ASSAMESE ON THE SWEETER SIDE LIKE FRENCH

Inside the cosy studio, mumbling to get the exact pronunciation right, Lou Majaw finally emerged exasperated, but chuckled: “Assamese language is on the sweeter side like French, but also a tongue twister.”

Majaw was recording the title track of an Assamese movie, Surjasta here today at the picturesque home studio of Sten’s. It is the first attempt by a Khasi singer to render voice in an Assamese track. Majaw, who is known for his rendition of Dylan numbers, was struggling to get the exact pronunciation.

“Kha…Khaa..,” music director and composer, Kishore Giri reminded the singer about the nuance of phonetics. Majaw dutifully obeyed and put in his effort with his baritone voice. The end result was a beautiful track that has its signature of a visibly undulating Khasi hills flowing over the meandering valleys of Assam.

“Assamese language is on the sweeter side like French and it is also a tongue twister for me, as I am not that much gifted as a linguist,” Majaw, said, attired in his trademark track pants, sleeveless T-shirt, only adding a Gamocha, tucked under his flowing locks.

The singer said that although it is difficult at times to get the correct accent of the language, but he anyway wants to sing the song with a “Khasi twang.” “If the song is sung with the correct accent than it would not be different. I want to sing in Assamese with a Khasi twang,” he reasoned.

He said that Giri first approached him to sing the title track and he jumped at the idea, taking it as an opportunity to “learn new things.” “We need to go beyond our limitations or else things gets so monotonous and boring,” the Desi-Dylan said.

Giri, on the other hand, said, he zeroed in on Majaw not just because he is a dear friend of his, but also to bring people of the two neighbouring states closer with such projects.

“When there is so much of conflict in this world, such endeavor would bring people together. Lou singing with a Khasi accent in Assamese is all about harmony in music that hopefully would resonate in the lives of the people of the two states,” the music director and also the composer said.

Meanwhile, the film’s plot revolves around busy parents in today’s world not getting enough time for their children. It is being produced by Rosy Bora; Pradyut Kumar Deka is the Director, while the title track was penned by Jitumoni Bora, a local journalist.

160 TUK-TUKs ON FIRE FOR WATER :RICKSHAW RUN

Sep 9, 2012– After the noodles were washed down with horse milk and vodka during the Mongol rally, the  3500-km Rickshaw Run, from Shillong to Jaisalmer, would experience “spicy” chapattis and “interesting” chutneys on the Indian roads.

160 adventurists would ride on auto-rickshaw,onomatopoeically called Tuk-Tuks, from around the world for the back-crunching journey from Meghalaya's (India) state capital, Shillong to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to raise funds for clean drinking water. The Race comprises of 67 teams, including 30 women Tuk-Tukians.

Former Meghalaya Home Minister Robert Garnett Lyngdoh flagged off the Race from Shillong Club here today. The Auto rickshaws or “glorified lawn-mowers” are expected to blast the finishing lines on September 22.

The race is organized by UK-based group “The Adventurists.” It’s an initiative, by the not-for-profit social enterprise, Frank Water, to provide sustainable, affordable, clean drinking water for communities around the world, including India. The Current batch of adventurists has already raised over 50,000 Pounds for official charities in India.

“It is not a Race as there are no trophies waiting at the finishing line. The award of this  Race is the adventure on the road and getting in and out of the interesting pickles and getting to lick it through a lifetime,” Tom Morgan, founder of the auto-rickshaw run, said.

Steve Owens and John Spanswick, who took part in the 15,127.8 Km Mongol Rally in 2010, from United Kingdom to Mongolia, are raring to ride the Tuk Tuk.

“We reached Mongolia surviving totally on noodles washed down with mare’s milk and Vodka. We are sure to reach the oasis of Indian desert within two weeks whatever the Indian roads may be, we are pretty much excited,” Owens said.

Laura Salmon from United Kingdom is itching to ride her “Tuktanic.”  Hoping that her mean machine is not “inauspiciously named” she went on to say that the Tuk Tuk is the ultimate feat of “non-engineerance designed  for this ultimate long distance race.” 

Adolf Lu Hitler Rangsa Marak

It is somewhat easy to change the name of a shop, like what the clothing outlet in Ahmedabad, named Hitler, did recently. But what if the name-changing is not related to a shop exactly?

Adolf Lu Hitler Rangsa Marak, the suspended Nationalist Congress Party legislator from Northeast India's Garo Hills has no issues with his name and has no plans to change it in the near foreseeable days.

However, he corrects: “I am no dictator” and continues that people in his constituency so far has never questioned him about his name, made notorious by the German dictator.

The legislator said he had no say in the naming ceremony as an infant when his father fondly called him Adolf Lu Hitler and then completed it with the surname.

“I have never asked my father why he chose this name for me. And people in my constituency or in Meghalaya never asked me why my parents have chosen this name,” Marak, known more popularly as Adolf Lu Hitler and sometimes Lulu, said.

But, recently in Ahmedabad a small garment outlet was forced to change its name (Hitler) after protest from the Jewish and the local community.

The Jewish community was particularly upset as the German dictator inflicted untold misery and violence on the Jews during World War II. Jews by the thousands were massacred in concentration camps. The name Hitler became synonymous with mass murder world over.

But, the general notion in India is that Hitler is associated with someone who is strict, like as the shop owner in Ahmedabad explained that he named his shop after his partner’s grandfather who was a strict disciplinarian.  

On a similar plane, a somewhat popular soap, which is running on air, calls itself “Hitler Didi” after the protagonist, who is depicted as a strict disciplinarian. In India, there were no issues with the name of the soap whatsoever, but, in the US the same soap is titled as “General Didi.”

“Indians are more sensible. We don’t believe a name represents a person’s true character. A person who goes by the name, Hitler can be a good person or a bad person… Similarly, a person who may have the name of a God can also be a good person or bad. The name has got nothing to do with it. Names are characterised in jest only,” political scientist, Apurba K Baruah from the North Eastern Hill University said.

Baruah quoted Shakespeare’s famous quote “what’s in a name… that which we call a rose…to home in his point of view, but you ask the Hitler from Meghalaya and he goes on to lament how he was mocked by US airport authorities years back when they all stood up in unison, after reading his name on the passport, and hailed him as Hitler - the infamous German dictator.

"GOVT POLITICAL SYSTEM IN INDIA TO BE BLAMED FOR MAOISTS PROBLEM": MINISTER OF STATE JITENDRA SINGH

“The Government and the political system is to be blamed for the Maoist problem in India.”

This statement did not come from any Maoists sympathiser nor from Team Anna, but, from Union Minister of State (home), Jitendra Singh on Sunday here.

The new Congress cabinet minister admitted that the Maoist problem branched from years of negligence and underdevelopment in different parts of the country and the government and the political system in India are to be blamed for that. He was interacting with officials at the North East Police Academy at Umiam.

Singh, reportedly a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, added that there has been a “lack of communication between the government and the people” in different areas of the country, which has led to impoverishment.

He observed that “people with vested interest” are now taking advantage of the underdevelopment and negligence and instigating the poor to take up arms leading to the Maoist movement in India.

“Chhattisgarh would not have happened if there was better communication between people and government. Now some people are taking advantage of the situation,” the Minister of state said.

Singh earlier in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha confirmed that the Maoists have international links.  He said that the CPI (Maoist) has close links with foreign Maoist organisations in the Philippines and Turkey and is drawing support from several organisations based in Germany, France, Holland, Turkey and Italy.

In fact, some of Singh’s observation on the root cause of the spread of Maoism resonates with those made earlier by Team Anna and Maoist supporters, although the latter are silent on the support base of the Maoist. The Union Home ministry, significantly, in a recent study has suggested that development and not force would be a key factor in fighting Maoism.

HISTORIC INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER HAAT REOPNED

BALAT (East Khasi Hills) March 1 – Indians and Bangladeshis today put together all their problem solving skills at task to revive a bygone era of mutual trust and friendship at one of the Mughal-era Border Haat that was reopened here at the Indo-Bangla border.

At the Balat-Dalora border haat, some 95 kms from Shillong; it was a far cry from the early 70s when villagers from both sides engaged in barter trade, before it was closed following thaw in the relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Today, villagers from both sides tried to figure out the tricky currency exchange rate during sale and purchase of items on the first day of trade.

“I need to return a change of Indian Rs 50, so how much would that be in Bangladeshi Taka,” Md. Moksud Ali, a vendor from Konapara on the Bangladeshi side, asked one of the officials of the Joint Border Haat Management Committee (JBHMC.) The official calculated the figure at Taka 78 .56 with Re 1 equalling Taka 1.56 at today’s currency exchange rate.

The minor hitches apart; there was a perceptible air of celebration in this International market of villagers. Villagers from both sides went out of their way to break a decade-old mistrust through their fair trade practises and goodwill. 

The Indians, understandably, showed superior purchasing power with the 25 Bangladeshi vendors doing brisk business in all the items they brought, mainly vegetables, clothes and stationery goods. 25 vendors from India on the other hand brought local produces like betel nuts, vegetables and some stationary items and also did good business.

Earlier, Pynshngainlang Syiem, local MLA from Mawsynram and Chief Executive Member of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council together with Manish Chakma, Additional District Commissioner, Sunamganj district of Bangladesh formally inaugurated the Balat-Dalora haat.

Syiem said it was a “personal satisfaction” for him today as he tried to revive this historic border haat right from the early 2000 when he was the Syiem (traditional chief) of Hima Bhowal. “I hope that the people would take this opportunity and improve their livelihood. Today is a small beginning, but we want to take this decade-old trade relationship forward. ”

Echoing Syiem, Chakma said, that a “new ear has opened.” It is a small, but a good beginning and this would help the villagers in the border areas economically and moreover, cement ties between the people of the two nations.”

The Balat-Dalora border haat, in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district adjacent to Bangladesh’s Sunamganj district, is the second one to be reopened between the two countries in Meghalaya sector. The first border haat was reopened in Kaliachar-Baliamari in West Garo Hills district in Meghalaya, adjoining Bangladesh’s Kurigram district.

 “We are opening banks on our side for the villagers to exchange the currency. UCO bank would set up their branch near here,” D Wallang chairman JBHMC (India) said pointing to an area near the border haat. The Bangladesh side too would have its own bank (Janata Bank) on its side.

Apart from the vendors, the JBHMC allowed 300 Bangladeshis and a 1000 Indians to market in the haat in the first day. The Indians were allowed one and half hour to do their marketing.  The numbers would change in due course of time, officials from both countries said. 

MEGHALAYA GOVERNOR SINGS STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER...!

“Let me take you down, ‘cause I’m going to the strawberry field'…" Meghalaya Governor, Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary seems to be humming this legendary Beatles song these days on his way to his Strawberry fields at the Raj Bhavan.

 

Mooshahary, the former chief of the National Security Guard and Border Security Force, who led many operations against the bad guys revealed the softer side of his personality and said he has been farming the “fruit of love” at the Raj Bhavan for sometimes now.

Mooshahary, who was speaking at the Strawberry festival held annually by the Meghalaya horticulture department and the Ri-Bhoi Strawberry Growers’ Association, said he has managed to farm at least 100 kg of Strawberry at the Raj Bhavan fields. The Governor said that the amorous fruit is not just economically viable, but also has tremendous health benefits.

In terms of nutrition, Strawberry has some of the essential vitamins needed for good health. The fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C and energy.

As part of Meghalaya’s horticulture development programme, Strawberry cultivation has been given tremendous support by the State Government.

The cultivation of the fruit was introduced as a pilot project in Ri-Bhoi district and is now a major agro industry for some of the growers in the State. Currently, Meghalaya is the largest producer of Strawberry in the Northeast.

Mooshahary said the Government’s effort to promote the cultivation of the fruit is laudable. “Growing Strawberry should not be viewed from the commercial angle alone, but also from the health aspect as it contains lots of nutritional properties,” he said.

 

He said growing Strawberry has definitely improved the economic standard of the farmers in the State. "Cultivating Strawberry cultivation has contributed to the welfare of the people,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the annual strawberry festival has become  a tourist attraction and also provides a platform  for the farmers to interact directly with the buyers. C Rangad, Director of Horticulture said, some of the farmers in Ri-Bhoi were earning substantially due to the huge demand for the fruit, which has been steadily growing over the years. 

RAMAKRISHNA MISSION, SHILLONG TO SET UP VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE

The Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) would set up a centre focusing on “employability training” courses for the youths of the State.

The foundation of the training centre would be laid by Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary and Union Minister for Water resources and Minority Affairs, Vincent Pala on April 27 at the RKM Vivekanda Cultural Centre at Quinton Road.

The day marks the 150^th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekanda and the platinum jubilee celebrations of RKM, Shillong. It also coincides with the 111^th anniversary of Swami Vivekanada’s visit to Shillong.

“The training centre would focus on special training courses such as disaster management and others where the employability issue has been considered,” Swami Achyuteshanandaji, Secretary RKM, Shillong said.

Informing that the RKM runs 600 schools and colleges throughout India, he added, that in Sohra (Cheerapunjee) region alone the mission runs 73 schools catering to over 10,000 students.

The monk added that RKM would submit a memorandum to the State Government for financial assistance for the construction of the building. “We do hope that the State Government would assist us financially for the institution,” he said.

Moreover, the Mission has also said that it would coordinate with the State Government in its effort to save the house in Laban where Swami Vivekanda stayed during his visit to Shillong. The dilapidated house is involved in litigation and requires urgent restoration work.

“A large number of tourist visits the Meghalaya from West Bengal (WB.) If this house is restored by according it a heritage status then it would boost the inflow of tourist from WB. We can coordinate with the State Government if required,” Achyuteshanandaji stated.

NE INDIA TAKING THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY

With connectivity being a major road block in northeast India’s development, the region is veering towards the Information Highway through an ambitious Rs. 15000 crore telecom sector revamp project.

The idea is to nullify the geographical disadvantage and hostile terrain and take advantage of the information highway to boost the telecom sector which simultaneously would compliment the development of health, education, civil aviation and banking sectors.

The recommendation of the project proposal is in the initial draft stage of a working group of the National Advisory Committee (NAC), PP Srivastava, member North Eastern Council said here today. However, the working group has already requested the Telecommunication department to have a “separate telecommunication development plan” for the region.

According to a World Bank study, there has been a 1.4 per cent increase in GDP growth for every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration as the information highway compliments the development of other core sector tremendously.

Under the project, the current Internet Protocol version (IPv)-4 would make way for the latest IPv-6. The State capitals of the region would get a bandwidth of at least 1000 Gigabyte (GB) from the main link and the State district headquarters, 40 GB link speed. The connectivity link from district headquarters to the block level would be 10 GB.

Moreover, the Northeast region would get a 10 percent share from the National Fibre Optic Network (NFON) scheme which has an earmarked budget of Rs. 20000 crore. NFON would provide broadband services right up to the village level.

Alternatively, State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is engaging with its counterpart in Bangladesh to have an Internet gateway connecting Guwahati and other cities from Cox Bazaar, Bangladesh. The region is currently linked with the rest of the virtual world through optical fibre links coming through Siliguri, West Bengal.

“The region needs more than one link, so that uninterrupted Internet services would be made available. On an average, there are 40 breakages of optical fibre daily in the region now,” Srivastava said.

The working group also suggested that all telephone towers must be converted to the latest digitalised units. The help of the Ministry of Non Conventional Energy is being sought to address the issue of power by fitting solar power panels.

The working group said that the information highway would help the region in terms of having better health care services, education, civil aviation and banking services, which were the other priority sectors that were discussed and suggestions noted down for improvement.

“The region’s shortfall in doctors and teachers for higher education can be addressed with the help of information technology. The civil aviation and the banking sector would also get tremendous boost once the telecom sector is revamped with the latest technology,” the senior NEC member said. 

Incredible! India.

Death is the road not taken by some of us fortunately or unfortunately. I too find life and death as two divergent roads. And taking cue from Robert Frost: sorry, I too cannot travel both...

And so keeping with promises, took a 5000 year-old weary road of my ancestral Hindu way of life and headed from Shillong to Allahabad-Varanasi and Gaya earlier this year for someone eternally Dear.

My first port of call - Allahabad. A town with small dusty alleys further roughened by extravagant rickshaws, many old-dented tempos, pony carts, unimpressed Bulls and easy going people - having all the time in the world to chew Bhola Pan and delightfully conversing in the Allahabadi dialect. For further illustration, Amitabh Bachan’s pan chewing dialogue in a movie would suffice.

The Sangam in Allahabad is where we headed for one chilly winter morning. It is here where the three holy Rivers, Ganga-Yamuna- Sarawati confluences.

There were zillions of people near the Ghat (River bank) from every corner of the World. The sight was a humbling experience and at the same time profoundly spiritual.

Somehow, the grief eased a bit, by recalling Buddha when he asked a person to bring a grain of Rice from a home where death has never entered. He returned empty.

Not everyone had gathered at the Sangam with similar emptiness and perform the last rites of their loved ones. There were others longing for Moksha to help in transcending this circle of life and death through difficult regiments.

There were Sadhus who had their body almost covered with the longest dreadlock mankind had known. On the other hand, there were some clothed with just ash. Some with faces painted in a mosaic of colours, which would put a painter’s overused palette to shame.

One hand raised, one foot standing Sadhus. Some skinny, others not, some smoking Marijuana, some with covered mouth breathing the  slightest minimum, while there were those who had not spoken for years. 

There was also a sea of beggars, 

some old and infirm. Kids, dressed as Lord Krishna and Shiva, were happy to be photographed – of course by handing a few rupees to save from the choicest Allahabadi expletives.

There were other men and women selling plastic Jerry cans of different sizes to fill up with water from the Sangam and sanctifying their homes - all these add up to this festival of life and something memorable to take home in the return journey.

The short boat ride, took us to the point of the confluence. Pure emotions washed down there and people jumped into the spot in ecstasy. The Rivers were waist deep at that point. The ashes immersed in the Rivers and the last physical remains vanished lapped up quickly in the vortex.

Hundreds of Gulls circled around the Rivers. People feed these birds with grains sold on the River boats. At this juncture there was an empty happiness for many of the returning pilgrims.

The next stop was Varanasi or Beneras/Kashi, one of the oldest inhabited cities on Earth. This city has been the religious and cultural centre for thousand of years and has many many Temples. It is a nice feeling to wake up to the Temple bells as early as 4 in the morning.

Various saints and scholars like Tulsidas, Ramdas, Sant Kabir, Munshi Premchand and others lived in this ancient city. Still now, mystics, yogis, astrologers, priests, small shops selling the famous Benerasi silk saris, cows, bulls all crowd in this Temple town’s small lanes and bye lanes.

The Kashi-Vishwanath temple is one of the main attractions together with the numerous Ghats in Beneras. An evening boat ride to see the Aarati on DasaswamedhGhat, where Lord Brahma is said to have sacrificed ten horses to celebrate the return of Lord Shiva on Earth, is one of the biggest attractions of Beneras.

Sarnath is another place of attraction where Buddha delivered his first sermon to five of his disciples after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.

Both Allahabad and Beneras have a low crime rate I was told and moving around alone is therefore relatively safe, provided we don’t keep our common sense locked in the hotel’s closet. Allahabad and Beneras in Uttar Pradesh are therefore précis of the old India.

And finally, the ancient city of Gaya in Bihar right from the days of the Ramayana and before. The name Gaya is derived from Gayasur, the holy demon killed by Lord Vishnu using the pressure of his foot. Lord Rama during his 14 years of exile came to Gaya for Pitripaksha orPinda Daan (oblation to the departed soul of forefathers) after the death of his Father Dasharath.

This tradition has gone on from the days of the Ramayana and thousands of people touch down on this holy land every day mainly for Pinda Daan at the Vishnupadh Temple, where Lord Vishnu’s foot imprint on Gayasur, said to have turned into the present day hills of Gaya, is embossed. The Temple is situated on the banks of River Falgu. Moreover, people from all over the world also touch down at Gaya to visit Bodh Gaya.

However these days, Gaya is the place of the dead soul, literally. Death is a commodity where the soul is profitably chewed as the Gutka and hurled out addictively at the unsuspecting pilgrim seeking Moksha. The bleeding surroundings of this ancient town are testimonials to this irony.

Dropping anchor on this ancient town is like stirring a priest-porter-pimps’ nest. They would promise of taking a pilgrim to anywhere from Heaven to Hell and hurl them back to Earth to find the nearest police station to lodge a complaint of a lighter pocket with a heavy heart.

It is a sad commentary how this holy land has been defiled by a handful, whose scriptures have no meaning about India’s ancient philosophy and the Ministry of Tourism’s theme: Athithi Devo Bhava (the Guest is God.) Some of these priest and pimp mafia are crouched to inflict incredible pain on the Athithi with their behaviour, rudeness and corrupt ways.

During Pinda Daan, the first part of the ritual is to fetch water from the banks of the Falgu River. The River is extremely polluted - a mild word considering the dogs, cattle and human filth all around the dark waters of the River.

The next generation (kids) are positioned to greet the pilgrims on the banks. They trample over each other with tin cans to forcefully sprinkle a white liquid claiming to be milk on the water pots. Then constantly harass for money and even threaten pilgrims who refuse to pay, covertly supported by gangs in the vicinity.

Inside the Temple complex, the shopkeepers, priests and the pimps are all there in the wait thereafter. They audaciously intimidate, if they don’t get to fleece.

In one such outrageous episode, an old pilgrim was heckled and abused by a gang of so-called priests during the rituals. The pilgrim’s fault was that he mentioned his ancestral place incorrectly.  SO…!?

So, they were upset because once a pilgrim give details of an ancestral home, it is a particular band of priest who performs the Puja rituals for that area. Since the previous mentioned address differed, it hurt a group’s income for the day and therefore was abused and was on the verge of being beaten up. There are numerous other instances of such harassment in Gaya everyday and some are frightful.

Union Tourism minister, Subodh Kant Sahai announced during a recent press conference at Shillong that India would focus on spiritual tourism. Therefore, the Union ministry has proposed a package of Rs. 2200 crore from the 12^th five year plan for development of the tourism sector. He said the target for India is to get 73 million tourists by 2016 from 2010’s figure of 53 million.

Well then someone has to do something more than merely pumping money and getting a filmstar on TV to speak about an Incredible India and how not to treat an Athithi both from within the country or from outside. In fact, Gaya is not the only place where tourists are abused and harassed, some with fatal consequences.

Some of these gangs need to be taken on an exposure tour to perhaps a Bodh Gaya - an extremely blissful place for a spiritual tourist. How on Earth, two places situated just 12 kms away be so different is as puzzling as the crop circles.

 

At Bodh Gaya, there is no forcefully Daan-Dakshina, the Temple management staffs are friendly and know their homework precisely. It isn’t hard to reach the extra depth of the pocket in such places of worship.

Sitting down for a five hour train journey to reach Kolkata, the train bleated a sound of relief almost screaming: “Holy Cow! We are out of here.”

As the train fled from the Station, the mind was spammed with eulogies written about Nitish Kumar why he should be the next Prime Minister of India. Kumar and other Netas of this country have failed to instil amongst the people a feeling of oneness and empathy…to respect the basic tenants of humanity in Incredible India.

The simple teachings of our ancestors seemed to have become just another chapter that helped clear our standard III exam in school perhaps.

Is that the case or should we try to imbibe the meaning of those lessons like one of the Dohas of Sant Kabir, which says: Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mu/ Pandit Bhayo Na Koye/Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke Jo Padhe/ so Pandit Hoye.None become wise reading just books and scriptures/ only those are wise who speaks the language of love.