Staff Reporter
SHILLONG:
The Great Assam Earthquake of 1897 was a significant event that is etched in the minds of every Meghalayan. For it’s a monumental occurrence that changed not just the topography of the state but made our forefathers witness one of nature’s elemental furies firsthand.
And today, when the world is observing the quasquicentennial jubilee of one of the most powerful earthquakes in human history, dwellers of a small hamlet, tucked away in the lush green hills of Meghalaya, are quietly gearing up to celebrate their resettlement that was triggered by the devastating tremor.
Tyrna, situated 65 km from Shillong, was neither called that nor was located where it is today. The Great Assam Earthquake had destroyed the old settlement, which was then called Tyrna Rim (Old Tyrna), compelling villagers to scout for a new place for resettlement.
“There are stories passed down to us that people walked from the village of Tyrna Rim, which is adjacent to Nongkroh Rim, to the present village of Tyrna. For the men, it was a 40-minute walk, but it did take more time for the female folk to reach there,” DL Syiemlieh, a resident of the village, told The Meghalayan.
Syiemlieh said that Old Tyrna village suffered irreparable damages and everything was destroyed in the earthquake. “There were injuries but I am not aware of any casualties. We have to ask the elders about this,” said. He further added that the people must have shifted to the new village two to three days after the destruction of Tyrna Rim.
There also exists a proof of the migration – a plaque. “There is a plaque in which accounts of the incident and why we had to re-settle; everything is inscribed on it,” said D Marbaniang, former sirdar of the village.
Syiemlieh further informed that Tyrna will observe the 125 years of the Great Assam Earthquake and celebrate the completion of as many years of the resettlement. “For which a committee will decide on the date. The villagers had also celebrated completion of 100 years of the resettlement,” he said.
People visiting the old village will find it difficult to locate the traces of the damage as, Syiemlieh said, residents have started cultivation in the area. “It’s been 125 years, you see,” he said.
Recalling the stories that their forefathers used to tell them about the migration, Marbaniang said that today, there is only person who remembers the details about the incident. “Many of the elders, who knew about the incident, have passed away except for one, who is around 91-92 years old,” said Marbaniang.
Notably, June 12, 1897 has been recorded as one of the most horrific days in the history of Meghalaya and Assam as the earthquake, which would have clocked 8.2 to 8.3 on the Richter scale today, resulted in Shillong Plateau being thrust violently upwards by about 11 metres.
Since Meghalaya attained its statehood on January 21, 1972, the earthquake is normally referred to as having occurred in Assam as Meghalaya was still a part of Assam then.