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The Dynamic of Religious Pluralism and Cultural Identity in
Rongmei Naga (Kabui) Society
Happyson Gangmei
1
, Dr. Silas Gangmei
2
1
Research Scholar, Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong, Meghalaya
2
Assistant Professor, Sociology Programme, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
Assam down town University- Guwahati, Assam
ABSTRACT
The Rongmei Naga (Kabui) society stand at a crucial juncture of cultural negotiation between Rongmei Christian
and Rongmei Indigenous Faiths (Kabui) on their cultural authenticity and legitimacy. This intricated dialectic
on culture by both the community reflect religious pluralism and manifest a profound societal dynamism over
cultural identity. Through comprehensive synthesizing of secondary material, the paper accentuates how
religious pluralism precipitate cultural identity tension and identity crisis. And it argues this is not to be seen as
destructive fragmentation but a process of cultural reconfiguration. Nevertheless, this cultural contestation within
the communities of Rongmei Nagas (Kabui) should be mutually resolved through inter-faith dialogue, as cultural
identity transcends religious demarcation and holistically belong to the collective consciousness of the society.
Key Words: Rongmei (Kabui), Religious Pluralism, Cultural Identity, Societal Dynamic, Inter-faith dialogue.
INTRODUCTION
The dynamic intersection of religious pluralism and cultural identity has become increasingly relevant in our
contemporary society, as societies grapple with religious pluralism. Every individual born into the society have
an intrinsic cultural identity associated with the society. This intrinsic convergence of an individual and cultural
identity in Rongmei (Kabui) Naga society is undergoing a significance transformation amidst the evolving
dynamic of religious pluralism. This transition into complex, modern multifaceted spiritual ecosystem raises
fundamental questions on the authenticity of one’s cultural identity. Pierre Bourdieu concept of ‘religious field’
aptly illustrated that religious pluralism creates a dynamic competition in society to established authenticity,
authority and influence over other. And this claim for authenticity by different religious groups aims to
accumulate cultural capital for maintaining and enhancing the social position within the ‘field of power’
(Bourdieu, 1991) [1]. The Rongmei (Kabui) contemporary society is constructing their identity based on two
fundamentally distinct claims. The Rongmei (Kabui) that profess indigenous faith claims the authenticity
through fidelity and continuity of their indigenous religious practice as their original sources, while the Rongmei
Christian asserts the legitimation of their identity through preservation and promotion of their material culture
and linguistic heritage.
Theoretical Framework
The dynamic of religious pluralism and cultural identity in Rongmei Naga (Kabui) society can be systematically
examine through multi-theoretical lens that integrate Pierre Bourdieu notion of cultural capital and religious
field, Clifford Geertz thick and thin understanding of culture, Berger and Luckmann’s concept of social
construction of reality, and Jurgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action. These theoretical perspectives
elucidate the competing religious and cultural claim for authenticity within same social universe of Rongmei
Naga (Kabui) society. The concept of Pierre Bourdieu ‘cultural capital’ illuminates the competition between
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Rongmei Christian and Rongmei traditionist (Kabui) in embodies, institutionalized and objectified form over
non-economic resources such as knowledge, values, belief and symbolic items. Both compete for authenticity
and legitimacy by positioning their practices either as makers of modernity (Rongmei Christian) or guardianship
of ancestral heritage (Rongmei Kabui).
Clifford Geertz’s distinction on thick and thin description of culture sharpens this analysis by engaging how
cultural identity and religion interact, evolved and transformed. The Rongmei (Kabui of indigenous faith) claim
religion, social and material dimension are inseparable aspect of their cosmology- thick description of culture,
whereas Rongmei Christian reflected more on ‘thin’ understanding of culture that separates culture from original
traditional religious belief. Berger and Luckmann’s theory of social construction of reality underscore cultural
identity as dynamic that is not to be misunderstood as static element. It needs to be renewed, redefine, modified
and revive according to the rationale of the modern society. Thus, Jurgen Habermas’s theory of communicative
action provides a framework for dialogical engagement oriented toward mutual understanding which emphasized
dialogue is free of coercion, all participant has equal opportunities, rational argument prevails over domination.
This enable both Rongmei Christian and Rongmei Kabui to articulate their grievances, negotiate rationally and
resolved their conundrum over cultural identity. Synthesizing these theoretical approaches, it highlighted
authenticity and legitimacy is neither fixed nor monopolized by one group but should continuously shaped
through dialogue, contestation and cultural creativity.
Origin and migration of the Rongmei Naga tribe
The mythical oral legend narrates, the Rongmei ancestors came out from a cave called Mahou Taobhei (literally
it referred to stone boulder). As narrated in the folktale a Mithun (type of bovine) pushed open the stone boulder
and from which a man name Pokrei and a woman Dichalu came out. After a certain ritual Pokrei and Dichalu
became couple and gave birth to three sons and one daughter. The Rongmei traces its ancestral descendant from
Chief Nguiba of Makuilongdi the grandson of Pokrei (Pokrei-Kanjiyang-Phaibang-Nguiba). The folktale of
many Nagas tribe referred Makhel as the living symbol of common origin. At present, Makhel is to be seen a
stone now erected which marks the place from which the common ancestors (of the Nagas) emerged from the
earth (Hodson, 1911) [5]. The ancestors of Rongmei migrated from Makhel to Ramting Kabin and from Ramting
Kabin they moved to Chawangphungning (Guangpuning) and from this place they moved westward and settled
down in Makuilongdi Village (Kamei, 2004). A well-organized village system was established from
Makuilongdi. As indicated from the name of the megalith stone hive it was believed that Pamei and Newmei clan
systems evolved viz. Pamei tao (Pamei megalith stone) and Newmeitao (Newmei megalith stone). Later a major
dispersal took place and the third son of Chief Nguiba, Rembangbe went migrating toward the south fallow land
and came to be known as Marongmei or Rongmei (southerners).
The concept of tribe appears during the British Colonial period, Western anthropologists like Risely, Elwin, and
Grierson defined tribe from the light of aboriginals, while G. S. Ghurye defined Indian tribes as backward Hindus
and some scholars identified them by the term Adivasi (Desai, 1978) [6]. The Indian Constitution defined
Schedule Tribe in article 366 (25) as geographically isolated settling in remote inhospitable forest or hill,
backward socially and economically, having distinctive culture and traits, shyness of contact with outsiders
(deemed under Article 342 of Indian Constitution). The Rongmei Naga was initially recognized as Kabui tribe
of Manipur (referring to both Rongmei and Inpui/Puimei community) in 1956 under the Constitution of India,
later as per the Constitution Order (Amendment) Act, 2011 (No. 2 of 2012) dated 8
th
January, 2012 the Rongmei
is separately recognized as one of the Scheduled tribes of Manipur (The Gazette of India) [3]. They belong to
Mongoloid race speaking Tibeto-Burman language (Grierson, 1987) [2].
Religious Pluralism and Cultural Authenticity: Traditional Paradigms and Rongmei Chistian identity
Religious pluralism and cultural authenticity present a fundamental paradox that challenges the conventional
understanding of the concept. Culture and Religion for many Indian Tribal communities share a symbiotic and
inseparable bond challenging conventional understanding that culture and religion are distinct entities. However
religious pluralism in Indian context reflects the concept of secularism enshrined in the constitutional framework
that accommodates religious diversity. And as cultural identity is always been constructed through social
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interaction, cultural authenticity is not to be viewed as a static property of any particular religious tradition
(Longhofer, et al. 2016) [7]. This highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage as a means of
safeguarding not only cultural identity but also the spiritual and social cohesion of the communities.
The Rongmei (Kabui) maintained cultural identity through traditional religious practices. Tingkao Ragwang
Chapriak (TRC), Heraka, Poupei Chapriak were some few traditional religious groups in Rongmei Kabui
community (Longkumer, 2008) [8]. They all belief Tingwang (Supreme God) as the supreme benevolent deity.
They asserted, traditional religious practices represent the original authentic cultural expression of the people
and emphasized in holistic functional integration that encompassed the entire way of life. They argue religion as
a cultural expression which imbued social values and identity. The erosion of cultural practices, whether through
the adoption of foreign religions (Christianity) or the rejection of traditional ways of life, poses a significant
threat to the survival of these unique cultural-religious syntheses.
The Rongmei Christians often reinterpret traditional cultural practices through a Christian lens, that culture, as
an inborn and deeply ingrained aspect of human existence, is inextricably tied to one’s ethnic and social origins.
Baptist Protestant, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Seven-day Adventist were the prominent Christian
denomination followed by the Rongmei Nagas. They believe culture is a repository of collective memory, values,
and practices that define a community’s way of life. And consider religion, as a system of beliefs and practices,
that can be adopted, adapted, or transformed, but culture remains an enduring marker of identity that transcends
religious affiliations. They constructed the legitimacy of their cultural identity through preserving and
maintaining of material cultural and promotion of linguistic tradition.
The Rongmei Naga (Kabui) community is experiencing a profound cultural and religious transformation, marked
by the co-existence of Rongmei Christianity and Rongmei Indigenous Faiths. This dual religious identity has led
to a dialectical tension over cultural authenticity and legitimacy. This reflects a broader struggle over cultural
capital as Bourdieu would contend (Robbins, 2005) [9]. Yet assertion of Kabui identity by Indigenous faith
signified what James Scott term “hidden transcripts” that resist the cultural domination, refuse conversion and
create an alternative source of cultural identity against hegemonic narrative and growing influence of Christianity
(Scott, 1990; Gramsci, 2020).
Material and Non-material Culture: The Battle Ground for Authenticity.
Material and non-material culture is integral, in the process of constructing identity. The Rongmei (Kabui) Naga
Community’s material and non-material culture provide a very intriguing insight into their cultural dynamic and
heritage. Both the communities, Rongmei Kabui traditionist and Rongmei Christian claim the authenticity of
their cultural identity through different approach in their preservation and innovation of their material and non-
material cultural. As per the ethnographic definition, culture is an entire way of life, that include knowledge,
belief, art, moral, law, custom an any other capabilities acquire by man as a member of a society (Edles, 2002;
Tylor, 1871) [12, 13].
Material culture are artifact, objects or things of physical aspect while non-materials culture includes idea,
thought, belief and value that give meaning to the material culture. Rongmei (Kabui) Naga society has a rich
material culture, as Colonel McCulloch the political agent of Manipur has pointed out the construction of the
housing pattern was well adapted to the climate, like Taraeng Kai (Grand sacrificial house) are well decorated
and made with excellent qualities of wood, bamboo to withstand 30-40 years and thatch roof for 10-12 years
without repair (Hudson; 1911) [14]. They inherited rich cultural costume, attire, dress and ornament designed
for specific age group, personalities, male and female, and for specific occasion. Sineiphei/Seneipheipong-
shawls of simple design is for kid of walking age, Inthem Phei/Them Phei – shawl stripes designed is for an age
group of 5-9 years old, Mareipan Shawl is for an adolescence, Pheingao Shawl is for a senior youth, Langmu
Pheingao, shawl is for an early old age of 50 years, Koukhram Pheingao, shawl for a middle old age of 70 years,
Masinphei shawl is for an elder of 80 years above, Chingkhong-Phei decorated shawl is wear by a prominent
personality of higher status individual. All these mention shawls are mostly associated for men (Devi, 2007)
[15].
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McCullon accounted that Rongmei (Kabui) Nagas are fond of costume and ornament, their costumes were made
from wood, bamboo, Mithun horn, elephant tusk, conch shell, bird feather, copper or metal or semi-precious
stone. In related to food and drink, beverages prepared from rice are commonly consumed and it has a very
significance association with various rituals, rites and events. The Rongmei (Kabui) Naga are closely associated
with the nature, in all their activities from agriculture, hunting, fishing, festivals and feasts, they reflect their
deep connection with the nature (Hudson, 1911) [14]. This material culture showcases their rich cultural
heritage, craftmanship and symbolic expression of their non material culture that shaped their identity.
The non-material cultural values, norms, customs, practices, and belief form a corner stone of any society. The
patriarchal forms of Rongmei (Kabui) Naga society defines the nature of family and kinship practices. The
religious belief and practices, believed to have been inherited from the divine teacher Tingpu Rengsonnang (a
head dormitory patriarch of God) guided and regulated the social conduct (Kamei, 2008) [16]. Moreover, they
worship the Supreme God –Tingkao Ragwang, deities and goddesses of the village and worship even their
ancestors. The elders in Village Council (Thoubei/Pei), act as a supreme body in regulating the social conduct
and maintaining law and order in the village (Bower, 1954) [17]. Every festival and feast are worship with
gratefulness invoking the blessing of Supreme God. They celebrate with folk songs and folk dances, feasting
and merrymaking.
All these festival, feast, folksong and folkdance deeply connect with the nature. The cycle of agriculture is based
on the cultivation season, folk songs and dance reflect the sound and movement of insect, animals or birds. The
manner of giving justice through oath and ordeal are pronounced swearing thunderbolt, lighting or biting tiger
teeth, swear by pronouncing - if found guilty to die by unnatural death (Jangailu, 2013) [18]. The belief and
practice system of Rongmei (Kabui) Naga society drastically changed in the 19
th
century after the introduction
of Christianity by William Pettigrew, a missionary from American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS).
The spread of Christianity became very rampant through various welfare services (education, health care
services, relief items etc.) provided by the mission Churches. The Rongmei Christian converts began to see the
traditional belief practice as superstitious, denounced genna (strict social conduct that prohibited any social
activities particularly during significant event) and authority of Toubei/Pei (Village council). Abandoning of
traditional custom, norm and belief system by the Rongmei Christian Convert began to develop a sour
relationship between the new convert (Rongmei Christian) and old faith (Rongmei Kabui).
Tension and negotiation on the claim for cultural authenticity within the Rongmei (Kabui) Naga community is
becoming a new normal. Clifford Geertz understanding of culture as ‘thick’ and ‘thin’ allow us to appreciate
how cultural identity and religion interact, evolved and transformed (Geertz, 1973) [19]. The Rongmei (Kabui
of indigenous faith) claim religion, social and material dimension are inseparable where their cosmology from
agricultural rite to decision making through village council, carried a layer of historical, spiritual and symbolic
meaning interwoven in moral and sacred order. Whereas Rongmei Christian reflected more on ‘thin’
understanding of culture that separates culture from original traditional religious belief. Yet within a Rongmei
Christian community especially among the educated group, thick understanding of culture is emerging parallelly.
They uphold traditional kinship values, translated the Christian scripture and hymn to Rongmei vernacular
language, uphold cultural costume and attire dearly, and reinterpreted traditional moral values in the teaching of
Christian theology.
Interestingly even in the Indigenous primal religion of Rongmei Kabui, in their resistant struggle to preserve and
propagate indigenous religious belief, they often draw their inspiration and selectively incorporated Christian
element into their indigenous religious practices (Kamei, 2013) [20]. Both the group engages in maintaining
cultural authenticity while adapting to the changing circumstances. This reveals what Beger and Luckman term
‘the social construction of reality’ that continues to construct meaningful cultural identities even in the face of
profound religious transformation (Berger, 2016) [21]. Thereby both the group should avoid confronting for
legitimacy within the single cultural context, as this can result to the ‘zero-sum game’ where validation of one
religious tradition can necessitate the delegitimization of the other (Weber, 2019) [22].
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Tarengkai (Grand Sacrificial House) & Tingkao Ragwang Kalum Kai (TRC Worship Temple)
Source: 1. Ruangmei Today (30th August 2018), Facebook account.
https://www.facebook.com/100063726346556/posts/1816141878492803/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw
Source: 2. Ramakrishna Mission Imphal, Manipur (2nd January 2023), Uchiwa Khul Mayang Imphal.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rkmimphal/albums/72177720304916225/
Table
Cultural Claim
Rongmei Christian
Rongmei Kabui
Material
Church building (Grand Devotional house),
Cultural costume, Attire, dress and
Ornament reflecting more toward mundane
profane world.
Taraeng Kai (Grand sacrificial house), cultural
costume, attire, dress and ornament reflecting
deep reverence for sacred belief, Morung (Youth
Dormitory), and various items of cultural
heritage.
Non-Material
Folk song in gospel lyric, Folk dance,
Folktale, Victory cry, Village Council,
Totem, Language, Norms and Values in
synch with Christian code, Customary law
that fulfil within Christian ethics (justice,
Folk song, Folk dance, Folktale, Ritual, Oath and
ordeal, Ritual taboo (genna), Ancestral worship,
Victory Cry, Village Council, Totem, language,
Honoring historic event of prominent figure,
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discipline, marriage, property inheritance),
Honoring historic event of prominent
figure.
Customary law and various Traditional festival
and feast.
Policy Implication to Mutually Resolved Cultural Identity Conundrum
The Rongmei (Kabui) Naga Society stands at the crucial juncture of navigating and negotiating cultural identity
that was infused by Christian conversion, religious hybridization and modernization driven social changes. In
this scenario inter-faith dialogue emerge as a crucial mechanism that will eventually foster innovation and
resilience enabling the Rongmei/Kabui society to maintain cultural identity while embracing changes. The
Habermas insight from ‘Communicative action theory’ and concept of ‘Ideal Speech Situation’ can create an
authentic opportunity for mutual understanding with each other to reach genuine consensus (Habermas, 1987)
[23].
To facilitate a meaningful and productive engagement between Rongmei (Kabui) traditionalist and Rongmei
Christian converts, a carefully designed mechanism should be adopted. Inter-religious engagement model
developed by the World Council of Churches can be considered. The model is grounded in mutual process of
dialogue, understanding, respect and cooperation recognizing religious pluralism as a reality that cannot be
erased. It upholds all religious tradition as equal and seeks to find shared ethical concern that transcends
theological boundaries. It suggested the integration of bottom-up and top-down strategies to effectively promote
capacity building through interfaith and inter-generational dialogue (Pratt, 2010) [24].
Creation of village level dialogue council, cultural heritage committee and inter-generation dialogue program to
promote cultural preservation, to engage in festival-feast celebration and to monitor community development
projects are some few bottom-up approaches. These will ensure accommodation of religious diversity within
unified cultural identity and bridge religious divide while fostering commitment to cultural preservation and
community development. Few top-down strategies can include education institution, to play a crucial role in
resolving religious tension by imparting inclusive curriculum on cultural relevant education and foster critical
thinking on religion and cultural identity. Moreover, educational institution can develop formal partnership with
community to promote inter-religious understanding, preserve and promote cultural identity. Economic
development strategies between Rongmei Kabui traditionist and Rongmei Christian convert should encourage
creating collaborative engagement while preserving cultural practices and values. Civil societies and frontal
organizations should effectively monitor the progress of inter-faith dialogue, promptly address crisis before it
escalates and coordinate with State and Centre Administration for financial assistance and policy framework to
promote and preserve the indigenous culture.
Mizo of Mizoram and Khasi of Meghalaya has demonstrated by semantic reframing – redefining of ritual as
culture, and Church leaders endorse indigenous festivals as heritage rather than strictly link to religion, thereby
allowing mutual coexistence without compromising doctrinal commitments. Moreover, in many tribal societies
of Africa, Christianity coexists with ancestorial veneration. The Interfaith Council play a significant role in
mediating disputes, create guideline, resolved conflict and facilitate peaceful coexistence. Few prominent
councils were Nigeria’s Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Nigeria’s Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), African
Union’s Interfaith Dialogue Forum (AU-IFDF). These demonstrated dialogue and inclusive councils transform
culture and religious tensions into platform for reconciliation and share identity by promoting mutual respect
and moving toward cooperative pluralism (Gusha, 2022) [25].
CONCLUSION
Societies that shut out all innovation become atrophied and lifeless in course of time (Beteilie, 2002) [26].
Giddens pointed out that tradition is a ‘living past’ representing the present and future, and it continues to renew,
redefine, modified and revive according to the rationale of the modern society (Giddens, 2013) [27]. The cultural
identity of Rongmei (Kabui) Naga society has always been constructed through the creative appropriation from
diverse influences. The ability to manage religious pluralism while maintain cultural coherence becomes
increasingly crucial for society stability and individual well-being. Religious pluralism in the Rongmei (Kabui)
contemporary society has witness an internal division on their claim for the culture legitimacy and authenticity.
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This internal tension and crisis should not be seen as destructive fragmentation but it should be seen as a process
of cultural reconfiguration stated by Giddens. Both the communities (Rongmei Kabui Traditionist and Rongmei
Christian) has demonstrated a remarkable strength of creativity in constructing cultural identity through their
common cultural heritage. Any internal division and confrontation within the single cultural context to claim
cultural authenticity should be avoided or mutually resolved through Inter-faith dialogue. The Rongmei (Kabui)
Naga society has demonstrated innovation and resilience in the face of profound religious transformation,
revealing a remarkable capacity to construct and maintain cultural identity meaningful while embracing change.
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