‘Nangbah name of village not surname of freedom fighter’
JOWAI: The name of Kiang Nangbah, the freedom fighter from Jaintia Hills who is also called Khla-wait ki Pnar, is actually Kiang Susngi, a recent book on the history of Susngi clan states.
Ka Kur Susngi, written by Seriallyone Susngi, says there is no such title called Nangbah in the Khasi-Pnar society.
Nangbah, the author says, is the name of one of the oldest villages in West Jaintia Hills and not a surname. The biggest market of the Pnar, known as Iawmusiang, was shifted from Nangbah to Jowai.
Kiang’s mother was Sah Susngi of Tharuh clan from Nangbah village and his father, a blacksmith, was from the Pale clan. The family migrated from Nangbah to Jowai and chose to live near a stream as they needed plenty of water.
Kiang Susngi or U Kiang Nangbah was also a blacksmith. The place where Kiang and his father stayed is the present day Wah-Nangbah.
The book, which was released on Friday at Nangbah village, also tells that when Kiang’s father died, he was cremated at Tpep-Pale as it is known today.
Kiang’s mother was known as Kong Nangbah as she was from Nangbah village. Later, it became the title of the freedom fighter.
When British soldiers arrested and hanged Kiang Susngi, his entire clan was afraid and they did not dare to come forward and claim his body and therefore he died as Kiang of Nangbah village. Seriallyone Susngi said the book, which took many years to get published, also finds out that the ancestor, Ka Susngi, had 11 daughters – Sniehblang, Throp, Skiah, Phen, Tharuh, Rwet, Sidiaw, Khynriam, Padit, Shato and Jungai. These eleven daughters became the surnames of people from the Susngi clan.
Assistant IGP O. Pasi lauded the author for his hard work.