The Rongmei is one of the tribal communities inhabiting the hills and plains of South Assam. Racially, the Rongmei Nagas belong to the Tibeto Burman family of the Mongoloid race who at the present day inhabit in the States of Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland in North-East India. The Rongmei people live a well organised form of social life based on the classless society, there is no consideration for rich and poor, high and low etc, and all treated equally without any distinction in the society. The Rongmei has a typical dress code. They use different dresses for different occasions. They do not use the daily household dresses for cultural functions. In Rongmei Society, marriage continued to be an important part of the social ceremony, it is customary of Rongmei Naga to seek their partners of different clans. The term marriage is Known as “Nousuanmei” among Rongmei Community, means the union ofYoung girl With a Young boy from different clans out of their mutual love, or under an agreement of both parents with the consent of the boy and the girl. Rongmei tribe follows the traditional low of exogamy by marriage only from out-side of one’s own clan, or kindred blood relationship, and not from the homogenous with in the same clan System in South Assam. Rongmei Nagas have their own Social costume, Traditional marriage system, and cultural identities preserved from generation to generation.
Mary Sana Rajkumari
Department of Manipuri (R.T. School of Indian languages & cultural studies)
Assam University, Silchar
Rongmei Encyclopedia 