Jessami: A cultured community in Ukhrul District
Source: Hueiyen News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul/Jessami, October 19 2015: For many people in Ukhrul District of Manipur, the name 'Jessami' most probably conjures up a bizarre feel of "unfamiliarity" or an exhausting ride to the most extreme border in the north of the district or both and the rest is history.

To visitors'; delight, however, once they reach their destination, anyone can naturally feel at one with the village's warm breath of wind and its clean roads and surroundings.

What lies behind the village's deceptive facade, in effect, is a community of cultured men and women who believe in brotherhood and religion.

Jessami village derived its present name from its origin Yessami meaning the edge of habitation of Kheza tribe from Nagaland post World War ll around the middle of 1940s.

Jessami: A cultured community in Ukhrul District

"By then, our village had become a part of Ukhrul district in Manipur," narrated Jessami village chairman Ayete Wezah in an interaction with Hueiyen Lanpao Correspondent at the Jessami Baptist Church campus.

"Ethnically or traditionally, we belong to the Tangkhul Naga of Ukhrul district, still we are of Kheza tribe and we want our identity to be recognized so," he pleaded.

Jessami, a village located about 116 kms from Ukhrul district headquarters toward Nagaland border in the extreme north, falls under Chingai Assembly Constituency of Ukhrul district and borders with Meluri, a border town of Nagaland.

There are 606 families residing in the village, most of whom speak Tangkhul language today.

"The village population of 3374 comprised of five family clans, namely Lohe, Wezah, Lasu, Mekresu and Chido" the chieftain said adding that the villagers began speaking Tangkhul since around the year 1971 and today most of them are using the common language, though some are still not very fluent in it.

Another interesting feature of this village is its main market located at the tri-junction leading to Ukhrul in Manipur, and Meluri and Kohima in Nagaland.

It is fast emerging as a hotspot of commercial activities as it serves as a good point for transit of commodities from both sides of Manipur and Nagaland.

"Only a few villagers are running business here and most of the traders are nonlocals," Wezah pointed out while adding that most locals find it hard to start business due to lack capital.

On the other hand, the age old tradition of rice cultivation has remained the main occupation of the villagers.

Alternatively, the villagers generate their incomes through agricultural produces like tree beans (Yongchak), lemon, banana and others which are aplenty during seasons.

One golden opportunity for the Jessami villagers to showcase their spiritual and ethnical oneness with Tangkhul -- for which they were rightly proud of -- was when Tangkhul Baptist Churches Association (TBCA) Women Union decided to hold its first ever Triennial Conference at the Jessami Baptist Church within the locality of the beautiful village.

This spiritual event provided the village the opportunity to show to the delegates and visitors from across the state that the fast growing village till date remained embraced one faith under TBCA.

It was yet another opportunity to show the whole community that clean roads and environments are a part of culture with Jessami villagers.

All the roads leading to the four localities Kazemi, Tesumi, Phothemi and Ezekumi are neat and clean almost like a clear sky with the sides beautifully adorned with emerald hedges of shrubs, while a row of bamboo waste bins, locally known as Rhutabu are seen standing at regular spots.

"Ever since the village authority initiated the cleanliness campaign in the village in 2007 and entrusted the task to local youth in 2010, keeping surroundings clean has become a habit of each household here," said Nipekhwe Love, village secretary.