My Father's Banana Education

 My Father's Banana Education

                             

                                                                                           By Thwee Sa Ching Marma

During my schooling life, it was the most boring period in my life. I always cut school and joined with my cowboy friends. It seemed to me that they were having a great time. They did all kinds of adventurous things. Sometimes I complained to my parents why they could not buy a cow so that I could look after it. One of the best things I liked to do was cooking in the forest. It was so exciting! One will not believe it! Nowadays, still I love cooking!

Education is everywhere beyond age, place and gender.

My parents often punished me because I cut the school. One of the teachers in my school was very close friend of my father. This teacher always complained to my father about me. That’s why I got more punishments. Not only that I wasted a lot of exercise books, making winds-trucks was my favorite pastime. So, I wasted them a lot in doing that with my friends.
My father often scolded me and even he did not give any exercise books when asked. He often told me his story about how he struggled during his schooling life. He never got any chances to complete schooling . He studied only up to grade five. His parents did not allow him to continue. At that time exercise books hardly found. The exercise books they used were ‘banana leaves’. The wooden- ashes were their pens to write. If their teachers gave them exercises in the class, they had to run to the banana garden.

This is how my father was educated. He can still read and write. He always writes me letters. But his hand-writing is not distinct. I have to re-read several times to recognize the letter. This story reminds me always. I am very proud of my father to be born as his son. 

Black Magic: The Silent Weapon of Marma

Black Magic: The Silent Weapon of Marma

This is not only believed and practiced in Marma society, it is also practiced by almost all indigenous groups of Chittagong or elsewhere. Marmas apart being Buddhists, they also believe in animism, shamanism and Mantra. Mantra is a kind of sacred words passed from generation to generation which effect can be bad or good depends on the type of Mantra.  So here i will talk about the bad type of Mantra or black magic which can kill another person just mere reciting of Mantra spell and doing other rituals. This is the silent weapon of murdering another person and is quietly used than any other weapons.

The main reasons behind murdering of another fellow being silently are competition, jealousy, revenge, and hatred.  In the competitive society some people don’t want to see  success of another person and build jealousy towards those successful people. They don't have  the virtue of cultivating joy in other's progress.  Sadly, some think revenge is the only way of defeat and win but they win neither.  

These are some of psychological causes and environmental conditions that cause the use of black magic to kill another person.To do all these process of assassinating, first the person has to go Mantra- man (bhwodoo) and he/she has to tell all the details; to whom he/she wants to execute and how. It seems as part of rituals, some physical parts of the opponent is necessary like hair, cloth, etc and the given written spell has to be buried somewhere in front, back or corner of the house of the opponent secretly. 

After the ritual process, the result is death of the adversary may be within one week or even earlier. The death of the person can bring through biological assignation or mental deform. In the procedure of biological assignation, a piece of pork, hen, knife or whatever can be put or dig (mhro) in the stomach of the person and that cause the person to death. And in the course of psychological deform, the person will act as mad person or more than mad which can lead to self-suicide. 

However the effect can be happened or not, depend on the qualities of  the opponent. It seems sometimes it does not work to virtuous persons; one who follows five precepts of Buddhism or person with protective charm; a tattoo on the body with protective Mantra and restriction of eating certain meat.

This is one of the serious issues that young Marma generation addresses it often. In the eyes of young generation, it is the cause of decline of the society and schism of unity. How many people will die in the course of destructive jealousy, revenge and black magic? How many days will it take to resistance? 

Figure 4: Mudita or sympathetic joy is the greatest conqueror over jealousy not black magic

The Magh

The Magh

The Magh peoples live in the area of Chittatgong of Bangladesh, Tripura state of India and Arakan state of Myanmar. Magh is mostly referred to Arakanese peoples including its later decedents; Marma and Magh of Arakanese. The nickname Magh is given to Arakanese by Bengalis to indicate pirates of Arakanese.The existence of Magh might be probably in 14-15^th century. The Maghs of Bangladesh perceived the term Magh as rather offensive and insulting name. So they changed and adopted new name Marma which denotes Marma were inhabitants of Myanmar. But the Magh of Tripura state, India remained as Magh as before until now. Therefore, Magh and Marma are just two different names denoting the same type of people.  However i will demonstrate some different opinions and assumptions on the term Magh in below paragraphs.

Figure 1: Magh from India in colorful perdormance

1.      According to Arakanese chronicle, it seems that Arakanese are originally from Magadha kingdom of India. The kings of Arakanese kings are decedents of Magadhi origin. So the term Magh is derived from Magadha.

2.      Another assumption is not Arakanese or Marma explanation, it is rather alien explanation; Bengali. The Arakanese people before known as Marma, they were called Magh for their notorious activities of capturing Bengalis and sold in slave market; East India Company.

3.      According to Francis Bunchana observation, the term Mog/Magh is called to all tribes and nations who are non-Hindu and non-Muslim including Bengali Barua by Bengalis Muslim.

Marma House

Marma House

Figure 1: Marma eco-friendly house

 Marma traditional house is unique and simple. It does not cost large amount of money. It is just made of bamboo, sun grass and timber yet beautiful. It is very natural and eco-friendly. Their houses fit with their ways of life as they live with the nature in the hills. 

The unique thing about their houses is they build their houses joining with veranda above the ground where the whole house is supported by pillars below. Some houses are founded on the ground and veranda is above the ground in parallel. As the houses are above the ground so they need ladders to climb up the houses and ladders are sometimes made of timber woods, bamboos, or big logs cut with stairs. The reasons behind this kind structure are to avoid water and drying crops on the veranda to avoid from hens and other animals. 
 

Figure 2: Marma calls it Mran inn (Above house)

For the cover of the roof, they use bamboos and over bamboos tied with forest long grasses after they had cut and dried under the sun. The four walls were attached with weaving bamboos. The type of walls is just like weaving of cloth where the bamboos are trashed and flattened for weaving. The floors are made of timber woods and sometimes with sewed bamboos.

Finally a Marma house is done. Isn’t it easy and simple?

Sangrain Festival: Marma New Year

Sangrain Festival: Marma New Year

Figure 1: To Marma rain is symbol of respect, prosperity and blessing. In the celebration of Sangrain, we just don't flash water to each other, it is flashing and wishing for rain of prosperity.

 Sangrain is New Year.  It falls in the middle of the month April. Before the days of Sangrain, they clean and decorate their houses because to Marmas Sangrain is an auspicious and significant festival of the year in secular and religious level. The way they celebrate is not much different from Burmese and Thai. 

Figure 2: Winner is one who reaches the top oily bamboo post and take the price.

These are some of stuff they do in the celebration of New Year. They make traditional food and cookies. They play various kinds of games and the most enjoyable and important is flashing water to each other. People mostly young boys and girls enjoy water festival. They organize and gather from various parts of the country in one particular area to play water festival. Anybody can join the festival disregard of their creed, group and so on. It is opportunity for everyone to make friendship even with stranger. On this auspicious occasion everyone is friend. Enemy and mistakes are forgiven and become friend. Everyone is determined to start with new hope and new way of life. 

Figure 3: They too perform cultural show and traditional dance

They also go to the temple, bath the Buddha statues and eight precept observers, and take five precepts and circumbulate the pagoda around all together. The monks in the temple take this chance to remind the dharma; the right way of living and practicing as Buddhist. The elders are worshiped and they bless the young ones for bright future.

By the way, there is one popular Sangrain and touch the hearts of Marma. Everyone, one and big ones, knows this song because it is sung in every Sangrain. It was composed by Ven. U Chala Bhante. Let me give some ideas of the song. The song begins thus in Marma language.

Sangrainma yinyeyinya- Let’s get together in Sangrain

Rekhajai kaipame – And play water

O yin koro o eme-miriro – Oh brothers and sisters

Lagai lagai chepyo-gaimaare – Come, come let’s rejoice