We show scant respect for indigenous communities like the nomads and the knowledge and earth-friendly practices they have perfected over generations. On the other hand, we try to fit them into our narrow mental moulds. It is time we respected their opinions and wisdom. Travellers in North India frequently encounter groups of nomadic or semi-nomadic pastorals such as van gujars, bakkarwals, bhotiyas or gaddis with their flocks of buffaloes and cows, sheep and goats. In addition, there are non-pastoral nomads like the artisan community of gadoliya lohars as well as some nomads associated with acrobatics and folk-dance. All of these…
Author: oiop
It sounds highly unpalatable, but there is no gainsaying the fact that urine therapy has its proponents. A. Radhakrishnan urges us to get over our revulsion and adopt this miracle cure. I was young when I first heard of the term ‘urine therapy’. I had balked in disgust. Then I heard that our then Prime Minister Morarji Desai used to consume urine regularly and also bathe with it! My dam of disgust burst, and I sniggered with my friends at the thought. This was till years later when I came across Dr. G.K Thakkar, a Bombay tax consultant and advocate,…
The Northeast region in India lacks good infrastructure and environment for sports, yet it has produced world class sportspersons who make India proud. Pabitra Gogoi refreshes our memories about these sterling athletes. THE Northeastern region of India may be termed as a hub of sporting talent. In 1946, the All India Football Federation handed over the responsibility of leading the Indian football team in the London Olympics to none other than Dr. Talimeren Ao, then T Ao, who was doing his medical graduation in Calcutta (now Kolkota). A frontline defender in the Calcutta league, donning the colours of the Mohun…
India has big plans for her Eastern neighbours, most of which will be implemented through the Northeast region of the country. How far these projects will benefit the Northeast, and whether New Delhi can make a shift in its traditional perception of this region, only time will tell, says Nitin Gokhale. THE attitude of the people in rest of India towards the Northeast has been like our treatment of a distant relative who exists in the mind, but about whom we know precious little. Our knowledge about this relative is often based on misinformation, half truths and innuendos. That’s exactly…
The Northeast film industry is eighty years old, but lack of patrons, multiple languages and dialects which create barriers, and the overwhelming thrall of Hindi films have eaten into its legitimate market. Utpal Borpujari bemoans this, while saluting the spirit of the extraordinary filmmakers from this region. Far, far away from the glitzy world of Bollywood and its equally sparkling cousins in the South, there exists a filmmaking “industry” that’s 80 years old – or young if you would – and yet is largely unknown to the outside world, barring the limited eclectic world of film festivals. This “industry” lives…
The Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a precious haven of biodiversity. While years of Bodo insurgency have taken a toll on the wildlife, especially the rhino population, slowly the reserve is limping back to some normalcy. Bittu Sahgal chronicles the reserve’s travails. In May 1996, I walked across a burnt bridge and saw the mayhem that had been unleashed on Manas. I spoke with forest guards who had lost friends and inspected guard huts that had been razed to the ground. There were no more rhinos left in Manas, I was told. Yet, the…
The soldier saint (1928-2014) Joginder Singh Bakshi was born on 10 March 1928, and graduated from King’s College, Lahore. He was the fifth generation member of the family to join the army, and was commissioned into 5 JAT in June 1950. He got married to Ranjit Kaur in 1957. He was later transferred to 16 JAT and took over the command of that unit on 7 June 1966. The unit had been engaging in counter-insurgency operations in Nagaland and Manipur from 1963 onwards. The battalion moved to Mizoram on 20 October 1967 to continue operations against the Mizo hostiles. It…
The Northeast region of India is largely unexplored, remote and breathtakingly beautiful, though often its connection to the rest of India seems as tenuous as the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as the ‘chicken neck’, which is the gateway to this region. The Northeast is astoundingly pristine, with a rich and unique biodiversity and even a few UNESCO heritage sites. But not many Indians have travelled to this paradise. It is time they did, even if it is just to clear some misconceptions and get acquainted with a region and a people who are an intrinsic and valuable part of…
It is time to look at India’s Northeast region afresh. The region is rich in natural wealth and potential, but the people are distrustful of mainland India’s intentions. Also, not much effort has gone into exploring the advantages of the close proximity of this region, to Southeast Asian countries. The recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his promise of ‘Look East, Act East’, certainly holds out some hope. Shyamkanu Mahanta explains the advantages of establishing infrastructural and economic links with the countries bordering the Northeast, and how the Northeast can benefit from such links. The Northeast India is…
The ongoing conflicts and liberation movements in Northeast India were triggered by various causes like immigration into the region, ‘exploitation’ of the region’s resources by the Centre, and the increasing feeling of alienation from the rest of India. Prof. M. Amarjeet Singh examines the issues closely and concludes that any peace accord in the region has to involve all the relevant groups to be successful. When British colonial rule in India came to an end, the Nagas protested against integration into newly independent India, and even started a movement for disassociating themselves from India. They were subsequently joined by other…