In News:

The Mising tribe, Assam’s largest tribal community, celebrated Ali Ai Ligang in Shankarpur, Jorhat, on the first Wednesday of the Fagun month.

About the Mising Tribe

• Region: Indigenous tribe from Northeast India; primarily reside in Upper Assam and parts of Arunachal Pradesh, with some presence in South Tibet (China).
• Population: As per Census 2011, there are 6,80,424 Mising people in Assam.
• Ethnolinguistic Group: Belong to the Tani group, speak Tibeto-Burmese languages.
• Referred as: Called “Lhobhas” (southerners) by Tibetans.
• Unique Feature: Known as the only riparian tribe of Northeast India, with livelihoods closely linked to rivers like the Brahmaputra.
• Habitat: Construct stilt houses known as Chang Ghar to withstand seasonal floods.

Cultural and Religious Practices

• Religion: Practice Donyi-Poloism – worship of the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) as supreme deities.
• Traditional Economy:
  • Traditionally practiced Jhum (slash and burn) cultivation.
  • Now settled cultivators skilled in wet paddy cultivation.
  • Engage in fishing, weaving, and vegetable farming.
  • Women are proficient in weaving traditional Mising textiles.

Ali Ai Ligang Festival

• Main Festival of the Mising community.
• Timing: Celebrated in February, on the first Wednesday of Fagun month (as per the Assamese calendar).
• Name Meaning:
  • Ali – edible root
  • Ai – seed
  • Ligang – sowing

Signifies the beginning of the agricultural cycle – first sowing of seeds and roots.

Significance and Rituals

• Purpose: Marks the start of cultivation, invokes blessings from Donyi-Polo to protect crops from pests and natural calamities.
• Community Importance: Strengthens communal ties and preserves agrarian traditions.
• Ritual Practices:
  • Morung Okum (Morung Ghar) – youth dormitory where offerings like Apong (rice beer), dry meat, and fish are made.
  • Gumrag Dance – performed by men and women to signify joy, unity, and prosperity.
  • Feast and Dress – Traditional Mising delicacies are prepared, and people wear colorful ethnic attire.

Modern Celebrations

• Originally village-based, now also celebrated in urban centers like Jorhat.
• Includes stage performances, cultural competitions, and large community gatherings.
• In Jorhat, it has been celebrated for the past 40 years, organized annually by Mising Agom Kebang (Mising apex literary and cultural body).