iron, bronze, copper, stone, glass, etc. both for men and women. They also sell those local ornaments in the Balijana Bazaar for the people living in the hills. Men wear 10 – 20 earrings where each earring was about two diameters an inch. Earrings for women are about four diameters an inch. Women wear bracelets on their neck reaching up from shoulder to chin made of iron, copper, bronze, stone, glass, etc. as mentioned by Dr. Stoddard, An American missionary who visited Derek during 1870’s.

The First Institution:

American missionary Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb visited Derek during 1888’s. When he found the inhabitants of the village Derek were very talented and skillful in their own way of living though were uneducated, he plan to establish an institution. So when the villagers began to convert to Christianity in 1888’s immediately he established

an institution, knowing the first and foremost

requirement of the village naming “Derek Primary School”. So it was established in the year 1888. There was no proper building or house in order to start the classes. So they made a kutcha house, at present where Derek BaptistChurch Building is existed and began the take classes. There were no benches and desks, the students have to sit on the ground bringing their own mattresses. PeduPanditwas the first who was appointed to be a teacher and was paid Rs. 3/- per month. Later the school was shifted to where at present Derek Higher Secondary School exists. After many years Derek M.E. School was established and High School too was established in 1957. At present Derek High School is upgraded to Derek Higher Secondary School.

            

Establishment of Christianity:

At the very beginning, the villagers of Derek were non-Christians (Songsarek), worshipping the large stones, huge trees, thick forest, the sun, the moon, and so on. They sacrifice hens, cocks, birds, etc. on a huge rock believing it as a sacred place and preserved it very specially. In the year 1888 Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb, an American Missionary, during his stay in Goalpara visited Derek. During his visit, the villagers were relaxing or resting themselves under the shade of a Banyan tree. When they saw strange men approaching towards them they suddenly flew away from where they were because they feared thinking that the Zamindar of the Lakhipur Mechpara is coming to take them for force labor. But two young men who were not able to escape were hiding behind the bush. Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb saw them and told his companion Banaram Marak to request them to come out of the bush and not to fear and to come forward towards them. They requested them to lead where the villagers were. The two young men leaded them to the sector or block Ranggadam where large numbers of villagers were roofing a house of one family. Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb and his companion Banaram Marak as they saw the villagers requested not to fear and run away. They arranged a seat for Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb and his companion Banaram Marak. There they proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ and God’s plan for human salvation. The villagers listened very attentively and interestingly a new proclamation and six of them responded positively and decided to take baptism. So Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb was able to baptize six of them and were the first Christian converts of village Derek. The first Christian converts were Singjan, Imin, Banaram, Acho, Gasan, and Itaram. As Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb was coming to visit Derek for the second time he saw Manager of the Mechpara Estate was also coming to Derek sitting on an elephant. Dr. M. C. Mason Saheb seeing Manager of the Mechpara Estate and not allowing him to come down of an elephant for more than an hour and ask him not to take force labor to the Christians. Since then Christians were not taken into forced labor. As Christian began to grow, the villagers were not able to accept this transformation and were in great anger. So the whole village decided to cut down a huge Tamarind tree which is in the sector or block Rokkepa on where they used to sacrifice to god thinking let the god kill and destroy all the Christians. Pedu Pandit a Christian convert prayed and started to cut down a Tamarind tree and no harm took place to any of the Christian Converts. For this, they were amazing and surprise and began to say, ‘even God did not kill and destroy Christians and also were not taken into force labor’.

So they began to fear God of Christians thinking that the God of Christians whom they worship is more powerful and mightier than their god. So they themselves started to break away and destroy all the pots and utensils on which they use to prepare alcohol or local wine. In the meantime, Singjan, Imin, and Banaram were full off and thrown away a stone for which they had erected to sacrifice their god whom they worship. The mass conversion took place and believers were added day after day and they constructed a huge Church Building in order to worship the Almighty God. Since then Christianity has existed up to the date and 150 years of completion was celebrated in the year 2021 in the month of January.

Conclusion:

            The historical facts of the village Derek here I try to recollect are incomplete because there are no written documents or records of the past. Indeed Derek is one of the historical villages but due to the lack of materials and resources, I am unable to mention everything in detail. To recollect the history of the village Derek, it reminded me how important it is to preserve the memorable events of the past and to preserve for the future so that we can learn and educate ourselves many good lessons from it. God has created so beautifully and historically the village Derek and I am very much proud and feel blessed to be a residence of Derek.                            

 -Mintho Sangma, Education Facilitator, Goalpara can be reached at : minthosangma@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1.      Souvenir, Bilsi 125 Anniversary: A’chik Baptist Derek Mondoli.

Marak, Tangseng and Marthin Marak, eds. Sesquicentenary Souvenir: A’chik Baptist Derek Mondolini Bilsi 150 Gapaniko Gisik ra’e Maniani. Guwahati: Advegiz Marketing & Printing, 2021.