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Kebang- An Institution of Democracy and Justice
- Leban Serto
In Arunachal Pradesh erstwhile NEFA (Northeast Frontier Agency) among Adis the indigenous tribes, in the villages the daily humdrum of life is by and large, managed by its own people who over the past centuries have come to evolve their own codes and customary laws to adjudicate over dispute and the sharing of nature's resources available to them. It has also been found that there is a wide measure of indigenous democracy in the prevailing patterns of social customs and laws of the people. The renowned advisor Elwin Verrier to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India, had written, documented and compiled copies information on the indigenous forms of authority at the village level of NEFA.
In the Siang Frontier Division as early as 1853, Father Krick the intrepid missionary and explorer attended a Kebang meeting at Membo. The Village, recorded by Father Krick, was self-governing and independent. It had its own administration both legislative and executive. Every male reaching the age of reason is by right active member of any assembly. Each commune is ruled by five or six chiefs elected for life by the people; they control all affairs of greater importance .If any of them dies, his son was capable succeed to his office else he remained a common citizen and another election supplies the vacancy. Later E.T.Dalton also observed the Padams at Membo and he describe how he visited what he calls the Moorung and what today would be called the Moshup, the men's dormitory and the meeting hall.
The administrative structure of the Adis is essentially democratic. They have not known autocracy in any form and in the absence of a distinct class of nobility oligarchy had remained equally unknown. Theirs is in the true sense a government by the people for the people. The structure is very simple and effective. Every village is an independent unit by itself and knows no extraneous authority. It has a council of elder which exercises the highest legal and judicial powers. This is known as the Kebangs and all social and political control of the village rest with it. The members are known as Kebang abus and are chosen from within the village on the merit of their personal influence and ability to present a case in the traditional manner. Some of them are Gams (Headman) that represent particular clans. There are others who do not represent any particular clan but are selected for their personal influence and oratorical powers. Kebang-abus are usually senior men with long experience and wide and deep knowledge of the tribal lore, but younger kebang-abus are not rare. Usually each clan had one gam of its own, but cases of clans having more than one or more are also not uncommon. Women generally do not take an active part in the Kebang, but every man may.
The Kebang directs all village activities to their traditional laws and customs of which it is supposed to be a repository and it punishes those who deviate form the right path in any way and watches over the welfare and well being of the village community. All matters of common interest are placed before it and nothing can be done without its approval and sanction. The opening of agricultural plots, building of new houses, setting of newcomers, punishing of wrong doers and whatever else that concerns the village either individually or communally is discussed and decided in it. As it is the chief judicial body in the village, all cases of dispute are brought before it for judgment. The contending parties backed by their fellow clansmen and supporters appears before it and try to convince it of the justness of their cause in long speeches cast in a traditional form and delivered in a loud voice with bold gesticulations. Every speech begins with a preamble narrating the ancient history and glory of the Adi tribes and exhortation on the bench for conformity to the traditional laws and impartial justice. Decisions of the Kebangs are supposed to come from the people .The Gams or headmen help only to enforce it. The injunctions are obeyed to the letter, for these people are respectful of their ancient customs and traditional laws. Taking lessons from the Kebang, the traditional method of resolving conflict (conflict resolution) can serve as an important tool to help reduce and solve conflict in most recent times.
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Sources:
N.M. Krick, "Account of an expedition Among the Abors," in 1853. J.A.S. B Vol.1X (1913) quoted in Verrier Elwin, - India's North-East Frontier in the Nineteenth Century, Bombay, 1959. Pp.245.f.
Sachin Roy, - Aspect of Padam-Minyong Culture, (Shillong 1960) pp.222.
Verrier Elwin, -"Democracy in NEFA", Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh. 1965.pp 101-108
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