The Labang Nongphyllut Doloiship and Pangam-Raliang which is commonly known today as “Block I” is part and parcel of Jaintia Hills or a part of the twelve native chieftains (Ri Khat-Ar Doloi) The Labang Nongphyllut and Pangam-Raliang is a name given to the inhabitants of the Elaka. It is located at 25 east and 26 degree North latitude and 90 east and 93 north longitude of Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya.
The Labang-Nongphyllut Doloiship is run by the Doloi Nongphyllut who is answerable to the administration at Jowai (Jwai) and the Jaintia Durbar. This Elaka was ruled by Jaintia Rajas or Ki Syiem Sutnga popularly known as Ki Syiem Jaintia (Jaintia Kings) until the advent of the British government. Even after the annexation of the Jaintia kingdom to the East India Company in 1835, the Labang-Nongphyllut Elaka (Dolloiship) remained under the boundaries of Jaintia Hills and when the British government annexed the Jaintia Empire in 1835, it did not attempt to detach the Labang-Nongphyllut Elaka from Jaintia Hills as it did with Jaintiapur and other areas now in Bangladesh and Kutsajar now in North Cachar Hills Assam.
The people of Labang-Nongphyllut and Pangam-Paliang are Jaintias popularly known as Pnars. The people who live in the Elaka (Nongphyllut Dolloiship) belong to various clans or “Kur” like Lyngdoh, Samaiang, Marten, Thaiang-Sariang, Sutong, Pala, Sten, Shadap, Sutnga, Tamaha, Suchiang, Sulip, Sungoh, Lamare, Saphai, Iongbhoi, Sari, Lekhaden, War (Iong War), Larom-Lamin and others. They are the kith and kin of the Pnars (Jaintias) of Jaintia Hills who were also the inhabitants of the Labang-Nongphyllut Elaka, Nongphyllut Doloiship from time immemorial.
After the attainment of Independence on August 15, 1947 from the foreign yoke (British rulers) this Elaka still forms part of Jaintia Hills. The people of the Elaka have been living in peace and harmony with their kinfolk (the Pnars) or better known as Jaintias. They are by race the Jaintias. They have a common language, customs, traditions, common laws of inheritance and all the other practices prevailing among the Pnars (Jaintias). This can be fully proved as exhibited in their dress, dances, music, religious sacrifices, belief and other social habits and especially in respect of culture with complete identity with that of the culture of the Khasi-Pnars. They adopt the matrilineal system that exists till date.
The names of villages, streams, hills, rivers, and forests are of local dialect derived from the Khasi-Pnar language. It will be noticed that all villages streams, rivers, hills, forests etc begin their names with the word like Moojem, Mooluber, Salait, Umplung, Moolain, Mookhim (Mukhim), Deinler, Lamarang, Laher, Moorap, Mooriap, Mooknor, Nongkylla, Jrilaskor, Kyarabon, Symlenwasoo, Nongjrong, Tahpat, Ummaleng, Khyndeliar, Bandein, Mynju, Mynriah, Umbasoo (Umwasoo),Phle-ple,Umsalait, Raksiah, Pampyrthat, Lumjrong, Myn-i, Mynriang, Umpangtiang, Mynkhri, Umkhyrmi, Lyngdoh Sutong, Loomaitrai (Lum-aitrai), Kdoh-hati etc which are common names used by the Khasi-Pnars throughout the length and breadth of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.
These are some historical evidences showing that the Labang-Nongphyllut and Pangam-Raliang area belong to the Khasi-Pnar tribe and are part and parcel of the Jaintia Hills. It may be also mentioned that during the pre-British times the Jaintia Kings (Jaintia Rajas) ruled over this area and even after the annexation of the Jaintia Kingdom in 1835 to the East India Company, the area remained under the boundaries of Jaintia Hills with a Doloi or chieftain to administer over them, known as u Doloi Nongphyllut.
As stated above, when the British government annexed the Jaintia Empire in 1833, it did not attempt to detach the Labang-Nongphyllut Elaka or Doloiship from Jaintia Hills as it did with Jaintiapur and other areas now in Bangladesh and Kutsajar (Umrongsoh sectors) now in North Cachar Hills, Assam. When India won its Independence, it was the cherished dream of the people of the Labang-Nongphyllut to further develop themselves according to their genius that means through their social customs, languages and other practices, but it was not so.
(The writer is the Editor of ‘U Yutip’ newspaper published from Jowai)
