Kamakhya, Brahmaputra and A Monsoon Outreach
or…Changing India – Step IV
In a few days’ time, I will be making my way to the land of seven sisters…one of my favourite regions of our beautiful country. I will arrive with the Monsoon…but am looking forward to return with rays of hope in my heart. This is going to be anything but a tourist trip…Over the span of several days, I will be spending lots of time trying to get a better and deeper understanding of the region.
The north-east has long been an ignored part of India. It rarely features in the national media (except for calamities and terrorist attacks). Most Indians have never visited the region. Very few have friends who belong to this stunningly scenic land. And embarrassingly, many would find it hard to even name the “Seven Sisters“.
The reasons are many and varied. But that is not the point of this piece. Whatever the reasons, there really cannot be an excuse – in this day and age of air-travel and convenient connectivity – to ignore a region that is not only a wonderful manifestation of the diversity of India, but an area of enormous strategic significance.
My long-overdue visit is a tiny and humble attempt to clear the fog of indifference about north-east that shrouds our socio-political discourse and dialogue.
This visit is a modest outreach effort to get more amongst “us” interested in the region – and to get more of our fellow citizens in the region interested in “us” – “us” as in (loosely approximated to) upwardly-mobile, urban, middle-class Indians living in Tier-I/Tier-II cities for whom “North-East” may be somewhere beyond Kolkata.
It is a modest attempt to bridge a gap – a gap that sometimes appears so wide as to almost feel hopeless to bridge.
But I am born optimist – and I believe the gap can be bridged – the region and its people can get their rightful share of attention and resources…and they can be made to feel proud about being “Indians”, not just Nagas, Manipuris or Assamese.
Continued below…
Image Courtesy: Deepraj at Wikipedia
I am hoping to meet a cross-section of people on this visit. The final itinerary is still being worked out (please let me know if you can volunteer to help me plan this) but I would like to request all of you to please share any thought/ideas or suggestions you may have about whom I should meet and where I should go. I may not have enough time to meet everyone I want to meet and be every place I want to be..but I will do my best.
My aim from this visit is two-fold:
- raising political consciousness amongst youth/students and professionals in the region and
- getting a first-hand understanding of the problems and challenges of this beautiful land.
In the process, I hope to find some clues/answers to the following questions:
- How do the people of north-east relate themselves to other parts of India?
- What is their response and thinking on the calculated plunder of the region by “vested interests”?
- How keen are they to bring about change in the north-east?
- How do they see their role in reforming India?
I am hopeful about this small but sincere attempt to bridge the yawning gap – and the disconnect – between the region and the rest of India. But I need your help to make this happen. If there are groups/associations/people you would want me to meet while I am there, please leave a comment on this post or email me at jai.dharma AT gmail.com
Pl. do share this with your friends from north-east and those who live there and/or do ask them to get in touch with me.
I am looking forward to this visit…and I shall keep you updated on what I learn. Stay tuned.
Related Posts:
Quick Notes from Indore – Part II
Next parts in the series:
Notes from North-East: A worm’s eye view
Notes from North-East: Conversion at gun point?
Notes from North-East: Indigenous Cultures, Demographic Invasion
All the best! I am very impressed.
Anupam
Thank you Anupam…Wil keep everyone posted on how this turns out.
I would love to see the north eastern region at some point. It looks stunning.
Jai
All the best, Shantanu, and please keep us posted of the details and outcomes of your trip. Hopefully, this time, there won’t be any travel nightmares impeding your path. 🙂
Shantanu,
All the best!!! It is a good initiative. I wish I could join you but there are many constraints in the life of a salaried slave. One request: once you complete the trip, please post your travel plan here so that few lucky among us know where to start with when they will be planning a trip there.
Dear Shantanu,
My friend Dr. Ashim J Thakur who is working as Associate Prof. at Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam (Web:www://tezu.ernet.in) would like to meet/chat with you his email ID is
….
Please get in touch with him if you have time.
Thanks,
Vinay
**** NOTE by MODERATOR ***
Email hidden to protect privacy. Thanks
Good to know that you are visiting there. I had also planned a hasty trip to the North-East this month but it got cancelled, but hopefully I will visit in July.
Two of my friends are posted there. One in army and other in secret services, in Arunachal and Manipur respectively. Both say the situation is bleak, but still small gestures like that of Shantanu Ji, is all we can do on our part and that we shall do.
Best of luck and may more Indians visit the place.
Dear All: Thanks for your comments and encouragement. Sorry I have been slow in responding – snowed under work and in preps for the upcoming visit.
***
@ Jai: It is truly stunning. You must try and visit sometime. I can promise you will not be disappointed.
@ Kaffir: Thanks Kaffir…Yes, I hope the weather gods are kind on me this time!
@ Sid: Thanks. I am sure there will be a chance for you to join such a visit at some point in the future..I remain hopeful. And yes, I will be happy to post the travel plan on the blog.
@ Vinay: Thanks. Have noted the email address. Will be in touch with him soon.
@ Pankaj: Pl email me the contact details of your friends if you can. Thanks.
Dear Shantanu,
I writing to you after a very long time. I just wanted to wsh you all the best in your trip. I have visited the North east about half adozen times and my experience with the people there has been excellent.
Please visit the sound and light show that is shown in the fort in Assam every evening, it is wonderful. If you have the opportunity please visit the Kaziranga Sanctuary. It is something awesome.
Please remember that beyond Assam the local folk are accoustmed to life which ends by 7.30 PM.
There is a beautiful temple of Lord Balaji in Assam aboot 12 Kms from the main town; It is a replica of the temple in Tirupathi. Also do not forget to see the Kaamkaya temple.
In Cherapunji you can see the river that divides Bangladesh from India from a outcrop of a rock which looks lke a Shivlinga.
If you are lucky you may see a group of Dolphins in the Bramaputra. frolickng and playing.
The people are great but the politicians are the problem.
Enjoy yourself.
regards,
vck
@ Shantanu,
North East of India is truly a paradise in terms of nature, sadly NGA problems keep crippling NE of India.
I can still recollect the times i spent in Kohima, Gangtok and Imphal! People are very kind and helpful.
One of my sad experience (this is goign back to late 90s)is that there needs better integration of NE of India with rest of India. I am sure the case has not changed much. But strategically and more importantly for the union of states it is important rest of India bridges the gap and makes NE of India more Indians, than any other part of india.
Below are few of the possible answers of the questions above.
A)- The people of North-east are geographically secluded and culturally distinct related to other parts of India . they consider themselves to be Indians no doubt about it but they are far away from main land of India. And also 80% people of North-east don’t speak Hindi so the central government and civil society and individual should make an effort to relate them with India.
B)- I can’t say about other North-Eastern states but as far as Asom is concerned people feel pathetic because of the calculated plunder of the region. Asom is endowed with vast natural resources, except tea gardens there is hardly any industry, there are no jobs apart from public sector jobs. Central govt. plans and schemes do not reach to the villages, we get the finances but they siphoned in the middle neither the central govt. nor the state govt. really make an effort to see whether the schemes are well implemented or not.
C)- People are quite keen to bring about change in North-East but most of them don’t know how. The reason is always been marred by violence, there has been lack of development , Industries are very less, less employment opportunities, people have secessionist tendencies, lack of political consciousness because of which people are not in a position to think about change.
D)- First the North-Eastern region should be brought at par with other parts of India. Through development in all spheres social,economical and political. People should feel a sense of belongingness and should feel that they are very much part and partial of India then only they will contribute in reforming India.
Sir as you are thinking to bring about change in North-East region of India, I’m also thinking in the same line and if in this process I can contribute in your project I’ll be happy .
Pinak,
Your points are well taken. Two things surprised me:
1. … also 80% people of North-east don’t speak Hindi so the central government and civil society and individual should make an effort to relate them with India. – There are thousands who do not understand Hindi. But they are Indians, India needs them and they need India. So do the seven sisters in the north-east.
2. First the North-Eastern region should be brought at par with other parts of India. – Do you even know the state of the other parts of India? Trust me, there is no difference among the poor people in Rajasthan, Andhra, Odissa, WB, Manipur or Arunachal Pradesh. Would you care to quantify hunger or malnutrition? Government is as much failure in north-east as it is in north/south/east/west (barring Gujrat of late). In that sense, north-east is at par with other parts.
If any group of people are expecting that some other would come to help them like a prince riding a white horse to rescue a damsel in distress, it would not work. If you wait on someone to improve your backyard, the desperation would be used by con-men only. That is what has gone wrong with the entire country. If we do not go ahead and take charge, then exploitation would continue.
I just read this post by Moloy Krishna Dhar on the geo-political situation in Manipur. I thought I should share this:
http://maloykrishnadhar.com/the-lake-on-fire-manipur-burns-delhi-bungles
Few weeks back, Tarun Vijay drew the attention with this excellent question:
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indus-calling/entry/why-should-manipur-remain-in
vck, Anon, Pinak, Sid: Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts…
@VCK: Visited Kamalhya Dham yesterday. Moving experience.
Also hope to see Balaji temple soon. Unfortunately might have to miss Cherrapunji this time (I’ve been before)
You hit the nail on the head: “The people are great but the politicians are the problem.”
@ Anon: “One of my sad experience (this is goign back to late 90s)is that there needs better integration of NE of India with rest of India. I am sure the case has not changed much. But strategically and more importantly for the union of states it is important rest of India bridges the gap and makes NE of India more Indians, than any other part of india.”
Very well said…things are changing..although slowly..I am more hopeful than I was *before* coming here.
@Pinak: Thanks for sharing your first-hand insights and thoughts..I will respond in some detail to your comments later…and yes, we must work together in this task..We’ll need help.
@Sid: Thanks for the links..I am baig fan of Sh Moloy Krishna – one of the most astute observers of the situation in NE (and other parts of India)..will check them out.
Dear Shantanu,
I appreciate your attempt to fill up the gap between the mainstream India and Northeast India. At the very outset I would like to kindly remind you that I think now we are 8 sisters with Sikkim included in the Northeastern region. Having witnessed Northeast very closely since my childhood I think this region has witnessed decades of conflicts that have kept the region militiarized, restrictions on civil society and made the region economically underdeveloped.
I feel the term “neglect by the centre” has become a cliche now, neither a development nor a military rule can bring peace in this region and can enhance productivity,there should be concerted efforts to build up the rule of the law, a system of accountability and faith in the institutions of law which can only happen through true participation of the people of the region.
Moreover I want to stress on an important issue that the demand for a seperate Time zone for Northeast is very important if we want our human and natural resources to gain productivity and which will inturn bring socio-economic development.
All the best for your endeavour…….