Life of Chidaogre tribe

Far away from the hustle and bustle of a modern city f Shillong, Chidaogre village in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, located about 25 km from Tura is one such destination. The people of this tribal village have their own legends to tell, which will mesmerise any visitors to this ancient and rare location.

This small hamlet is located at the foothills of Rangira peak, home to exotic variety of flora and fauna. It has a population of 47 households.

Food is life. The Garo delicacies are hot. The mouth watering foods comprises of meat with lots of chillies. The main dish is called the Kappa, mainly made out of chicken, beef, fishes and pork. The Garo cuisine is varied, but chillies though remain the main item in most cuisines.

Fishes cooked in fire inside Bamboo called Brenga taste delicious. This dish can make your taste bud crazy about the item. Definitely, you would like to learn how it is being prepared. It is mostly prepared from local fishes found in the nearby streams and rivers of Garo Hills.

Nakam or the dry fishes is part of their diet. It is served with the food at lunch or dinner. Without Nakam, the food table in Garo village is incomplete.

The tribal in north east are known for their perfection in brew preparation. This is used as a refreshing drink and is intricated with their colourful life and culture. You can taste all this food and sit for a relaxed evening with Garo music and engage in dance after getting high on Bittchi and Dikka. These are made out of rice and fruits.

If you would like to go deep down into their culture, make a Garo friend, and go along with him to the village. The villagers has their own legend to tell about their customs and traditions. Where do you get this first hand information from? Most of the traditional are in its oral form.

With modernisation and advent of christianity, almost 95 per cent of the Garo tribes are now converted. It has therefore become rare to find the unconverted Garos or the Songsareks. Chidoagre is one such village, where we find these humble, hospitable and colourful people.

These people have their own form of religion, culture and tradition. However, the unique tradition of the Songsareks is fast diminishing. The villagers of here are yet to be converted.

Marson Momin and Zingon Momin are two such people, who are aware of the fact that their culture and traditional beliefs is disappearing and in a few decades from now, their rich cultural tradition will only be read in books.

Scholars and researchers are engaged in preserving the tradition of the Songsareks, Chidaogre is an example of their initiative. Zingon Momin says "People (Sahib’s) very often visit our village and spend the whole day with us engaging themselves in enjoying dikka (rice beer) and merry making."

It is an exemplary village in Garo Hills, where the Songsareks life style is evident. The people live in Songsarek architect bamboo houses. The bachelor’s house ’Nokpante’, the ceremonial structure ’Amua’, the statue build in memory of the departed one ’Kima’ and what more do we need to know about these people.

All are evident. Anyone who visits this village will be thrilled to learn and experience their stories and at the end of the visit will say, "We’ll come again soon."

Source: MERINEWS

Foreign NGO in Mizoram

Several charitable institutions, moved by the distress of Mizo villagers in the aftermath of the crop loss, will mobilise food relief for them.

The flowering of the bamboo plants in Mizoram is a queer ecological phenomenon that takes place every 48 years. The drove of rats, which feed on the fruits of the bamboo plants during this season, attain a sudden increase in their power of libido. As a result, they tend to give birth to more litters of their progeny, which rampage in the agriculture pastures, thus giving rise to crop failures.

Already two such overseas relief agencies are in Mizoram to render food supply to the villagers, who are now reeling under the famine. .

According to official reports from Aizawl, the Salvation Army, an evangelical body, has decided to set up 10 fair-deal centres in the remote areas of the state. The members of a Canadian NGO, Canada Norlyn Audio Vision Service, are already in the state scouting for the ravaged habitats there to distribute packaged food among the famine victims.

Stuart Roger Spani, a director of this NGO, who has arrived with four other volunteers, said their food relief articles, would be brought from Montreal and Ottawa.

Mike Cafful, a field operation specialist from the London headquarters of the Salvation Army, is already in the state to oversee the charity drive. He said the relief food materials would be distributed at half the price of their prevailing market rates.

Food and civil supplies minister Sangthuma said such foreign and national relief NGOs are welcome in his state in times of crisis. Mizoram Governor M.M. Lakhera also expressed his concern at the food crisis looming large in the state in the wake of the mautam.

He said the Centre had reduced the rice quota of the FCI from its earlier monthly level of 6,810 tonnes to 5,000 tonnes at present, even as 90 per cent of the state’s rice harvest was lost last year because of this rat rampage.

He said the state government has decided to release Rs 12.93 crore from the state’s calamity relief fund. The Mizoram government has also taken the decision to hike the weekly ration quota of rice from 2kg to 3kg in view of the crop loss.

Chief secretary Haukum Hauzel said the Mizo National Front government has also decided to distribute rice among the distressed families on credit, which would later be realised through manual labour in the government-sponsored infrastructure projects under the national employment assurance schemes.

Source: TELEGRAPH

North East, Is it Indian or some other countries?

The endearing name Ghaspani (grass and water) was given by the by the British to a foothills village in Naga Hills which connects railhead at Dimapur with the administrative centre at Kohima in the Angami Naga tract.

The British masters, the Assamese, Bengali and Naga guides and their ponies rested at Ghaspani, collected fodder, water and rations before starting the arduous climb along the Zubza valley to Bara Basti Kohima.

A garrison qasba, Ghaspani still gives one a nostalgic feeling of the march of an alien civilisation to the heartland of the Naga people. You may like to spend a night at Dimapur, look up the relics of Hidimbapura and take a car to Ghaspani before entering the gates of Kohima.

I can accompany you to the lovely town, though there are chances that you would be stopped at a couple of places by army pickets and pickets manned by uniformed and armed soldiers of the NSCN (I-M), in spite of the uneasy ceasefire. I do not intend to take you on an arduous tour of the misty Naga Hills, but would recommend climbing the snow laden Japfu peak in winters.

The famous Valley of Flower of the East “Dzukou Valley” is no less attractive than the Himalayan Valley of Flower in Uttarakhand. The added charm is over 142 varieties of orchids in the state that can rival imported orchids from Thailand, if properly exploited and marketed. Naga orchids have not been exploited the way Sikkim has done it. At Dzukou, you shouldn’t miss the multi-coloured largest Indian Rhododendrons. I have not seen such a lush growth of Rhododendrons anywhere else in the Himalayan heights.

Please accompany me to the rural areas to witness the Hornbill Dance and enchanting Naga dances like Serkrayi, Tulani, Tokhu Emong etc, which are as vigorous and enchanting as mainland Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak are. The villagers do not dance to order. You have to please and often tease the belles and lads to don their colourful gear and dance like vibrant animals prancing at the Intaki sanctuary on Myanmar border or at the Fakim sanctuary.

But though most of them are enchantingly beautiful, I would not advocate making advances to any Naga belle. The urban women are globally oriented, and the rural beauties are as mysterious as the mountain mists around them.

Here, I must confess a hidden dream. Had I not been married to my most beautiful wife and not been expecting my second son, by the time we reached Nagaland, I would have preferred a scintillating Chakesang beauty as my life partner. But some dreams better remain in the realm of fantasy.

With no offence to other tribal belles, I noticed a mysterious Pacific touch in the Chakesang people. You have to believe me or accompany me to Pfutsero or nearby Chizami and Cheswezumi. I have often wondered where the belles borrowed the natural rouge hue on their cheeks!

Since Nagaland is itself a vibrant paradise I would not stress on visiting any particular tribal area- the Angami, Chakesang, Ao, Sema etc territories. However, you must accompany me to Sampure on the Myanmar border along the course of Dhansiri River, and witness the mysteries of the snowclad Saramati Hills. Bang on Myanmar border, the beautiful peak invites many climbers. However, you would require special permission to visit the border areas as there are chances of your getting caught in crossfire-of the NSCN factions and Indian army.

Your visit to the Naga Hills would remain incomplete if you did not step into the interiors of a traditional village home. Away from the concrete jungles of Kohima and Mokokchung, I would like to lead you to Wakching village in Mon Naga territory.

Don’t be afraid, there is a motorable road from Nagainimara in Asom to the dirt road-head leading to the hill-top village. A peculiar high profile frontage may greet you, adorned with bleached Mithun horns and human skulls. The Mons and Konyaks were little late in abandoning the headhunting practice. Some gaonburas (village elders) still take pride in showing their forefather’s collection of human skulls from neighbouring tribal villages.

The central fireplace (wood fired) keeps the entire house warm. You are welcome to the first chamber only, where you are cordially seated and served madhu and ruhi. The inner chambers are reserved for family use. One advice; never finish your glass. Your hostess would keep on pouring slightly smelly intoxicants into it, just like the Japanese Geisha does as soon her guest finishes sipping his tea.

Sip slowly and enjoy the smoked dried meat and cocktail of vegetables and pork boiled in wild ginger. The innocent grin on rural Naga faces would transcend you beyond the contorted stone buildings at Kohima and the inscrutable eyes of its people.

Do not be carried away by the sneering Indian remark that the Nagas eat everything that move in the air and on the earth. I have had the pleasure of tasting roasted or fried bee-larva, raw grasshopper, lizards and of course cat, dog, monkey (no offence to Lord Hanuman worshippers) and other animal meat.

Do not shriek. You might have seen such fried and roasted winged and crawling animals hawked in the roadside vends in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries in South East Asia. After all, meat is meat, whether it is crab or cobra meat (with apology to vegetarians).

Oh, yes. If you are an honoured guest, the villagers might even slaughter a Mithun (Yak-Bull family) for you. Mithun was, once upon a time, like the Aryan Cow, a symbol of prosperity and authority.

I would not request you examine the diarchic rule headed by the elected government and grassroots level administration controlled by the machineries of the NSCN Isak-Muivah and Khaplang factions.

These are complicated issues that fox even the seasoned mandarins in Delhi and state politicians and officers, who pay taxes both to the state exchequer and the coffers of Isak, Muivah and Khaplang.

Your enchanting journey is fraught with certain palpable dangers. The Khaplang and Isak-Muivah factions of the NSCN rule the countryside from their fortified and deadly armed camps. The ceasefire agreement does not stop additional arms flow through Bangladesh and the expansion of NSCN territorial influence in neighbouring Manipur, Assam and other tribal pockets in Nagaland.

The Naga tract is conveniently divided between the Indian Army, Underground armed insurgents and some semblance of state administration. Delhi suffers from perpetual amnesia and occasionally wakes up to resume peace talks and declares a ceasefire. What else can you do with a part of “outer India?”

Constitutionally, geophysically and geopolitically these are parts of India. But our minds have not met; our cultures and mutual feelings have not been exchanged. We live like isolated islands in a sea of undefined and vague constitutional oneness. This illusion is both real and unreal.

The dominant Isak-Muivah faction, like the ULFA of Asom, is the father figure of all insurgent groups in the North East, numbering about 114, including nearly a dozen Muslim rebel outfits. The NSCN firepower is increasing by the day and their influence has started taking a Pan-Naga character. The dream of Nagalim- a greater Nagaland comprising Assam, Manipur Naga inhabited areas is considered as a fait accompli.

Behind the veil of the misty hills, a severe fission is in progress. Deft political handling with strict army vigil and corruption free administration are the keys to cooling down the fission process. But a corruption free India is as illusory as the gates to heaven or hell, whichever you prefer to enter.

It is the mainland Indians who must take initiative in drawing these “remote peoples” nearer to their homes and hearts. The North East of India is not only in the northeast of India’s geophysical and geopolitical map. It is, in fact, in the remotest corner of East by North East of our national consciousness. Most us take it for granted that it exists, because the printed map says so.

In reality, it does not exist in our map of mind.

Source: SULEKHA

Adventure tourism in Sikkim

Sikkim is fast emerging as a destination for adventure tourism. Steps to promote it in a big way has ensured employment to many people here. Buddhist monks protest disruption of prayers at Bodhgaya during President's visitSikkim is fast emerging as a destination for adventure tourism. And, the State government's support to promote it in a big way has ensured employment to many people here.

Nesting in the foothills of Himalaya's Sikkim presents a huge potential for adventure tourism, as the River Teesta provides one of the best rafting experiences to the rafters here.And, realizing river rafting's latent potential in the State, Sikkim government with the help of Central government's tourism department has organized a 15 days river-rafting training programme, to generate new source of employment in the state.

Miking A. Lepcha, Trainer, said: "Because our surrounding is filled with flowers and birds, one of our main aims is to include biodiversity eco tourism in our profession."Pem Tshering Lepcha, a river-rafting trainee, said: "I want to do take it up as a profession, which would solve our unemployment problem. This rafting training is very good."

Sikkim doesn't only have one of the best river rafting tracks, it is also the land of third highest peak in the world Mt. Kanchenjunga. The untapped hills are best for promotion of trekking and mountaineering. The State government has carried out a week-long mountaineering training program, giving priorities to the weaker sections of the society.Kazi Sherpa, an instructor with the Sikkim Mountaineering Association, said: "This is the first such course organized by the department of tourism with the technical help of Sikkim mountaineering association. During this course they will learn about how to climb the mountains, fixing the ropes, the variety of food required in mountaineering and other basic techniques."

Amit Taamang, a trainee, said: "We are getting lots of things to learn. This camp is of 15 days. In 15 days, we are going to be taught rock climbing and mountaineering."When, the nature is itself giving so much to one, there is no need of looking for other's help. Sikkim, realizing this fact has started to train its young ones both in the field of river rafting and rock-cum-mountaineering.

Source: The Morung Express

Oscar breaking North East India's Peace

Delhi’s pointsman in the Naga talks, Oscar Fernandez, today said unification of all warring Naga groups was imperative to take the “stalled peace process” forward.

Fernandez, who is in Shillong, to campaign for the party in the forthcoming elections, said disunity among the various Naga factions was the main hurdle in the peace process and that only “unification” would lead to an early solution.

“If all the underground factions join hands, it will be the easiest method to find a solution to the Naga problem,” he said. His statement is likely to give a new dimension to the ongoing controversy in the state over the unification efforts by a breakaway faction of the Isak-Muivah group.

A few members of the NSCN (I-M), led by its former home minister (klo kilonser), Azheto Chophy, recently broke away to form the NSCN (Unification) to try and bring unity among the Naga militant groups. The NSCN (I-M) leadership, however, has questioned the manner the nascent outfit was trying to push the unity agenda and declared a “state of emergency”.

Contradicting national security adviser M.K. Narayanan’s view that the peace process in Nagaland has slowed down, Fernandez said the talks are on the right tracks. “Peace talks are on the right track and we are now dealing with the technical aspects of the talks to arrive at a viable solution.”

He added that a technical committee, comprising government officials and NSCN (I-M) members, has been constituted to arrive at an acceptable formula. “Both sides are working on the technical aspects and we hope that the matter will be discussed in the next meeting to be announced shortly.”

The Congress leader, however, avoided speaking on the manifesto released by the party in Nagaland seeking integration of all Naga inhabited areas, saying he was yet to see the manifesto.

“I have not seen the manifesto and during my trip to Nagaland, I will find out the content of the manifesto.” Asked further on the party’s stand on the matter, Fernandez said, “It is a sensitive issue. If you have a copy of the manifesto, I am eager to see that”. On the spurt of violence in Nagaland, Fernandez said the government was taking steps to check violence.

Source: The telegraph

Ray of Hope for Mizoram Sex Worker

For scores of women sex workers in the Christian-majority state of Mizoram, a church supported night shelter run here has turned out to be their only ray of hope.

"The night shelter is aimed at helping sex workers return at night to a secure home. Most women who took to prostitution were driven out of their homes," said Major Lalngaihawmi, who is in charge of the Salvation Army-run home.

The Mizoram AIDS Control Society helps the Salvation Army - an integral part of the church working towards the advancement of religious, educational and other charitable missions - in running the shelter.

"Our home is open at night for any woman, especially for the displaced and those who do not have proper shelter to sleep. They can stay at the home as long as they want for free," Lalngaihawmi said.

An average of 10 women come to the night shelter daily, besides seeking help for starting a new life. Some are willing to return to their own homes.

"This home is more than a counselling centre. We not only try to make these women come to the mainstream of life, but also do reconciliation work with their families to accept them once again," Lalngaihawmi said.

"We never criticise or look down on any woman, nor do we turn away those who have faced the courts and numerous humiliations. We genuinely try to help them return to a normal life," the Salvation Army official said.

During the day, the home acts as a drop-in centre for sex workers.

"We have three peer educators who provide information and spread awareness about implications of drug addiction and sex-related diseases," senior home in-charge Lalnunmawii said.

A 35-year-old mother of two who lived in the home is now a reformed woman.

"This shelter and the counselling made me get rid of my horrible night life. Now I am looking forward to starting a small business in my village," said the woman who did not want to be named.

According to various estimates, there are over 1,000 commercial women sex workers in Mizoram, including around 300 in Aizwal, a majority of them divorcees and drug addicts.

177 villages in Mizoram ravages by rodents

Thousands of rats have destroyed rice fields in Mizoram, fuelling fears of a famine in the region. "At least 177 villages have been ravaged by armies of rats in the state this year. About 70 villages that bore the brunt have nothing left to harvest now," according to Mizoram Agriculture Minister H. Rammawi.

At least 65 villages have lost half the harvest while 42 villages have experienced low intensity destruction.

Mizoram, with about one million people, is dependent on agriculture. Rice and vegetables are the dominant crops.

"In a single night the rodents can clip the ears from every rice stalk in a field," said James Lalsiamliana, plant protection officer of the state's agriculture department and head of the rodent control cell.

Reports of rats destroying farmlands follows vast forests of bamboo bursting into flower in many parts of the state. When bamboo flowering takes place, the rat population shoots up, leading to an invasion of granaries and paddy fields.

The Mizoram government has warned that a famine is going to hit the mountainous state.

The phenomenon of bamboo flowering occurs every 48 years.

According to tribal legends, when bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Behind the superstition probably lies some truth as blooming bamboo does trigger a rodent invasion that feeds on stored food.

"There is an alarming increase in rat population that has devoured not only paddy but also maize and other crops. During last year's harvest when bamboo flowering began in the eastern part of the state, more than 60 villages lost their entire crop," Lalsiamliana said.

In 1958-59, a famine in Mizoram resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides causing heavy loss to human property and crops. The famine, locally known as Mautam, broke out after bamboo flowering.

Historical accounts say Mizoram recorded a similar famine in 1862 and again in 1911 following similar bamboo flowerings.

"The state will now have to arrange financial support for these areas," said Lalsiamliana. The agriculture department has projected a minimal 80 percent crop destruction out of the total projected harvest across Mizoram this year.