LIFESTYLE
The remains of the last king of Myanmar, exiled to India during British rule, still lie in Ratnagiri. We can win the hearts of our neighbour by returning these royal remains.
King Thibaw, the last king of Burma, belonged to the Konbaung dynasty, a line of rulers known as 'Kings who rule the Universe' and treated as demi-gods by their subjects. In November 1885, after his defeat in a war against Britain, King Thibaw, along with the heavily pregnant Queen Supayalat, their very young daughters, and the king's junior wife, Queen Supayagalae, were exiled to India. Here, in the remote town of Ratnagiri, they lived for over 30 years.
The family had been permitted to carry some of their jewellery and for several years was able to supplement their government pension by the furtive sale of these items. But as they ran out of their valuable possessions, the once proud and uncompromising king wrote endless letters to the British government requesting a larger allowance, better accommodation, and most poignantly, for the right to be addressed as His Majesty instead of His Highness.
In addition to being stripped of his power and wealth, and being transplanted from the land he once ruled to a culturally alien corner of the world, the king, and the rest of the family, were kept under virtual imprisonment.
The princesses, too, were not allowed to interact freely with the residents of Ratnagiri. So they lived, attended to by an army of servants and assistants, until all of the princesses were in their thirties. By this time, two of them had fallen in love with 'highly unsuitable' men.
The king died, broken-hearted, in December 1916. His junior queen, Queen Supayagalae, had died a few years before him. In 1919, Queen Supayalat and her daughters were permitted to return to Rangoon. The queen wished to carry back with her the coffins of the king and the junior queen for entombment in Mandalay, and she made many desperate representations for this. But the British government was very nervous of the repercussions of permitting her to do so.
Until the time of her departure, the coffins had lain in a temporary structure within the 27-acre family compound. The government now constructed a tomb in Ratnagiri, not far from the compound, and insisted that both coffins be transferred to it. It also pressured the queen to sign a declaration to the effect that she had understood that this was a permanent entombment, and that the government would entertain no further discussion on the subject.
The royal family returned to Burma in 1919. The king's eldest daughter, Ashin Hteik Su Myat Phaya Gyi (rechristened the First Princess by the British), came back a year later to Ratnagiri with her daughter, Tu Tu, because Ratnagiri was where her companion and Tu Tu's father lived.
When the First Princess died in June 1947, she was cremated and the ashes were stored in a wooden box in the Ratnagiri Treasury, pending a decision as to whether they should be entombed in India or Myanmar. Both countries were on the cusp of their independence at the time of her death, and the governments exchanged numerous memos on whether all three royal remains should be shifted to and entombed in Burma.
However, it appears the matter just slipped through the cracks of the system -- both governments had much more pressing issues on hand. The royal remains remained where they were including, unfortunately, the First Princess's, which had never even been deposited in her tomb in Ratnagiri, built right next to that of her father's. (A small square aperture -- made for the insertion of her ashes at a later date -- is to this day unsealed.)
When they were growing up, the Fourth Princess had repeatedly told her children that the mortal remains of King Thibaw and Queen Supayagalae had been forcibly entombed without the necessary tharanagaon ceremony accorded to Burmese Buddhists after their death.
A sense of deep indignation and regret was shared by all King Thibaw's descendants and by many others in Burma who were aware of this omission. King Thibaw, after all, had been regarded as a demi-god during his reign. And monarchy, as an institution, had been a cherished one, valued to the extent that, according to the noted Burmese historian, Thant Myint-U, a sense of dislocation and aimlessness permeated Burmese society for several decades after King Thibaw's deposition, because a British-occupied Burma with no king was an incomprehensible break from the past.
Even today, particularly in rural areas, stories of the royal family and a sentiment for the monarchy continue to resonate with the people.
Over the years, King Thibaw's grandchildren made several attempts to visit Ratnagiri, but it was only in December 1993 that they were able to make a trip, and were finally able to perform the tharanagaon ceremony.
Although they and many in Myanmar (as Burma was called from 1989) felt that the remains of the royal family of Myanmar belong in Myanmar, there was nothing any of them could do about it at the time. Using the opportunity of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to Myanmar, King Thibaw's great grandson, U Soe Win, has sent him a letter requesting, on behalf of King Thibaw's descendants, permission to carry all the three royal remains to Myanmar. He has approached his own government for similar permission.
Better connectivity between India and Myanmar has been stressed during the Prime Minister's recent visit. This, it has been said, is not only to facilitate trade between the two countries, but also to enable easier people-to-people interaction. Aung San Suu Kyi, who the Prime Minister also met, has been quoted as saying “true friendship between the countries can be based only on friendship between our peoples”.
Although many issues of great importance to both countries have been discussed and MoUs have been signed, perhaps another issue, neither pressing nor economically important, could be looked at to win the hearts of the people of Myanmar: our government should seriously consider granting its permission for the return of the royal remains.
Sudha Shah, is the author of The King in Exile: The Fall of the Royal Family of Burma, which is to be published by HarperCollins India in mid-June 2012.
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
Meet son-in-law of billionaire whose net worth is Rs 38690 crore, he co-founded...
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?
Shah Rukh Khan feels breathless after quitting smoking: Know withdrawal symptoms, how to manage them
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal takes action on vendor for mislabelling mushrooms at Hyperpure warehouse
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance shares fell by 3%, loses Rs 50205 crore in one day due to...
IAF's MiG-29 crashes near Agra in Uttar Pradesh, pilot ejects safely, court of inquiry ordered
Driving Growth and Monetization at Zendesk: A Conversation with Darshit Thakkar
Can air pollution make you fat? Know how high AQI impact your health
Locanto Addresses Challenges and Innovations in Indian Education System
Nita Ambani stuns in floral co-ord set while Anant, Mukesh Ambani go casual in Dubai
Indian Railway to launch this 'SUPER APP', passengers can now..., know details here
Who is Rashmi Shukla, IPS officer whom EC removed as Maharashtra DGP?
This village in India allows men to have two wives, living under one roof due to…
AUS vs PAK, 1st ODI: Australia beat Pakistan by 2 wickets to take 1-0 lead in series
Singham Again’s sole aim is to entertain, it’s not Hindutva propaganda
Delhi pollution: 'Why firecracker ban was not implemented during Diwali,' SC asks police, govt
IPL 2025 mega auction likely to be held in Riyadh on these dates
Big update on Reliance Jio IPO as Mukesh Ambani eyes THIS date
EC reschedules UP, Punjab, Kerala bypolls from Nov 13 to...
Coldplay's Chris Martin falls through stage trap door while performing live in Australia
Meet man, who is rising star in Tata Group after Ratan Tata's death, now tasked with...
'Nice handwriting': Internet reacts to Elon Musk's physics homework from his college days
AIIMS INI CET 2025 admit card releasing today at aiimsexams.ac.in; when and how to download
Sustainability Meets Innovation via uPVC: Industry expert shares experience
Promoting innovation in engineering education
AP TET 2024 exam result declared at aptet.apcfss.in; steps to check
AI-Powered Development: Insights from industry leaders on transforming software engineering
Another BIG move by BSNL, now set to provide tough competition to Jio, Airtel, Vi by...
Uttarakhand Bus Accident: 36 dead after bus falls into gorge in Almora; rescue operations underway
Bigg Boss 18: Vivian D'Sena accuses Chahat Pandey of pooping on floor, latter loses her cool
One of India's best wicketkeepers set to retire after this season, won't play IPL too, he is...
Research shows awe-inspiring details about Black Holes, they can...
US Presidential Election 2024: Harris vs Trump goes down to the wire, say polls
AP TET 2024 exam result to be declared today on aptet.apcfss.in, when and how to check
Shampoo, tea, biscuits, oil to get costlier soon? FMCG firms caution price hike as...
Swiggy fined Rs 35000 for duping Hyderabad customer by doing THIS
Delhi pollution: Air quality in Delhi-NCR further deteriorates, AQI hits 'severe' level
Indian mission condemns attack on Hindu devotees at Canada temple by ‘anti-India’ elements
'Upar se leke neeche tak...': Bigg Boss 18's Kashish Kapoor, Eisha Singh get into ugly spat
Man grows 500 kg pumpkin, uses it as boat to sail 70 km, SEE PIC
Devotees at Banke Bihari Temple drink AC water believing it to be 'Charan Amrit'; WATCH viral video
Bank Holidays in November: Banks to remain closed for four days in THESE states, full list here
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3: Kartik Aaryan's mother struggles to get tickets, hilarious video goes viral
Mumbai Police arrest Maharashtra woman for hoax death threat to UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Kriti Sanon avoids posing with rumoured boyfriend Kabir Bahia at Mumbai airport, video goes viral