Makum: The Lost Indo-Chinese Community

"There were thousands but only a few left today....."

Whenever there is an outbreak of war, the most suffered class is the common man, who did not have any direct involvement in the political crisis but ended up being the scapegoat in the name of patriotism. This is a tragic account of how a beautiful town shattered, how a civilized society collapsed, how a happy family was shredded into pieces, and how hundreds of smiles were seized overnight. This is the story of Makum, the Indo-Chinese town of India.

THE EUROPEAN ADVENT IN ASSAM

Following the signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo between the Ahom and the British, the Europeans assumed control of the state's administration. The lush, green jungles of Assam were rich in natural resources, attracting the British's interest for commercial purposes.

The state's economic landscape saw a significant transformation with the discovery of indigenous tea. Captain F. Jenkins instructed his assistant, Charlton, to gather tea bush samples from Sadiya. In his report, Charlton described, "The Singphos and the Khamptis commonly consume an infusion made from the leaves, which I recently learned is prepared by tearing them into small pieces, removing the stalks and fibers, boiling them, and then compressing them into a ball, which they dry in the sun for later use."

Subsequently, the position of superintendent of Tea culture in Assam was established, and Charles Alexander Bruce was appointed to this role. Nonetheless, commercial tea processing is an intricate procedure that demands skilled labor. Therefore, the British brought skilled workers from within and outside the country to work in the tea gardens of Assam.

THE CHINESE PEOPLE

The skilled workers were not only talented artists and masons, but they also demonstrated their creativity and perfection in their professional work in the tea garden as well as in their artworks. They even helped British officers construct their bungalows. Coming from the rich Chinese civilization, they excelled in creating outstanding art pieces, handicrafts, and cuisine.

A CULTURAL ASSIMILATION TOOK PLACE

The Chinese immigrants assimilated with the Assamese culture and society and were warmly embraced by the local community. People got accustomed to new cultures and traditions that they were not acquainted with. They learned the local languages and integrated well with the people. Many of them intermarried with the local Assamese tribes, leading to a cultural exchange. Over time, they developed a unique identity as the Indo-Chinese Community of Assam. Today, most of them claim to have forgotten their Chinese roots and identify themselves as Assamese.

MAKUM

Located seven kilometers east of Tinsukia, Makum is a small town which plays an economic hub of the state.

"Makum" is a Thai word which translates to a meeting place. It is said that when SuKa fa and his companions entered Assam through the valleys of Patkai they met at "Makum"

The railway network has become a very essential mode of transportation for natural resources since ancient times. Therefore, a railway junction needed to be set up and Makum was considered ideal for the same as this small town is a connecting link between three major towns of Upper Assam viz: Tinsukia, Digboi and Domdoma.

The cultural assimilation of the Chinese and Assamese communities gave Makum a unique anthropogenic identity. They have flourished and made their presence felt both culturally and economically.

Makum was no less than a miniature version of China. The residents used to follow their own customs, and rituals and celebrate their festivals with gaiety.

"I remember those days when we used to celebrate Chinese New Year, just like the Assamese celebrate Bihu. It was a time of joy and festivity. Youngsters would burst crackers, filling the night with laughter and excitement. The air was filled with the sounds of people playing games and enjoying each other's company. As the night went on, people exchanged red coloured papers, symbolizing good fortune and blessings for the year ahead," reminisced J. Lee, an Indo-Chinese inhabitant of Makum.

The Chinese people make the essence of their rich culture felt and this echoes in the "China Pattis " [Chinese lanes]. They even established a Chinese High school where the medium of communication was Chinese.

"The Ma-kum city before 1962, where the Chinese people lived, was truly beautiful. Their assimilation with us fostered a warm and friendly relationship between our communities" said Kaushalya Baruah, Ex Principal of Makum Higher Secondary School.

1962: THE LOST WAR 

"It was around 8 p.m. when I can recall many Indian Soldiers entering our lanes with arms and ammunition. We were scared as there was a lot of hue and cry in such a peaceful town. None of my family members knew what had happened; all we could hear were some screams coming from the neighborhood. Later that night, it came to our knowledge that the army men had come to deport the Assamese Chinese people from Assam. This tragic event left deep scars on the community, as families were torn apart, and many innocent people suffered. The memory of that fateful day still haunts me, and I can't help but wonder about the injustice and pain inflicted on those who were forced to leave their homes." shares Kaushlaya Baruah.

The year 1962 is marked in Indian history as the year of the Indo-Chinese War. It was then that the Indian Government could not afford any risk of insurgency or spare any traitor. The hour of emergency led to a very impulsive decision wherein the Assamese Chinese community was seen as a potent threat to the integrity of the nation and was suspected to have involvement in supporting their land of origin, China which apparently turned out to be the enemy of our country.

Therefore, the Indian Army was ordered to forcefully bring out all the Indo-Chinese people of Assam and move them to transient refugee camps overnight.

This was a dark chapter in the history of Makum. Many Chinese Indians were detained under the trial of the Defense of India Act with reports suggesting that between 2000 and 3000 were interned in camps, the most notorious being the transient camp in Rajasthan. In Makum Chinese families faced arrest, forced interrogations, confiscation and vandalization of their properties and business. Such intense surveillance not only isolated but also marginalized the community which has once been a vibrant part of Makum's social fabric of Makum.

Criticizing this decision Dr. Rita Chaudhary argues that if one has to get rid of a poisonous weed, burning the entire forest is never an option.

Life in the refugee camps was not easy. Some claim that the way refugees were treated was worse than that of animals.

LIFE AFTER THE WAR: SHATTERED DREAMS

After the war, the refugees were released but life was never like it used to be. Some chose to move back to China while others took the decision of staying back in Assam.

The ones who stayed back in Assam faced many social challenges as the locals still eyed them as traitors or "enemies ".

Writer Anil Rai Chaudhary shares one such incident. Post-war when the Chinese Indians were brought back to Assam by trucks, they halted in the dawn near Mangaldoi. When the villagers saw them and recognized them as Chinese, they threw stones at them and one person got injured in his head. He was a seventy-year-old elderly. Mr. Chaudhary was touched to see such a respectable elderly being humiliated and physically assaulted by youngsters in the name of patriotism. He raises a valid question, "Does patriotism mask our aptitude and morality? Why did people go crazy in the name of patriotism and forget the simplest ethics of respecting a senior citizen?"

When they resumed their lives here in Makum, survival was the biggest challenge.

"We had no food to eat. Our children used to starve overnight. People used to throw stones at us whenever we went to beg for grains" said Li Su Chen, a war victim of Makum.

The Lee Hing Saw Mill: Run by an Indo-Chinese family, the Lee Hing Saw Mill was one of the biggest Saw Mill of Assam once upon a time. The family was rich and well-to-do. They were no less than a legacy of business tycoons. But when they came back after the war, all they could see was a ransacked mill. Motor, generator, parts, equipment and everything was stolen. Even the jeep parts like battery, wheels and seats were stolen. This was an example of how the persecution had a lasting economic impact and repercussions on the families. Businesses owned by Chinese Indians were shuttered or taken over leading to financial ruin for many.

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Among the locals who refused to accept them socially out of patriotism, many Assamese youngsters were empathetic toward them and helped them re-establish themselves. They knew that the people with whom they had stayed as neighbors for many decades needed their support in the hour of crisis.

For example: When the CM ho Factory of Makum was being auctioned as an enemy property, it was the local Assamese community who bought it back.

THE LIFE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IS ALWAYS ABOVE THE STATE

Many decades have passed since that dark phase of Makum, people have moved on, and normal life resumed indeed that is the beauty of Life. But as it is said wounds may heal but the scar still persists refreshing the memories of atrocities on victim's lives. Such misery and agony of the Indo-Chinese community have been beautifully portrayed in Dr. Rita Chaudhary's award-winning Assamese novel "Makam".In this well-researched book based on ethnological studies, she has attempted to present the hurdles of those Indo-Chinese refugees who opted to go back to China but unfortunately, the Chinese people also did not give them a social acceptance and compelled them into slavery. The inhumane treatment, the pain, the torture, and the mental breakdown one was compelled to go through are so intricately presented in her that the reader can imagine the plight of the sufferers and emphasise them.

The people of Makum have accepted the past and now have flourished again and chosen not to repent over the past days. However, there remains a sensitive area in their heart which sometimes awakens the fear of being called an outsider in their own land, India.

"The state cannot deny the basic human rights during wartime. They can never be curtailed. Life of a citizen is always above the state" says Dr. Rita Chaudhary.

REFERENCES

• (Dutta, 48)
• (Choudhary,125)
• https://youtu.be/S_SlazZHhRc?si=fX_bJaZVOZypRo7D
• https://youtu.be/H3LlmgxdZ68?si=cqCWkTHxxELSOLfm
• https://youtu.be/YvBJEqwAl9s?si=JWDW74dpJ0_hoWK6