Heritage July 2016Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, etc are set to address many of the riddles associated with the civilisational history of Bharat. The civilisation that was spread

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Heritage Explorer July 20163

Edited by : Amarendra Brahma,C/o. Heritage Foundation, K.B.Road, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati-781008, Published &Printed by : Narayan Dev Sarma on behalf of Heritage Foundation, K.B.Road, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati-781008,Published at: Heritage Foundation, K.B.Road, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati - 781008 (Assam). e-mail:[email protected], Website: www.heritagefoundation.org.in, Printed at: Arindam Offset & ImagingSystems, Rajgarh, Guwahati - 781003 and Angik Press, GNB Road, Guwahati - 781001 and Saraighat OffsetPress, Bamunimaidan, Guwahati - 781021

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Contents

Or Heritage Foundation.Bank A/c with SBI, Chenikuthi, GuwahatiA/c No. 3400 1979 819

Heri tage ExplorerHer i tage ExplorerHer i tage ExplorerHer i tage ExplorerHer i tage ExplorerA Monthly News BulletinA Monthly News BulletinA Monthly News BulletinA Monthly News BulletinA Monthly News Bulletin

VOL. XV. NO.7, JULY 201628 Pages, Size - A4 Demy

Great to be an Indian! P-5

Indus-Saraswati Civilisation :The Resilient Civilisation P-6

Mizoram govt agress Brurepatriation from November P-9

Unearthing the Missing Links P-10

Sikkim: A Serenity thatis Unconventional P-11

From my Village Diary:A Visit to Khamar andBarakasarng V illages in Assam P-12

Manipur : A day of Remembrance P-14

Rich China’ s a human right sviolator … China runs onpower , prop aganda, p aranoia …India should teach Chinademocracy: Dolkun Isa P-15

ABVKA ’s Vision Documentreleased by Hon’ble Speaker

02nd July , 2016 P-16

History of Naga National MovementP-17

Chief Guest Culture in a Christianstate P-20

Document ary ShowsKonyaks of NagalandRediscovering Root s P-21

International Yoga day : T h eSecret of Sof t Power P-24

The Rat that ate Iron P-26

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Editor

Editorial

Our Country is special in so many ways. Myth logically and historically ourcountry is known for embracing people from off the boundaries seeking a safe roofabove their head, and good thought from all corners of the world. Examples aremany, Sri Daloi Lama and the displaced Buddhists along with him. The first centuryof Christian era saw Christian thought reaching Kerala coast. A king Paramul ofKerala went to Mecca to accept the Islamism and hence the first Masjid in India i.e.Bharat was built on the soil of Kerala.

Kerala is the most literate state in the country. This honour is very goes toMizoram State also; Mizoram mind is trained, taught and emotionally governed bythe Church. So Mizoram can conduct a booth of general election with peace andpleasure even with a single home guard a record unique in its own right.

Mizoram Government, with such a background, has agreed to, and startrepatriation of Bru people, who were once, driven out of the state. These peoplewere twice subjected to inhuman sufferings, not at all because of any fault exceptperhaps being tribal and Hindus. The Hindus, (called Pandits in Kashmir Valley),had faced such a situation comparatively with a higher degree of sufferings (losinglives, properties and human values at the hands of barbaric neighbours.) The CentralGovernment promised the Pandits their homes but it is still a far cry. The presentGovernment in Jammu and Kashmir is 50-50 basis (one 50 is BJP). But theCommunalist forces as strong till date that keeps the home coming of Pandits adistant dream.

In contras to JK, the Mizoram Government has shown their humanitarianoutlook and nationalist wisdom. We heartily appreciate the move of the Governmentand specially congratulate the youth power of the state and guidance of the Church-Vision of universal brotherhood.

We do hope the Mizoram-heritage of humanities will be a lesson to learn forJ&K – people and politicians alike.

Partition of the country was not an invitation by the people but an impositionof a hand power-hungry politicians. So let us feel and gauge the sufferings therebycaused to the Bru people and the like.

Let peace, prosperity and humanity in Mizoram be an example of presentheritage for all time to come.

Humanity – Nationality Combined

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How would we like to take prideas an Indian today? Is it ourconceived sense of patriot- ism,religious faith, value system, ourstanding amongst the worldcommunity or is it our rich past?Or would it be at best a garbledparaphrase? We can measureour-selves against severalbenchmarks of humanachievements. But, are we fastlosing our pre-eminent position, agreat opportunity to capitalise onrich attributes of our muchcelebrated social philosophy –Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - thewhole world is one family. If at allwe would rather view it as amomentary loss of sheen, though!Because inherent virtues are hardto destroy. We have the potentialto emerge as a leader of humansociety in the true sense of theterm, by virtue of not just economicmight or heady accolades of beinga superpower. We need notnecessarily ape the rest of theworld when they seem to be in afrenzy to manage the chaotictimes with seemingly crazy ideas.Instead, we would do well to buildon our rich value system whichhas been evolving and maturingover thousands of years and heldus in good stead. We as a nationcan provide social leadership tobring some order to this chaoticworld. For that we need to put ourown house in order first.

We perhaps are the mostdiverse nation in the world wherepeople of so many different faith,ethnicity, speaking differentlanguages, from differenteconomic strata are coexisting,despite odd instances of natural

- Tarun Chandra BordoloiGreat to be an Indian!

simmering discontent. This itselfis the evidence of our true hallmark- tolerance. There has been agrowing concern though, that, oflate in the rat race for politicalsupremacy and wrestle for powerwe are tending to succumb to theforces of disintegration. Differentspiritual leaders addresseddifferent contemporary socialissues and emerged as reformersin their times. All for nurturing andmeritoring the human societytowards a sustainable future. Theycould not possibly have visualiseda disintegrating human societyand painfully abused planet.

The greatet concern today isthat, many a times, garishlydistorted versions of those pearlsof wisdom of spiritual teachings inthe religious scriptures arepreached to the devout. This couldbe due to the lack of indepthunderstanding of the philosbphicalconnotations of very high order ordeliberate misrepresentation withan ulterior motive-an act ofexploitation of their naivety. It is sadthat often these are used as toolsfor political manipulation.Vulnerable community easily fallprey to such manipulative tacticsand little do they realise that theyare being used, which wouldcause greater misery in the longrun.

When we talk of being leaderof human society, our socialleaders must lead by example. Todo this it will do well to enrichthemselves intellectually on virtuesof rational

demeanour. There areumpteen instances to suggest thatour society is losing its way.

Several instances of waywardbehaviour of our youth has been amatter of serious concern. Ourfocus has to be this section whichis largest in the world in terms ofour population. We have to ownresponsibility for the way they aretoday. Perhaps we have failed tolead them the way they deserveto be. They are our treasure ofenormous possibilities. While it isa potent source of energy, it is veryvolatile too. Their issues are beingdeliberated upon and policies tooare being formulated from time totime. Undoubtedly, those are ofimmediate priority. But those alonewill remain woefully inadequateand ad hoc unless sustainablechanges can be brought about inrefurbishing the systemicarchitecture which wouldeventually impact their behaviouralpattern. One can easily sketch aportrait of the emerging scenariohaving observed the way certainsituations are being reacted to. Lifetoday is casting a derangedimpression of success and failure.For example, horrific stories abouttaking own life for not securing acompetitive score or finding difficultto cope with pressures ofacademic demand of very highorder are quite common featuresthese days. These perhaps couldbe aptly construed asconsequences of gross abuse ofmental faculties in the formativestages. While they are beingsubjected to intense pressure,purportedly to ‘manufacture’ top‘achievers’, where is that inbuiltstructural fail-safe mechanism tocause release of such explosivepressures. May be it will be

(Contd. to Page 22)

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Generally, ruins do not tellanything but the recentexcavations going on in more than500 sites in Haryana, Punjab,Rajasthan, Gujarat and TamilNadu, etc are set to address manyof the riddles associated with thecivilisational history of Bharat. Thecivilisation that was spread overfrom Indus Basin of present dayPakistan to the north-easternBharat upto the Arabian Sea hadposed many questions forresearchers of human history. Firstly, it is going to change thecalculation of timeline ofcivilisational history, which untilnow was believed to be 5,000years old, now will be consideredmore that 8,000 years old. Theclimate reconstruction atBhirrana demonstrates that someof the Harappan settlements inthe Ghaggar-Hakra Valley are theoldest in Bharat and probablydeveloped at least by the ninthmillennium before present, over alarge landmass. Hitherto, rejectedand referred as ‘mythical’ byestablished historians, the theoryof ‘Saraswati’ river will also getscientific basis through thesefindings. More than 500 sites ofHarappan settlements have beendiscovered in this belt during thelast hundred years. Of theseseveral sites both in India viz.Kalibangan, Kunal, Bhirrana,Farmana, Girawad and Pakistanviz. Jalilpur, Mehrgarh inBaluchistan, Rehman Dheri inGomal Plains have revealed earlyHakra levels of occupationpreceding the main Harappanperiod.This is nothing but theratification of SaraswatiCivilisation that shaped the largerconsciousness of Bharat as a

Indus-Saraswati Civilisation : The Resilient Civilisation

nation.

The similar set of excavationsgoing on in Shivaganga region ofTamil Nadu has also connectedthe cultural threads of our diversebut integral culture. If the findingsrelated to the carbon dating andcivilisational specificities to bebelieved, then it is going tochange the whole narrative aboutour ancient history and so themodern political discourseassociated with it. Moreimportantly, the civilisation aboutthe continued survival ofHarappans at Bhirrana suggestsadaptation to at least onedetrimental factor that is monsoonchange. The adaptability andflexibility of this civilisation hasbeen the cardinal feature whichcontinued over the period of time.As Prof K N Dixit, Chairman ofIndian Archeological Associationsays, “The carbon-14 dates fromBhirrana pushed back the primaryurbanisation in Saraswati Valleysomewhere to the middle of 8thmillennium BCE in the time rangeof C.7500-8200 BCE.”

These two factors will not onlycompel us to relook at our ownhistorical timeline but also willburst many myths created by theBritish historians and nurtured bytheir left-liberal prodigies.

Arati Deshpande Mukherjeeexplains the scientific basis ofthese excavations.

Archaeology defines History

The rise of the post-NeolithicBronze Age Harappan Civilisation5,700 – 3,300 years beforepresent, spread along the IndusValley of Pakistan through theplains of North-West India,

including the State of Gujarat andup to the Arabian Sea. So far, itssubsequent decline has remainedan enigma in archaeology. In theIndian subcontinent, the majorcentres of this civilisation includeHarappa and Mohenjo-Daro inPakistan and Lothal, Dholaviraand Kalibangan in India. In recentyears, excavation at Rakhigarhiand few other places indicate thatthe civilisation probably was moreexpansive than thought before.

While the earlier phases of thecivilisation were represented bypastoral and early village farmingcommunities, the matureHarappan settlements were highlyurbanised with several organisedcities, developed material andcraft culture having trans-Asiatictrading to regions as distant asArabia and Mesopotamia. The lateHarappan phase witnessed largescale deurbanisation, populationdecrease, abandonment of manyestablished settlements, lack ofbasic amenities, anddisappearance of Harappanscript. Many archaeologistsbelieve that weakening of thesummer monsoon after 5,000years and a major drought around4,200 years throughout the Asiaprobably were the reason behindthe Harappan collapse.

The recent study by a team ofresearchers from IIT Kharagpur,Deccan College PGRI, Pune,Physical Research LaboratoryAhmadabad, Birbal SahaniPalaeobotanical Institute,Lucknow and ArchaeologicalSurvey of India (ASI) shows thatthe civilisation itself was mucholder than thought before goingback to 8,000 years before

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present and probably climate wasnot the only cause of its collapse.These findings have beenpublished in the prestigiousjournal Nature Scientific Reportson May 25, 2016. Theunprecedented approach adoptedby the Indian team in this regardwas appreciated by one of thejournal’s reviewers. It isconsidered as a big achievementfor Indian archaeology as well asthe scientific community at large.

The findings come from the Harappan site of Bhirrana in Haryana excavated by late Dr LSRao from the ASI which was partof a high concentration ofsettlements along the now driedup mythical Vedic river valley‘Saraswati’, an extension ofGhaggar River in the Thar Desert.Bhirrana has preserved allcultural levels of this ancientcivilisation from Pre-HarappanHakra phase through Early MatureHarappan to Mature Harappanperiod.

The archaeological materialsspecifically analysed for thisresearch were the large quantitiesof animal remains like bones,teeth, horn cores of cow, goat,deer, antelope etc. recoveredfrom Bhirrana excavations. Theiranalysis was carried out by DrArati Deshpande Mukherjee (thewriter), at the Archaeozoologylaboratory, Deccan College PGRIPune which has helped explorethe diverse ways in which animalswere used by the Bhirranainhabitants.

In order to check the validity ofthe C14 dates previously obtainedfrom Bhirrana additional dating ofpottery from the Early MatureHarappan period by a techniquecalled Optically Stimulated

luminescence (OSL) by Dr NavinJuyal at Physical ResearchLaboratory Ahmadabad wasfound to be nearly 6,000 years old,the oldest known pottery from theEarly Mature Harappan period sofar. The levels of Pre-HarappanHakra phase have been dated tobe as old as 8,000 years beforepresent.

In this area, the monsoon wasmuch stronger from 9,000 yearsto 7,000 years before present andprobably fed these rivers makingthem mightier with vastfloodplains. The study revealedthat the monsoon becameprogressively weaker from 7,000years onwards but surprisinglythe civilisation did not disappear,rather it continued to evolve evenin the face of declining monsooncondition.

It is suggested that theclimate was probably not the onlycause of Harappan declinesupported by increasing evidenceof Harappans changing theirsubsistence strategy by usingshifting crop patterns from thelarge-grained cereals like wheatand barley during the early part ofintensified monsoon to drought-resistant species of small milletsand rice in the later part ofdeclining monsoon. As these latercrops generally have much loweryield, the organised large storagesystem of mature Harappanperiod was abandoned giving riseto smaller more individualhousehold based cropprocessing and storage systemwhich acted as a catalyst for thede-urbanisation of the HarappanCivilisation rather than an abruptcollapse.

In Search of History

Since the discovery of

Harappan Civilisation in 1920s,archaeologists have been tryingto know the origin of thiscivilisation. In 1947, Wheelerencountered a stage prior to thiscivilisation in the defence area atHarappa. But the real early levelswere noticed in 1958 at Kot Diji inPakistan where a full fledged earlyHarappan phase wasencountered. In 1960, in theexcavations at Kalibangan, asimilar level was also noticed andthereafter, this phase was noticedat many sites in Indo-Pak sub-continent.

However, in Haryana, a siteknown as Kunal was found whichwas termed even earlier thanKalibangan and KotDiji. Thiscultural sequence known as pre-early Harappan or Hakra culturewas also reported from Bhirranain 2002-2003. Later on Girawad,Farmana and Rakhigarhi alsoyielded this cultural phase whichis known in archaeologicalparlance as Hakra Ware, anextension of Saraswati Valleyknown as Hakra River inBahawalpurstate of Pakistan, anadjoining area of DistrictGanganagar, Rajasthan. Thecarbon-14 dates from Bhirranapushed back the primaryurbanisation in Saraswati Valleysomewhere to the middle of 8thmillennium BCE in the time rangeof C.7500-8200 BCE.

RL Raikes and RK Karanthfrom the drilling of flood plains ofKalibangan noticed a coarsegreyish mineral which is alsofound in the present day river bedof Yamuna River clearlysupporting that once this riverwhich was a tributary of SaraswatiRiver but later on because oftectonic movement in Himalayas,this river started flowing in the

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Gangetic system of rivers. In2013, Archaeological Survey ofIndia (ASI) in collaboration withDeccan College of Pune initiatedthe next round of excavationswhich are giving the startlingrevelations

The C-14 dates fromRakhigarhi, Girawad etc.confirmed the period of earlyHarappans somewhere to therange of C.4200 BCE onwards. Marshall has put up the beginningof Harappans to C.3000 BCE andas such one can assigned theearly Harappans betweenC.4500-3000 BCE and earlierculture anywhere betweenC.6000-4500 BCE, a transitionbetween Neolithic andChalcolithic requires more workby excavating site in Haryana andRajasthan. Now it is surmisedthat the origin of Indian Civilisationgoes back to the middle of the 8thmillennium BCE.

Significance of SaraswatiCivilisation

The indication of pre-HarappanCivilisation points towards themost ancient civilisation of theworld, perhaps older than theEgyptian Pharaohs. The sciencehas certainly come handy in thissearch for River Saraswati. Thelatest satellite data, includinghydrogeological and drilling dataand also results of isotopic studiescarried out by BARC Mumbai helpus to decipher the course of riverSarasvati. The findings of ISROand NASA also confirm the same.The study also indicated that therise in Himalayas andconsequent displacements in theSiwaliks and its foothills in theform of Yamuna and Sutlej tearfaults was the main cause forultimate drainage desiccation

inthe north-western India. Itdrained through the present dayGhaggar and was flowing parallelto the river Indus as anindependent river system but didnot flow through the presentcourse of Nara.

Interestingly, these findings arenot limited to the archaeologicalexcavations in Bharat but spillingover to similar efforts in Pakistan.In Pakistan a particular potteryknown as ‘mud appliqué’ ware wasfound having a wide distribution inthe greater Indus region,Baluchistan and also in Cholistanarea of lost river Hakra/ Sarasvatiin India which has been termedby Mughal as ‘Hakra Ware’.

Similar pottery has also beenreported earlier from Jalilpur andat a few other places in Gomalplain in regular excavations. Thissuggests that the cultural life innoway was different as the foodgatherers were found using amultiple variety of lithic equipmentwhich were also used profitablybefore the knowledge ofagriculture became verycommon. These nomadic peoplealso appeared to have a longerduration of life because of climaticfactors.

The findings suggest that anorganised civil society, withcentres of pilgrimage, wasprevailing in this period.Archaeologists believe thatRakhigarhi was situated on oneof the banks of three differentpaths Saraswati River adapted. One may wonder why thisexistence of Saraswati River andcivilisation is so significant inhistorical discourse. The simplereason is that Vedas mentionabout Saraswati River. If oneaccepts the existence of such

river then the timeline of ancientscriptures and associated socialdynamics will also change. Eventhe Aryan invasion theory lies flatas per the new finding Vedas pre-date the alleged invasion. Thetimeline given by the Britishhistorians to justify their rule inBharat is also negated by thisresearch.

The Communist historianskeep on negating the veryexistence Sarasvati River andcontinue to do so even after therevelation supported by scientificevidence. It is perhaps becauseof the fear that their ideologicaledifice of Bharat as aconglomeration of nations wouldshatter.

The eminent archaeologistfrom Deccan College of Punewho have been associated withthese excavations with his teamof 20 researchers for more thanthree and half years, says that inthis excavations have come upwith many evidences whichsuggest that Rakhigarhi was theepicentre of Harappan civilisation.Prof Shinde says, “My team didexcavations at two places whichwere turned out to be houses andcremation grounds. They revealedthe culture, constructions andindustrious nature of that society.The ruins are being investigatedat the international level.”

The artefacts found at the sitesclearly show the industrialadvancement in those days. Thebusiness linkages were extendedin other parts such as MadhyaPradesh, Gujarat andMaharashtra of present dayBharat. Initially the hutments werein round shape, in the later periodthey acquire square shape.Lately, there is a usage of bricks

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in construction.

Changing the Narrative

The attempts for solving thecivilisational riddles are not limitedto Haryana but they are rangingfrom Himachal to Gujarat. Theexcavations were carried out inthe Masol Village of Mohali whichis situated in the foothills ofShivalik can turn the basic historyof human existence upside down.

Shivalik mountains have beensuggested to be 16 to 5 millionyears old. Much of present dayHimachal Pradesh is situated inthese hills. Punjab, Haryanaplains sit just below these hills.This area has many perrenialrivers flowing through thesestates. Due to this, the area musthave been rich in vegetation andplenty of water made which hadmade it an ideal place for manyanimals to inhabit.

In fact, a research conductedjointly by India-based Society forArchaeological & AnthropologicalResearch (SAAR) and France’sNational Scientific ResearchCenter (CNRS) and departmentof prehistory of the NationalMuseum of Natural History hasfound rich cache of diversefossils of fauna which is beingdated back to 2.6 millions yearsclaiming them to be the oldestfossils shadowing the ones foundin the Rift Valley of Ethiopia whichare said to be 2.58 million yearsold. If this is true then the roots ofpre-Harppan civilisation can gobeyond 10 thousand years old.That can perhaps burst thecommonly acceptedunderstanding that the first humanspecies emerged in Africa.

The parallel excavations aregoing on in Shivaganga of Tamil

Nadu. A set of four dozen squaretrenches have been dug out, toreveal what archaeologists call asone of the biggest humanhabitations of Sangam Age knownso far. Following the explorationworks on the Vaigai River bed in2013-14, the ASI identified Keeladivillage for excavation. The firstphase of the study done in 2015unearthed various antiquities, ironimplements and earthenware,both foreign and locally made.The broken pottery parts aredating back to 3rd century BCproves foreign trade existed in theregion during the period. Thesimilarity of urban settlementsand signs of business interactions

also burst the myth of Aryan-Dravidian divide.

This changed timeline andnarrative tells a lot about ourcivilisational ethos. The questionis whether ‘eminent historians’who take pride in negating ourcivilisational heritage withWestern prism would accept this.

As Prof Ramesh Bhardwaj ofDelhi University says, “Thisarchaeological data supported byradiometric dates suggested anunbroken history of Bharatiyaculture of minimum last tenthousand years.”If this is true then,the science and archaeologicalevidence should be put forthbefore ideological preferences.

Aizawl, Jun 8, 2016: TheMizoram government hasannounced that it will start theprocess of repatriating 3,445 Brufamilies from six relief camps inNorth Tripura district fromNovember this year, inaccordance with the Road Map-V prepared by the homedepartment.

However, Bru leaders in therelief camps have made certaindemands before returning toMizoram.

A senior home departmentofficial told TOI on Tuesday thatthe Union ministry of homeaffairs had given a verbal nod tothe Road Map-V, which wassubmitted to it on May 17, but thestate government was yet to beintimated about it.

Joint secretary (northeast),ministry of home affairsSatyendra Garg visited

Mizoram govt agress Bru rep atriationfrom November

Naisingpara relief camp inKanchanpur subdivision of NorthTripura district on last Friday andappealed to the Brus to return toMizoram en masse during therepatriation process to beundertaken by the stategovernment.

The home departmentofficials said the proposedexpenditure for the repatriationprocess was estimated at overRs68 crore while the stategovernment still had left asideRs8 crore unspent because ofits failed attempt to repatriate theBrus last year.

Mizoram Bru DisplacedPeople’s Forum (MBDPF)president A Sawibunga has saidhe is not sure if the Brus will beat all willing to return to Mizoramthis time, unless the authoritiesmet a series of demands made

(Contd. to Page 19)

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Archaeologists’ attempts tolearn more and more about ourcivilisation and past habitats andcustoms of the people alwaysbore fruits. Rare findings fromvarious places showed ourglorious past ancient civilisation.Recently, scientists from IIT-Kharagpur and ArchaeologicalSurvey of India (ASI) haveuncovered evidence that theIndus-Saraswati Val leyCivilisation is older than whatwe thought.

In Tamil Nadu, anotherexcavation brings to focus theancient Tamil way of life. Froma non-descript village, Keezhadi,in SivagangaDistrict has gainedan indispensible place in thehistory map of Bharat. This isthe place where an importantpart of Tamil history is beingunearthed by the ASI. A set offour dozen square trencheshave been dug out, to revealwhat archaeologists call as oneof the biggest humanhabitations of Sangam Ageknown so far.Fol lowing theexploration works on the VaigaiRiver bed in 2013-14, the ASIidentified Keeladi village forexcavation. The first phase ofthe study done in 2015unearthed various antiquities,iron implements andearthenware, both foreign andlocal ly made. The brokenpottery parts are dating back to3rd century BC proves foreigntrade existed in the region duringthe period.

The Phase- I study found that

Unearthing the Missing Links- TS Venkatesan

this was an ancient urbanhabitation site. ASI went for thenext phase of excavation atKeeladi. The present excavationfield, a mound specified asPall ichandaiThidal with aperimeter of 3.5 km and ranges80 acres in a coconut grove. Themound at PallichandaiThidal atKeezhadi could be thesignificant trading township onthe trade route linking Madurai tothe port of Alagankulam. Thetrove of Pandya-era artifactunearthed from the 32 quadrantsdug up so far, include glass,pearl, terracotta beads andfigurines, grooved roof tiles,legged quern and early historicpottery like rouletted etc. Theartifact “may provide crucialevidence to understand themissing links of Iron Age to earlyhistoric period and subsequentcultural developments,”said KAmarnath Ramakrishna,superintending archaeologist,excavation branch VI of ASI,Bengaluru.

During the massive secondphase of work, with structureafter structure surfacing fromunder the soil, the massivescale of an ancient urban centrethat l ies buried atPallisanthaiThidal is emerging.Itsuggests that the settlement atKeeladi village could be as largeas the ones in Harappa andMohenjo-Daro.The excavationsshow a well-built urban centrewith many amenities and couldpossibly furnish physicalevidence of life described inSangam literature era. The

excavation is lending muchcredence to the narrative inSangam literature that throwslight on the ancient Tamil way ofl i fe. The l i terature speaksvolumes about the public andpersonal lives of rulers and thepeople of Tamil Nadu some2,000 or more years ago.However, there had been notangible proof in archeology tosupport the Sangam way of life.

Keeladi is coming intoprominence as it is a habitationsite. Archeologists said that thebricks unearthed are of varioussizes 36 X 22 X 5 cm, 38 X 22 X6 cm and 34 X 21 X 5 cm, typicalof the Sangam era. “Throughcomparative dating, we placethis site to be belonging to the3rd Century BC, which is over2,500 years ago. However, theexact age can be arrived at onlyafter carbon dating,” saysAmarnath, who has worked onexcavations in research of IndusValley Civilisation in parts ofGujarat.

Archaeological excavationswere carried out in Tamil Naduearl ier in places l ikeKaveripoompatt inam inNagapattinam District, Uraiyurin Trichy District, Adichanallur inTirunevel i Distr ict andArikkamedu in Puducherry.WhileKaveripoompatt inam wasfamous mercanti le seaportduring Chola era that did roaringbusiness,at Adichanal lur,rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi scriptwas unearthed. Interestingly,most of these were burialsites.

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Someone told me once“beautyis best in its crudest formjust like the fresh colors of dawnwhich collects the debris of nightand presents it to the day…” Rawnature has always beensuccessful to rob a person fromall the worries of life. The samewas the case when I first visitedthis place. A place where theinsignia of mountains melts withthe water of Tista, where theblanket of clouds and mist wrapsthe town and paints it with thecolors of serenity and the peoplewears the clothes of humility andhigh-esteem. People name itGangtok, I call it my second home.

For a person like me who hadnever been alone in a new place,the feeling of leaving my safehaven and going amongststrangers where everything wasnew right from the language to thecuisine was altogether a differentexperience. The journey fromTinsukia to NJP was absorbed bymy own reverie, glimpses of myfamily, my humble abode andeverything about my home towncame flashing throughout. Thejourney from NJP to Gangtokbegan, so was my journey todiscover my second home. Themoment I reached Rangpo, thestrangest thing that attracted mewas a sign-board which said thatSikkim was a smoke free zone andsmoking there was liable for fine.For me it was strange; if only Iknew it was the beginning of manyother strange things to come.

Life began to take its ownpace in this place in no time.Hostel life and universityexperience both were new and so

Sikkim: A Serenity that is Unconventional

was the place. In a short period, Icould call some my friends; friendsfrom different parts of the countryand also a foreign land. Interactingbecame a fruitful experience. Withmy limited experience of travel, thelong chats in the cafeteria mademe take a tour around the countryto lands I have never visited andpeople I have never seen. Everyperson in my batch taught mesomething new about their place,be it Meghalaya, Bhutan, Delhi orPunjab. But the highlight was toknow about the place I was livingin. From the day to day discussionswith my friends that belongedthere, I got to know more aboutSikkim.

Cocooned with the vibrancy ofbeauty, I discovered Sikkim to bea rare blend of culture, values andnatural beauty. It is one of the Indianstates situated in the EasternHimalayan Range. As Prof. A.C.Sinha describes it “is a small statewith 2,818 sq. km … This 113kilometer long and 64 kilometerwide undulating topography islocated above 300 to 700 metersabove sea level. Its known earliestsettlers, the lepchas, termed it asNeliang, the country of caverns thatgave them shelter. Bhotias, theTibetian immigrants called itIho’mon, the land of the southern(Himalayan) slope . The colors oftheir rich culture is vividly portrayedin the dignity of their attire knownas “bhaku”, which is worn notunder any compulsory law butbecause of the pride andconviction of the inhabitantstowards it. The traditional valuesattached to monasteries holdssolid ground for peace and

harmony amidst rush of the socalled modern life. One of such isthe RumtekMonastery located inthe outskirts of Gangtok. Themonument which speaksofreligion, history and beautycurved in its wall can soothe anydisturbed heart at once and boastof its rich heritage and belief inhumanity. Being a place withreligious roots, the monastery stillholds to the body of 16th Karmapamaking it a pilgrimage for peoplearound the world. Monasteries’ notonly represent a religious symbolthere, but also has an intricateculture and heritage affixed with it.One of the best time to visit themonastery is during the festiveseason which begins in Februaryand is known as “Losung”. It iscelebrated in the first day of theTibetan calendar to pray the deitiesfor a better year. The famous snowlion dance (locally known as“Singhichaam”) is performed inthe in the midst of loud cheers andcontagious energy. It feels as if themountains have suddenly becomealive and danced to the rhythm ofdivinity.

Namchi, a small town,speaksof its own tale lays pleasant andsublime in the southern district ofSikkim. The green blanket coversthe place with such magnificentlyinspirational manner that it couldtug the heart- cords of any traveler.Besides, the major touristattractions like the Char-Dham,Sangduptse and temi- tea garden;Namchi has an aura of unrefinedand untouched exquisiteness initself. Every traveler here iswelcomed by the rejuvenation of

- Anee Bhattacharyya

(Contd. to Page 22)

Diary of a student

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Assam’s vi l lages havealways attracted me for theirgreen and clean ambiance andan invitation to visit a village isalways welcome. I had justreturned from Mawlynnong a daybefore when I received aninvitation from my young friendSaurabh Bhuyan, a genuinesocial worker who is involvedwith vi l lagers in theirdevelopmental act ivi t ies.Though little tired after a hectictrip of Mawlynnong and Dawki, Icould not resist the temptationof visi t ing vi l lages whichironically are a part of KamrupMetro distr ict. As planned,Saurabh was dot on time to pickme up from NIRD and we setout for our today’s destinationsabout whom I had no clues. Mr.Manoj Adhikari GM, ASEB wasalso accompanying us.

We started at sharp 9 a.m.and after travel l ing for 25minutes we reached Khetri, amuch talked about place inAssam’s RuralDevelopmentcircuit. We lefthighway and took a right turn toenter a Bodo village. As wepenetrated little deeper, we werewelcomed by sprawling paddyfields laden with grains. Thispicturesque valley reminded meof Someshwar Valley nearKausani, Uttarakhand. Soon wewere in Khamar village. Khamarvillage falls in Dhubguri GramPanchayat of DemoriaDevelopment Block.Bumpy ruralroads could give me a feel whatthis village will look like during

From my Village Diary:A Visit to Khamar and Barakasarng V illages in Assam

- Dr. R M Pant

rainy season which dominatesthe year. Mr. Kulan Ranghng anactive social worker of the villagetook us to his house. Though hishouse was a Kuccha house butcleanliness and use of locallyavailable resources amazedme. ‘This vi l lage has 157households and mostly peopledepend on Paddy andbroomstick cultivation. Piggery,Duckery and Poultry alsosupplement their income levels’,Kulan tells me enthusiastically.Vi l lage has two communityowned fish ponds and about 10privately owned ponds whichprovide subsistence to thepeople of this vi l lage. Fishproduced in Community pondsare shared by villagers throughcommunity act ivi t ies l ikeangl ing/ f ishing day ordistr ibut ion of f ish to eachhousehold. Village has goodperennial sources of water butclean drinking water is aproblem. This problem is furtheraggravated during rainy season.Village has fairly good electricitysupply. Open defecation isnonexistent but ‘pucca’ toiletsare a rarity here. This villageearlier produced good qualityoranges but for last few yearsdue to some disease, orangeproduction has decl ineddrastically and villagers arereplacing orange productionwith rubber plantation. Prof.Bhagwati , former VC ofArunachal University (now RGU)once shared that Narangi areaof Guwahati once had large

Orange orchards whichvanishedpartly due tono accessto scientific horticulture andurbanization of Guwahati. I feara repeat of the same in thesevillages too.

Ladies in the village work onhandlooms but are not able toproduce products for market asthey do not have idea about thelatest trends and designs. Theirproduction is mainly for self-consumption. ‘Streams goingthrough the village hold highpromise for Micro-Hydroelectricity generation plants (.5to 1 MW capacity)’, shares MrAdhikari. These streams alsoirr igate paddy f ields andagricultural products here arecompletely organic. One of thebest thing that this vi l lagereflects is willingness of localpeople to accept new and betterways of doing things.Smokeless Chulhas are onefine example which most of thevillagers are using with theirinnovative modif icat ion. ‘ Iexposed them to thesesmokeless chulhas. They madelittle modification and now theyare experts and can give thissimple technology to othervillages also’, says Saurabh witha deep sense of satisfaction.

Village youth are also tryingsome innovative ideas toconvert this vil lage an eco-tourism destination with ‘Tree-tops’ and also ‘Picnic’ spots areoffered for picnickers duringwinters when people look for

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some serene places to enjoypicnics with their near and dearones.

With a posit ive att i tudetowards development, thisvillage can witness a completetransformation with a fewdevelopmental interventions.

Our next destination for theday was Barakasarng, a villagein under Nartap GramPanchayat. En route we stoppedat Nowkuchi to change ourvehicle. This village in its pristinesetting, has a bowl shapedvalley enveloped by hills from allthe sides. Blue hills and greenfields carpeting this valley is asight that lures nature lovers tothis place. Before we stared ourascent to Barakasarng, westopped for a while to take aglimpse of Tigeria water fall andalso to witness a ‘dancingsequence’ that was being shotthere for an Assami movie.

We parked our small car inthis vi l lage and boarded acommercial vehicle thatcommutes passengers daily toBarakasrng village. Road whichwas constructed using PMGSYa few years back existed onlyin fossil form and bumpy ride toBarakasarng made us realizehow much difficulty villagersmust be facing especial lyelderly, sick and pregnantwomen. After traversing windingbumpy roads we reachedBarakasarng where villagershad gathered in BarakasarngBaptist Church. Paster NavinRanday coordinated the meetingalong with village head and aretired teacher and highlightedtheir problems. Road as we alsoexperienced is a majorconstraint in the way of

development. There are threeSchools, one government runLP school where only oneteacher makes it a complete oneman show. Middle school andanother Engl ish mediumschools have fairly balancedpresence of 5 and 7 teachersrespectively. Village has notbeen benefi t ted by thegovernment schemes l ikeMGNREGS, IYA and SBM.Although open defecation is nota practice people subscribe tobut pucca toilets are still a luxuryhere. To supply drinking waterPHE department created theinfrastructure and water pointsare still there but water never ranthrough these pipes andvi l lagers have to contendthemselves with naturalsources. This village with 104households has a population ofabout 600 people. Out of 104households, 41 are electrified.Graduates number is 4% of thetotal population a small minorityof 2 is pursuing post-graduationand literacy rate is around 50%.Youth are aspiring for jobs.DDUGKVY is a ray of hope forthem. A few gir ls showedinterest in Nursing professionand some wanted training indesigns so that their Handicraftand handloom products becomesellable. Agriculture is themainstay for the people ofBarakasarng. Horticulture isalso a potential area withsporadic orange orchards onewitnesses in the communityforests. Scientific horticulturecan strengthen orange andPineapple production in thearea. Turmeric and Papaya yieldis also fairly good here thatfetches a good price when soldin local markets of Khetr i .

Piggery and fishery are alsopotential areas for incomegeneration of people ofBarakasarng. Bamboos grownhere are supplied to HPCLJagiroad. Broom stick, Rubberplantation is giving a good cashcrops to the villagers. UnlikeKhamar, people of Barakasarnghave no compunctions for‘jhummimg’. They are happy thatthey are getting a good crop ofLesras, pumpkins, laos, kachhuand papaya in jhum fields.

These vil lages fall in theKamrup Metro district, just a fewminutes’ drive from the statecapital Guwahati (Dispur). ‘Sonear yet so far’, this is how theirpl ight can be summed up.Despite close proximity to statecapital, lack of infrastructure isa major bottleneck in the way ofdevelopmentof these villages.Government schemes have notbeen able to make muchdifference in their lives due toprevailing low awareness level.Tal l claims about thegovernment’s successes inel iminating poverty fromAssam’s villages appear to bemere ‘rhetoric’ after visitingthese villages. What offers a‘silver lining in the cloud’ is thewil l ingness of someorganizations both governmentand NGOs to work for thedevelopment of these villages.Sti l l more important is theopenness of village population tonew government schemes andtechnology which promise‘Acchhe din’ for ‘Khamar’ and‘Barakasarng’.

(Dr. R M Pant, Director,National Inst i tute of RuralDevelopment & Panchayati Raj,Guwahati)

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Khongjom Day is celebratedin Manipur on April 23 every yearto remember and pay homage toMajor Paona Brajabashi and theother valiant freedom fighters whomade the supreme sacrifice forthe freedom of our motherland. Itwas on the Khongjom Ground ofManipur that the last battle of theAnglo Manipuri War of 1891 wasfought. It celebrates the historicday when the brave Manipuripeople fought for theirIndependence against the Britishimperial forces and finally theywere defeated. This battle is ofsignificance because eventhough our fighters wereoutnumbered and outclassed,they stood their ground and foughtto the end. It showed to the worldthe patriotic fervour, selflesssacrifice and indomitable courageof the Manipuri freedom fighters.It was the last battle of annexationby the British imperial forceswhich began long ago in 1757 afterwinning the Battle of Plassey anddefeating the Nawab of Bengal.After this, a mercantile companyknown as the “East IndiaCompany” became the ruler of thevast state of India.

History of Khongjom is alsothe history of another Britishvictory. After the First War ofIndependence in 1857, the thenBritish Queen, Victoria made asolemn proclamation known asthe ‘Proclamation of the Queen’that henceforth, the power ofadministering India would betransferred from a mercantilecompany i.e. from the Boards ofEast India Company to the BritishParliament and the BritishSovereign would be responsiblefor ruling India. She further

Manipur : A day of Remembrance

assured in that declaration that in1858 and thereafter there wouldbe no further annexation. Allkingdoms of India which stillexisted then were assured thatthey will be protected, if theyaccept the paramount power ofthe British. MaharajaSurachandra accepted theparamountcy of the British powerbut was caught in a palaceintrigue where he was dethronedand Kulachanddra took over thereign. The brave hero JubarajTikendrajit was leading the fightagainst the British government.

The trouble started on the nightof September 21, 1890, whenAngousana and Jilangamba, twoyounger half-brothers forced theKing, Shri Surachandra Maharajto leave the Palace. Senapati BirTikendrajit Singh who wasanother half-brother of theMaharaja was the spirit behindthis Palace revolt. After thedeparture of MaharajaSurachandra from Manipur,Kulachandradhaja, the Jubaraj,succeeded him. MaharajaSurachandra reached Calcuttaand pleaded the BritishGovernment of India to help himto restore his throne as he hadnot willingly abdicated the throne. In order to bring a reconciliationbetween the two factions, the thenChief Commissioner of Assam,Mr. Quinton gave clearinstructions to the Political Agentto bring the reconciliation and, ifnecessary, to use force. Thereafter, around 200 soldiersfrom Kohima were placed at thedisposal of the Political Agent, Mr.Grimwood.

During the course of

reconciliation between the twofactions, severe fighting tookplace between the Manipuri troopsand the British troops as JubarajBir Tikendrajit bluntly refused thereconciliation. Thereafter, fiveBritish Officers including Mr.Quinton and Mr. Grimwood wereexecuted by the Manipuris insidethe premises of Kangla Fort.

Consequent upon theexecution of five British Officers,the British Government wagedwar against Manipur. Threecolumns of Army were sent toImphal from three directions - (1)Tamu (Moreh) in South-East, (2)Kohima (Nagaland) in the Northand (3) Cachar (Assam) in theWest. In this Anglo-Manipuri War,the forces from the West andNorth advanced to Imphal afterstrong fighting. But in the Southat Khongjom (40 kms away fromImphal), Major Paona Brajabashiand his Army resisted intensely inspite of the larger and superiorBritish Army. Major PaonaBrajabashi along with MajorKhumbong, Chinglensana,Jamadar Loitongba, JamadarKeisa and a number of Manipurisoldiers lost their lives during thewar and the British conqueredManipur on April 27, 1891. Thus,Manipur lost its Independenceand Jubaraj Tikendrajit andThangal General were hanged todeath on August 13, 1891.

After the Anglo-Manipuri War of1891, the administration ofManipur was completely takenover by the British Governmentunder the Governor-General ofBritish India as a ‘Subordinate

(Contd. to Page 23)

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June 8, 2016: As Ramadanbegins, China has applied certainrestrictions on fasting upon selectmembers of its dissident Uyghurcommunity. Uyghur activistDolkun Isa spoke with Aarti TikooSingh about Islam and exclusionamongst Uyghurs, howdemocracies are overlookingviolations of Uyghur rights – andwhy he was recently preventedfrom visiting India:

Why are Uyghurs fightingviolently in China?

Uyghurs are fighting non-violently – the Chinesegovernment has violently crackeddown on the peaceful activities ofUyghurs. For instance, in 2009, apeaceful demonstration wasattacked – and more than 1,000Uyghurs killed by Chinese policeand army.

A small number of Uyghurshave chosen violence against theChinese government. We do notin any way condone such use ofviolence. We find itcounterintuitive for the Uyghurcommunity’s progress. We do notspeak for these people.

But decades of discriminationand repression have led tohelplessness among the Uyghurs.

The Chinese government hasignored this – and continues itsrepressive policies.

Isn’t Uyghur movementcentred around Islamicidentity? How does it differfrom global Islamistmovements?

The Uyghur movement is not anIslamic movement – it is a freedommovement.

Rich China’ s a human right s violator … China runs on power ,prop aganda, p aranoia … India should teach China democracy:

Dolkun IsaEast Turkestan was occupied

and has been under militarycontrol of Communist China since1949.

Uyghurs want democracy andrights – but the Chinesegovernment has implementedpolices to assimilate Uyghurs.Uyghurs’ basic human rights havebeen violated by China.

Today, Uyghur identity isendangered – Islam is only one ofthe main elements of Uyghuridentity.

China has prosperity – areUyghurs not interested?

Uyghurs are certainly notdisinterested. But China touts thatEast Turkestan’s seeing the mostimpressive growth in its history –these lofty pronouncements ignorethe fact that with the massmigration of Chinese settlers tothe region since the 1950s,disproportionate benefits flowaway from the Uyghur populationinto migrant communities.

Knowledge of Mandarin andaccess to higher education remainsignificant barriers for Uyghurs inthe job market. Industries in theregion exclude Uyghurs in favourof the Chinese. The XinjiangProduction and ConstructionCorps, a dominant state-controlledconstruction organisation,employs over 2.7 million people –Uyghurs are only 7% of itsworkforce, despite being nearlyhalf the region’s population.

Government, administrativeand managerial jobs areoverwhelmingly filled by non-Uyghurs. An analysis of 2005census data shows Uyghur

workers on average earn 66% ofChinese counterparts – Uyghurshave really been left out of this‘growth story’ and arediscriminated againsteconomically.

Can’t their socio-economicrights be sought peacefully?

Yes, of course. The problemarises when the government labelsthose who support human rightsas violent extremists or terrorists– as they’ve done to the WorldUyghur Congress (WUC).

The purpose is to shift thedebate from human rights towhether WUC promotes violence.

Why should the Westsupport Uyghurs againstChina?

Clear human rights violationsare committed by the Chinesegovernment – but very little is donebecause of China’s economicpower. Morally, the internationalcommunity – the US, UK and EU inparticular – hasn’t lived up to itsprofessed ethical standards.

Protection of human rights isone of the main values of westerndemocracy. The democratic worldhas a responsibility to supportUyghurs and Tibetans.

China is an economic power –but at the same time, China is achampion of human rightsviolations.

Recently India issued you avisa – but then cancelled it.Why did you want to visit?

Clear human rights violationsare committed by the Chinesegovernment –but very little is done

(Contd. to Page 25)

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The ‘Vision Document for TheJanjatis of Bharat’ and ‘VisionDocument for North EasternRegion of Bharat’ prepared by theAkhil Bharatiya Vanvasi KalyanAshram (ABVKA) the parent bodyof Arunachal Vikas Parishadreleased in a befitting program byShri Wangki Lowang, Hon’bleSpeaker Legislative Assembly ofArunachal Pradesh on 2nd July ina function at Banquet hall,Itanagar.

The function started withLighting of lamp by Chief GuestSh Wangki Lowang followed bylocal prayer sung by the youthteam of AVP. Sh Techi Gubin,Vice President AVP whilewelcoming the Guest anddignitaries also threw light on theorigin and development of theArunachal Vikas Parishad as wellas its social activities.

The ABVKA is founded to bringall the janjati communities of ourcountry at an equal & gracefullevel in all aspects such aseducationally, economically,governance, service sector andso on in context to the othersections of the society, to makethem aware of their duties andrights and to nurture the feeling ofpatriotism in a proper channel. Itaims at creating a sense ofONENESS among all theBharatiyas – tribal, non-tribal,villagers, metropolitans, rich- pooretc. As the ABVKA is working forthe all-round development of allthe tribal communities of ourcountry, it has conducted a seriesof seminars at different levels allover the country to develop aVISION DOCUMENT for ST’s of

ABVKA ’s Vision Document released by Hon’ble S peaker02nd July , 2016 - Tedi Techi

India. Eminent scholars fromvarious sectors such as leadinguniversities, legal experts, socialservice sectors, Bureaucrats,Techno-crates & NGO’s haveparticipated in those seminars;from Arunachal 08 scholars hadattended the national levelworkshop at Mumbai. It covers thesectors of Education, Health,Water management, Forests,Mining, Administration, andReservation policies.

The All India Joint GeneralSecretary of Akhil BharatiyaVanavasi Kalyan Ashram ShriVishnukant Ji in his key noteaddress highlighted the variousissues related to the Janjati (tribal)people of the state and assertedthat his organization has beenworking for the last 65 years toimprove the fate and welfare ofthe tribal people. He further statedthat the principle of “Nation First,India First” is the guiding principleof the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashramand all its service projects.Highlighting the various issuesrelated to the Vision Document,he asserted that the document isnot an administrative guideline,but a reference for prioritization.He opined that only certainservice projects by govt or otherorganizations shall not solve theperennial issues of the tribalcommunities, but there must bea clear vision, dissemination ofthe required information,prioritization of the measures anda strong will power among thestakeholders to bring out therequired permanent solution. Healso referred to the royalty issuesregarding the resources in thetribal inhabited areas and

informed the house that the effortsof his organization led to policyintervention which has facilitatedmobilization of a huge fund ofmore than six thousand croresthrough such royalties for thewelfare of tribal communities,which is even more than the totalbudget of the Union Ministry ofTribal affairs. While referring to theHydro power projects in ArunachalPradesh, Shri Vishnukant ji saidthat although his organizationhasn’t any objections on thevarious other dams being plannedon the Lohit river, it is muchconcerned about the ParashuramKund project as this holy placeand its festivals serve theconnecting links for the rest of thecountry for Arunachal Pradeshand he appealed the state govt todevelop Parasuram Kund in linesof religious tourism. He opinedthat the dams must beconstructed taking into accountthe fragile ecological situation ofthe region.

Addressing the elite audienceon the occasion as Guest ofHonour, Chief Secretary SmtiShakunatala D Gamlin stated thatArunachal has come far awayfrom its NEFA days. She addedthat The Vision document by VKAis in the larger interest of the state.

Our society need to have adebate why the constitutionalprovisions for tribal are notmaterialized. Sustainabledevelopment must be ensured byexploring and exploiting theresources in our areas. We mustnot miss this opportunity to turnour society into a well sustained

(Contd. to Page 23)

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Who are Nagas?

The Naga people (pronouncedas Na-Ga) are a conglomerationof several tribes inhabiting theNorth Eastern part of India andnorth-western Burma. The tribeshave similar cultures andtraditions, and form the majorityethnic group in Indian state ofNagaland, with significantpresence in Manipur, ArunachalPradesh and some smallpopulation in Assam. The Nagaspeak various distinct Tibeto-Burman languages, includingPoumai (Poula), Sumi, Lotha,Sangtam, Angami, Pochuri, Ao,Mao (Emela), Inpui, Rongmei(Ruangmei), Tangkhul, Thangal,Maram, and Zeme. In addition, theyhave developed NagameseCreole, which they use betweentribes and villages, which eachhave their own dialect of language.However, all the official functionhas been conducted in Englishlanguage so far as I know.

Indo-Naga conflict has beenstarted since British left India: TheNagas are the first settler in Nagaancestral homeland and we/Nagahave been living as free nation untilBritish colonization taking place insouth East Asia. Nagas have beenfighting to British and to the Indiaand Burma for their illegaloccupation of Nagalim. The Naganationalism begin in 1918 when2000 Nagas (included from mostthe Major Naga tribe under theleadership of Mr. R.S.Ruichumhao) as labor corps sentby British Government to Francereturned. They together with theBritish officials, formed the NagaClub in 1918 providing the

History of Naga National Movement- Kharingyo Shimrah

sociopolitical foundation for theNaga nationalist movement. Thesocial legitimacy has been a partof the Naga struggle for uniquehistory, political representation anddignity. Starting way back in 1918by the Naga Club, the Naga ethnicmovement was further entrenchedin 1929 when the Club submitteda memorandum to the SimonCommission in which it stated thatthose from mainland India and theNagas have nothing in common.The Naga Club was followed upby the Naga National Council(NNC) formed in 1946 by thecharismatic leader AZ Phizo. Weneed to study what happened toNaga’s Freedom Declaration on14 August 1947 which was anundeniable fact? Why wouldn’t theUN recognize the Nagasindependent Declaration evenwhen it was said to havecommunicated via telegram?

NNC conducted plebiscite in1951 where 99.9% voted for freeNagaland. The period of the 1950s,1960s and the 1970s wereturbulent periods in Naga inhabitedarea with insurgency andcounterinsurgency resulting incivilian deaths. In 1964, a NagalandPeace Mission was formed whichsigned a ceasefire with Phizo, onlyto last till 1968. In 1975, theShillong Accord was signed inwhich the NNC agreed to give uparms and accept the IndianConstitution. Muivah and Swu, whowere then NNC members revolted,and went on to form the NationalSocialist Council of Nagaland(NSCN) in 1980 with SSKhaplang. In 1988, the NSCN splitdue to leadership differences into

the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K).Then came NSCN (U) out ofNSCN (IM), and likewise NSCN (K)split into NSCN (KK) & NSCN (R)in the recent past. At the end of theday, whether it is NSCN (K), NSCN(IM), NSCN (R), NSCN (KK) etcthey are Nagas, they are ourpeople. Thus, the discourse ofNaga’s political movementsuggests that the Naga nationalmovement had earned with blood,sweat and tears. And it wastechnically and forcefullyfragmented and put them into thehands of many internal andexternal actors creating multiplestakeholders so that until all theseslices are brought together, itcannot be put to shape. Thereby, Istrongly advocate for reconciliationand shun factional clashes formoney (taxes collection) andpower (leadership). Listen topeople’s voice and work togetherby leaving all differences aside inorder to attain our goal. There aremany professional experts in theirown field of which collectiveleaderships is an example. Theyknow exactly what is to be done.We ought to respect one anotherand support toward reconciliationfor NPGs. Without peacefulsolution and without unity of Nagasit will be fighting a losing war; andwe must select the deservecandidate to lead our society.

What is the history of theNaga movement?

The British, who annexedAssam in 1826, constituted theNaga Hills district in 1866 andfollowed a policy of non-interference towards the hill tribes.As British paramountcy in India

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ended, AZ Phizo, president oftheNaga National Council (NNC)declared independence on August14, 1947. Since then the Naga Hillshave been in turmoil, and despitecreation of a separate Nagalandstate in 1963, the movement hascontinued. After the signing ofShillong Accord in 1975 by NNCthe NSCN were formed by IsakChisi Swu, Th Muivah andKhaplang. NSCN (IM) and Indiahave Prime-Ministerial talk; in1992, the then Governor, MMThomas, a clergyman fromKerala, made the first successfulmove to get in touch with theNSCN. On June 15, 1995, thenPrime Minister PV Narasimha Raofirst met Muivah and Swu in Paris.A ceasefire was agreed upon withthe Government of India with effectfrom August 1997. Subsequently,former Prime Ministers HD DeveGowda (February 1997), ABVajpayee (September 1998) andPrime Minister Manmohan Singh(December 2004) also met them.At least 50 rounds of talks havebeen held between the two sidesat various levels. Still the talk isunder process but there was noresult at all.

When did the peace talkstake place?

The relentless endeavor of thePeace Mission, actively supportedby the church leaders headed byRev Longri Ao and the liberal helpand patronage of the StateGovernment, finally resulted in anagreement for Cessation of Firesigned by the then Governor MrVishnu Sahay, on behalf of theGovernment of India and thePeace Mission while Mr ZasheiHuire, Mr Biseto Medom and Mr LBenito had signed on behalf of theNNC underground government.Even though the agreement was

officially declared on 6 September1964 by organizing publicmeetings and special prayermeetings all over Nagaland, theactual agreement was signed on23 May 1964 at Sakraba Village inPhek district. The ceasefire waswidely welcomed in Nagaland.Eventually, the level of talks wasraised and the venue shifted toDelhi culminating in six rounds oftalks in 1966 to 1967 between thethen Prime Minister Mrs IndiraGandhi and the undergroundleaders.

The first round was held on 18–19 February in New Delhi and theunderground delegation was ledby Mr Kughato Sukhai, their “PrimeMinister”. The other memberswere Mr Imkongmeren, “VicePresident”, Mr Issac Swu, “ForeignSecretary”, Mr S Angami and MrDallinamo. The final round of talkswith the Prime Minister Mrs IndiraGandhi was held in New Delhi on3 October 1967.

In all peace talks in New Delhi,the underground delegation wasled by Mr. Kughato Sukhai.However, no positive agreementcould be reached as a result ofthese talks. The people becamedisenchanted with the violenceand yearned for peace. After talkswith the NSCN (IM), theGovernment of India heeded thewishes of the people and on 25July 1997, the Prime Minister, MrIK Gujral, in a statement in the LokSabha and the Rajya Sabha,announced a ceasefire with effectfrom 1 August 1997 for a period ofthree months. The ceasefiredeclaration was followed by settingup of a Cease-fire Monitoring Cellto enforce the Ground Rules aslaid down by Government of India.The ceasefire was later extendedfurther. However, according to the

UNPO, in 2009 the NSCNconsidered the biggestimpediment to peace to be therefusal of the government of Indiato officially extend the ceasefire toall Naga-inhabited areas outside ofNagaland. Clashes continuedbetween the Indian army and theNSCN cadre.

Who are the NSCN?

The National Socialist Councilof Nagaland (NSCN) is the councilof Naga people represent from allmost all Nagas tribes which wasformed on January 31, 1980 byIsak Chisi Swu, ThuingalengMuivah and SS Khaplang, whowere all opposed to the NNCsigning the Shillong Accord in1975. But as differences croppedup, Khaplang moved out to formthe NSCN(K) on April 30, 1988,with the original group coming tobe known as NSCN (IM). TheNSCN (IM) has a stronginternational network. In 1993, itwas admitted to the UnrepresentedPeoples & Nations Organisation(UNPO). In Amsterdam, it has theNaga International Support Centre,intended at making known to theworld the Nagas and their struggle.The UK-based Naga Vigil is yetanother organisation providing vitalsupport. NSCN President IsakChisi Swu give speech in the UNregard the right of Indigenouspeople. They were supported byNaga civil society including verypowerful person in the society,Naga intellects, Naga scholars,and various civil student bodies.The NSCN(IM) movement, oftencalled the “mother of allinsurgencies”, is also heldresponsible for rise of insurgentgroups in other states of theNortheast. Its ‘Greater Nagalim’demand has created problems,with Assam and Manipur refusing

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to give even an inch of land.

What is the objective of theNSCN?

The NSCN are demandingNaga nation; primary aim is aGreater Nagalim comprising allNaga-inhabited areas, irrespectiveof whether they are in India orMyanmar. The NSCN-IM’smanifesto is based on the principleof socialist-democracy foreconomic development and aspiritual outlook - ‘Nagalim forChrist.’ Incidentally, the NagalandAssembly passed a resolutionback in 1964 supporting inclusionof all Naga-inhabited areas underone umbrella. Since then it hasadopted the same resolution fourmore times, provoking a counter-resolution in Assam and Manipureach time.

Who are the NSCN leaders?

The NSCN (IM) leadership washeaded by Sumi Tribe Mr. IsakChisi who is God fearing leaderand it has a dominance ofTangkhul Naga tribe inhabitingSenapati, Ukhrul, Chandel,Dimapur, Burma and Tamenglongdistricts of adjoining Manipur. Mr.Thuingaleng Muivah, a Mastersfrom Gauhati University, is generalsecretary and ‘prime minister’ ofthe Government of People’sRepublic of Nagalim (GPRN). Th.Muivah is not like by many Nagaintellects for his communistideology but most of the educatedyoungster respected to Visionaryleader Mr. RH Raising who beliefin Naga socialist-democracy andwho is the right hand of Isak ChisiSwu the president and Th. Muivahthe prime minister and the NSCN.Isak Swu is chairman. It has thenumber of leaders called collectiveleadership who belong to variousNaga tribes, a full-fledged nine-

member ministry, the four majorministries being home, defense,finance and foreign affairs.

Where does the NSCN getfunds from?

NSCN (IM) funds werecontributed by Naga civil societieswho were financially sound in thevery beginning, like similarinsurgent outfits in the area,collects “taxes” from the people inNagaland and other “Naga-inhabited areas” on a regularbasis. The GPRN has an annualbudget of Rs 250-Rs 300 million.Intelligence reports also say that itcollects portions of extorted fundsof other outfits of the region in lieuof training, arms supply andshelter. Intelligence reports alsosay it earns money throughnarcotics trade. With an army ofabout 4,500 men, top NSCN(IM)leaders live outside India, mostlyin Southeast Asian countries likeThailand. It also had camps inBangladesh and Myanmar, butmost cadres have shifted todesignated camps in Nagaland

after it signed a ceasefireagreement with the Government ofIndia on August 1, 1997. Leadersand supporters are said to havebusiness interests in Myanmar,Thailand, Bangladesh and othercountries. Its headquarters havealso shifted to Camp Hebron inNagaland. What is the currentstatus of the Indo-Naga Conflict:The Government of India andNational Socialist Council ofNagalim (NSCN) has signed anagreement on August 3 2015.Both the party is willing to bringpeace in the region by solving theconflict and the Modiji led BJP partyare committed to solve the decadeold Indo-Naga conflict in theearliest. The present talk is underprocess and they are negotiatingon “shared-Soverie- gnty” which isnegotiating outside the constitutionof India in Prime Minister level talk.Hopefully, there will be somesolution might come out for finalsettlement by the end of this year.

(http://www.thesangaiexpress.com)

by them.

Sawibunga said theirdemands included resettlementof at least 500 families in oneplace, increase of rehabilitationpackage from Rs85,000 toRs1.5 lakh, allocation of plotsfor the repatriated families,conferment of Kashmiri punditstatus and security cover in theBru areas by deployment ofcentral military forces.

Thousands of Brus migratedto neighbouring Tripura after BruNational Liberation Front (BNLF)

Mizoram govt agrees Bru rep atriation...(Contd. from Page 9)

militants gunned downLalzawmliana, a game watcherworking under the MizoramEnvironment and Forestsdepartment, inside the DampaTiger Reserve along theMizoram-Tripura-Bangladeshborder on October 21, 1997.

Another wave of exodus wastriggered by the murder ofZarzokima, a young boy nearBungthuam village onNovember 13, 2009, three daysbefore the commencement ofthe first proposed repatriation.

(The Times of India, 08.06.2016)

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One of the problems thathaunt the polit ical leaders,bureaucrats, the governmentofficers and the other influentialpeople of our state is the issueof chief guest culture. Everyorganization, institutions try itsbest to get the richest personpossible for their functions so thatthey might get what they need.Most often it is not the person’sspeech or exhortation that theywant but their wealth! Manyorganizations and institutionscompete to invite the richestpeople for their functions. Thosepeople must remember that theyare not less than a thief. A personwho keeps on talking about astate of corruption-free but doesnot have a sense of guiltyconscience in inviting politicians,bureaucrat, and influential peoplein order to reap their wealth is ahypocrite. Suppose an MLA orMinister has to attend fivefunctions in a year. In eachfunction, they might donate aboutone lakh. The total sixty membersof the house would spend60x5,00,000 = 3,00,00,000. Thisis just an approximatecalculation. It is far more thanthis. Now the question here iswhere did all this money comefrom? If we talk about corruptiontoday, can we not say that this isalso one of the main offshoots?If we suffer from lack of facilities,can we not say that we alsocontribute to our own sufferings?If salaries are not paid at the righttime, are we not contributing tothe misery of the sufferingpeople? We Nagas havebecome so much of parasitesthat money seems to be the end

Chief Guest Culture in a Christian st ate- Vekupa Rhakho George

of all. It is wrong!

Look at the state transportbuses plying to far destinationslike Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire,Longleng etc. Look at theirconditions! How miserable theyare? Sometimes seats are notproperly fixed. Passengers haveto keep adjusting as the busmoves. Sometimes racks aremissing, roofs are leaking etc.Why can’t people be respectedof their human dignity by givinggood buses? All these problemsonce gain go to the root of theimproper utilization of funds forthe specific purpose. Theignorance of the ordinary peoplemust not be for the advantage ofthe self-acclaim elite. Dear fellowhumans, how long shall we keepon journeying in misery? Theworld has enough and moreproblems, let us not keep adding.

In a state haunted bynightmares of deficit, latepayment of salaries, unfinishedprojects, monuments in thejungles, we must rise up andchallenge all these infiltratingunwanted elements. Many peoplewould say that church leadersshould not involve in politics. Iwould disagree! Church leadersmust involve in politics for goodgovernance. They mustchallenge the right people to dotheir jobs well. We have prophetsin the bible who spoke withoutfear. But the problem arises if thechurch leaders involve for theirselfish ends in party politics andfail to see the suffering humanity.If the church leaders side with thepoliticians and the rich to get theirprojects through at the cost of the

general public, this is a terribleinjustice in the sight of God. Thishad happened and is sti l lhappening. The best sermons inthe church would be a humbug!It will not touch people, and if itdoes not touch people, thepurpose is defeated, and if thepurpose is defeated, we will belike the white-washed tombs asJesus rightly remarked.

When we Nagas in generalkeep invit ing our electedrepresentatives in order that wemight gain monetary benefits, weare directly involved in the act ofstealing and corruption. Howmany of the representativesdonate money earned from theirsweat? No one! They generouslycontribute because it is not theirs.They are just generous withothers share. They are stolenmoney though it doesn’t soundgood to the ears. So if people ingeneral criticize their leaders,they should first of all criticizethemselves. All these thoughseem to be simple yet thereciprocation is hazardous.Stealing is at its heights almosteverywhere. Those habitualoffenders must remindthemselves of the curse they willreap very soon.

We have problems afterproblem piling our vicinity. Whothen is responsible? Can we notsincerely say that we all have ashare in some way?

I have seen people in differentparts of the country with regardto invit ing chief guest butNagaland is too unique in a verywrong way. People who are

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invited as chief guest areexpected to pay huge amount. Asa result, today it is very difficultto find people. It will be even moredifficult as time pass by. Thoseinvited as chief guests also mustnot go around making emptypromises because they areincapable of fulfilling on theirown. There are thousands ofpromises to be fulfilled acrossthe state. It is not necessary tokeep on adding.

Across the length and breadthof the state, there are peoplecrying out for justice. Where thenshould justice germinate? Thebest place is here and now.Jesus talked about the kingdomof God within us. Similarly, justiceis something that can beexercised by every individual. Ifwe wish to see something newhappening, then this is the righttime to act. It is useless blamingpeople after taming them. Ourroads will turn from bad to worse,our offices will continue to facethe problem of beingunmaintained, governmentschools will continue to havebroken walls, windows, doors,our roads will continue to bedusty, shaky and slushy,hurriedly built projects will sky-rocket etc. All these problemscan be gradually solved if we stopdemanding from our chiefguests. To make things veryclear, I am not proposing the ideaof dropping the chief guestculture. I am only saying that theway things go today is notbecoming of a civilized society.If any of the readers of this write-up change, then my purpose isfulfilled. Kindly share the good inthis write-up.

(Nagaland Post, 11.05.2016)

Tracing their origins to theregion around the Tigris andEuphrates river basin in westernAsia, the head-hunting Konyaktribe of Nagaland, whichembraced Christianity, is nowtrying to rediscover itself and itsfading culture, the Rajat KamalNational Award-winningdocumentary “Aoleang”,highlights.

Produced by Maulana AbulKalam Azad Institute of AsianStudies (MAKAIAS) and directedby Ranajit Ray, the documentarywon the prestigious Rajat Kamal(Silver Lotus) National Award forthe Best AnthropologicalEthnographic film this year.

“Aoleang” is based onaoleang, the most importanttraditional harvest festival of theKonyak Nagas located inNagaland’s Mon district. It iscelebrated in April.

The 30-minute film narrates thehistory of the Konyak tribe, theirconversion to Christianity, theirloss of traditional culture and theresurgence of cultural activities,said Ray.

By documenting the mostimportant festival of the tribe, hehas also put the spotlight on atribe that has no written recordsof its cultural practices.

“They are trying to rediscoverthemselves and they feelChristianity has robbed them oftheir culture. While the oldergeneration say the youngsters donot know their own culture, thenew generation are trying to goback to their roots and revive the

Document ary Shows Konyaks of NagalandRediscovering Root s

festivities,” Ray told the mediahere at a screening of thedocumentary.

Shot in 12 days acrossvillages, in the interiors ofNagaland, almost inaccessible bymodern modes of transport, thefilm provides a day-by-day insightinto the six-day festival which hasnow been shortened to one or twodays, thanks to paucity of timeand globalisation.

The whole village comes outdressed in its traditional finery withelaborate headgear and heavyjewellery, and celebrates bydancing and singing, ending in amega feast.

One of the tribesmen shownin the film is a reverend whotranslated the Bible into Konyakand claims their forefathersoriginated from Tigris andEuphrates region.

“He translated the Bible intoKonyak. Nobody contradicted (hisversion of origin) or had newinsights. They have no writtenrecords,” informed Ray.

According to MAKAIASDirector Sreeradha Dutta, the filmis a much-needed documentationeffort to preserve the culture forfuture generations. MAKAIAS isan autonomous body under theministry of culture.

“Their indigenous lifestyles areslowly fading away due toglobalisation and other factors.We thought of documenting thefestival in its original form,” Duttasaid.

(The Morung Express, 11.05.2016)

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claimed by various quarters, that,it is very much there. If so, is thereany evidence that it is indeedworking That is when the questionarises whether the system thatexists today is really helping inshaping strong, confident,resilient, upright characters? Dothese meteoric flashes of scoresreflect the true faculties - their trueIQ and EQ? Perhaps these aloneare not good enough to make usworld leaders as a nation.

While talking of leading byexample, few instances of politicalclass come to mind. The processof electioneering is necessarily amode to reach out to the peoplefrom whom mandate is solicited.It is observed that, of late, this hasbeen transforming into a blitz of amarketing exercise, but, many atime with very poor taste. The

language, content and explosiveexpressions of acrimony are notonly simply impolite, but, eventurns outrageous at times. Oftenthese are obviously theatrics andrhetorical in nature and arecertainly not meant to beemulated by our youth - thepotential leaders of tomorrow! Wedo not expect them to emulateDonald Trump! But, in the samebreath we cannot, butcompliment a rare few, whoserestrained, yet, choice of boldexpressions have not goneunnoticed. So, are the exemplarymannerism of some of ourelected representatives in thephoto session after the recentoath-taking ceremony. However,we all hope that such are just notmere flashes of symbolism, but,are glimpses of a refreshing

lasting cultural change that isgetting unfolded. We hope suchbehaviour and conduct persistseven while the House is in sessionand does not become a mirrorimage of the Parliament, wherenational interest is often thrownout of the window andobstructionist politics prevail over.Democracy is just not about highdecibel raucous and storming theWell of the House!Impressionable young mindsnurturing their dreams charged upwith a whole host of aspirationsseek a charismatic leader withwhom they can relate to. Thosewho carry the charisma of a go-getter, clean image, compassion,strong character and passion fornation-building, perhaps fit the billbest!

(The Assam Tribune.08/06/16)

Great to be an Indian!(Contd. from Page 5)

fresh pine trees waiting in eachcurve of the road. The tall treescasting shadows and the eveningsky making a silhouette ofpedestrians, blends, to presentany individual with a permanentimprint on their mind.

Travelling to the north one findsthe famous “Tsongu Lake” whichgives us a small glimpse of thesnow capped mountains. Goingfurther North, however, onediscovers “Zuluk” which is anothertown famous for its raw beauty.One of the reasons this place isfamous for is because of the homestay facilities provided by thefamilies living here. One of thenature’s unadulteratedforms is stillpreserved here. The blessing sightof sunlight falling over snow and

(Contd. from Page 11)Sikkim: A Serenity that is Unconventional

reflecting back by preaching thewonders of the universe becomesbliss for the eyes and a momentfor the heart to cherish forever.

A tour of any culture is nevercomplete without exploring thefood. Food represents not only thelife styles but also portray essenceof the place. Hence, the muchtalked about local cuisines are“momo” and “thukpa”. Both thesedishes are easily available in anycorner of the road. But to a trueexplorer, some other dishes whichare more ethnically linked to theplace are “Churpi” (Yak milkcheese), “Cheew” (a kind ofmushroom) and “Gundruk” (whichis made by drying the leaves ofspinach). These dishes tooportray the unfussiness and

simplicity of the place.

Hence, four years passed byaccording friendship with this newplace and trying to knowsomething more every time. Aunique melting pot of history,spirituality and nature, this placeholds its own ground in the everchanging mechanized world. Andwhile I was returning back thissummer leaving Sikkim behind, Icould feel a part of me was leftbehind. The train was same andso was the journey back to myhome town, but it was not thesame me. A whirlpool of emotionstugged my heart. Deep within I wasmissing the land, the people andthe nature of the place which thenI termed my second home.

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(Contd. from Page 14) Manipur : A day of Remembrance

Native State’. World War-II brokeout in Manipur from April, 1942 -January, 1945. A part of Manipurwas liberated by INA and NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose’s tricolorwas unfurled at a place nearMoirang on April 14, 1944.Therefore, Manipur is a placewhich is known not only for itsnatural beauty; its blue hills andpristine circumstances; its richand healthy culture but also for theendurance and solid

determination of the brave peopleof Manipur. Every Indianconsiders Manipur as the jewel ofIndia and truly so.

India got Independence onAugust 15, 1947 from British.Thereafter, on August 28, 1947,the British handed over Manipurto Maharaja BudhachandraSingh and Manipur became aprincely independent State andhoisted the National Flag ofManipur bearing the Dragon God

Pakhangba. The newly formedindependent India and itsGovernment in New Delhiappealed the King of Manipur tosign a merger agreement withIndia. The Maharaja signed thedocuments on September 21,1949 at Shillong. On October 15,1949, Major General Rawat Amarannounced the annexation ofManipur at the Assam Rifle’sground. (Organiser, 22.05.2016)

(Contd. from Page 16)

society. She stated that in hertenure as the CS, she shall striveto see that development reachthe grass root level even byshedding the last drop of herblood in the areas of infrastructuredevelopment such as rail, roadand airports, development oftransport corridors and to makeArunachal Pradesh as anOrganic state so that theagricultural and horticulturalproducts reach the internationalmarkets benefitting the farmersand skill ing Arunachalintellectually at par with thenational standards. Stating thatdam technology has gone fartherahead she said that we need notbe apprehensive of the dambursts but should tap its benefits.The Chief Secretary thanked theArunachal Vikas Parishad and itsparental body ABVKA for the nobleventure of developing the VisionDocuments for the SchedulesTribes and hoped that it woulddefinitely serve as a referenceguide in formulating the govt’spolicies and programs.

Speaking on the occasion, ShriWangki Lowang stated that he hasbeen associated with AVP sinceits founding days and he salutedits founding fathers like TalomRukbo, Jatan Pulu, P B Acharya,etc for the visionary initiative.Referring to the proverb that aJourney of a thousand stepsstarts with a single step, he saidthat the present initiative ofdeveloping the vision documentshall definitely bring out theexpected results in the comingyears. Referring and supportingthe prime suggestions of theVision Document, he said that thegovt should have done it very longago. He appealed the centralgovernment through the ABVKA todevelop Arunachal as a modelstate in the North East region andto take measures to strengtheninvaluable tribal values, cultureand traditions for the posterity. Healso suggested for a uniformeducation system all over thecountry to create betterunderstanding and inculcate asense of nationalism among allthe people nationwide. He stated

that the document focus on thevarious issues faced by our tribalcommunities, especially of theArunachalis and the othercommunities of the North Eastand hoped that its suggestionsshall be definitely looked into withtopmost priority.

Er. Tayum Tok, Executivemember of AVP state unitpresented a power pointpresentation on the key points ofthe Vision Document with someimportant recommendations asper local needs of the state.

Among others, RGU VC ProfTamo Mibang, MLAs TesamPongte and Tamar Murtem,former IFSCAP Presidents ShriTaba Hare and Shri Nabam Atumand leaders of the various sociocultural organizations attendedthe function.

The programme anchored in alucid manner by Dr Smt JoramAniya Tana , Sh Tedi Techi,General Secretary of AVP gavevote thanks and the programmeended with national anthem by thehouse.

ABVKA ’s Vision Document released

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When a group of yoga expertswas preparing to leave abroadthrough ICCR for the InternationalDay of Yoga to be celebratedworldwide on June 21, I got theopportunity to interact them on theorientation day. I put forth aquestion to all of them. I asked themto name any one quality orpossession, which we the Indiansare proud of and it is purely Indianin origin. I got a variety of answers.Some said diversity, some nameddemocracy, some thought forancient culture and the culturalvalues.

A handful of Yoga teachersanswered named the spirituality(Yoga), which is the appropriateanswer. It is completely Indian innature. Moreover, it is also verybeneficial to the mankind. Ofcourse, there are many other areasof pride, but the Yoga andAyurveda stand out because theyteach us to take pride in them. Thebenefits and utility of the Yoga havespread far and wide. Interestingly,the world of Yoga is not justconfined within the yogic exercises.In many countries, Yoga hasbecome a medium to reach the levelof spirituality. In the past threemonths, I got the opportunity tocome close to many ICCR Centresacross the world. I found that in thename of Indian culture, we havebeen only offering just Tabla(percussion), classical dance,fusion music and Bollywood dance.Yoga was seen merely at fewplaces.

In Bali (Indonesia), I found thatapart from the cultural activities,people have strong inclinationtowards the Sanskrit. They desiredfor the scholars from India who canteach them the accuratepronunciation of the Sanskrit

- Dr Varun Veer

International Yoga day : The Secret of Sof t Power

mantras. Indian culture is still seenin abundance in the East Asia intheir language, culture and thehospitality. There is a city inIndonesia by name of ‘Yog Jakarta’.it is a Sanskrit word, which means‘Yogya Karta’. In English, it means“Man with perfect action’ or ‘Actionwith efficiency’.

Indonesia is the only country inthe world where at the airport onecan see the chariot of Lord Krishnaand Arjuna at the intersection. Itgives a beautiful, creative andaffirmative message. It made mefeel as though the real India existedthere. I could see immense devotionand love for Indian culture amongthe people there. They want us totake big steps for the growth anddevelopment of Hindi and Sanskrit.They even wished to come closerto India. There was a university inIndonesia by the name of “AtmaJaya University”. The name of theuniversity pleased my soul. Thename means something thatconquers our soul. There is astrong demand for Yoga, Hindi,Sanskrit, Indian music and theIndian dance there. The peopleexhibited immense love for Indians.It is reflected in their behaviour.

The visit to Thailand also gaveme the feel of real India. There wasan impressive sculpture depictingthe ‘Samudra Manthan’. On oneside, I could see the God and onthe other side a Demon. In betweenthem was Lord Brahma holding the‘kalash’. There were many smallglass bottles of Holy water placedat His feet. The travelers may takethem home. The Sanskrit StudyCentre, Silpakorn University, is amagnificent place and the libraryhas a huge collection of books. TheProfessors of Sanskrit there are thelocales of Thailand. Sometimes,

outside scholars also visit. Onmeeting and interacting with theVice Chancellor and Higher officialsof the Thammasat University, ChulaUniversity and Bangkok Art andCultural Centre, I realised that theyare extremely interested inpromoting Yoga, Ayurveda andSanskrit. Being a Buddhist country,they are interested in promotingSanskrit a lot, in particular.

As a part of the same tour, whenI visited the Colombo Centre of theICCR, I found that our forefathershad put in their earnest and bestefforts to promote Indian cultureand, that too, in the times whenthere were not many sources orplatforms of promotion. Thecountries, where there isBuddhism, there is deep respect forIndian culture and people. If Indiahas to become a superpower, shehas to spread her spiritualknowledge all over the world. Indianculture is the only culture that hasthe power to bring peace andhappiness at all levels in the world.In the present scenario, the entireworld is again anticipating theefforts and initiatives from India. Inthe modern times, India mustoutshine others using itstechnological advancements. Notonly East Asia, Central Asia, China,Japan, etc are also related to theIndian culture.

Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi has done a commendable jobby spreading physical, mental andspiritual bliss all over the world bymeans of Yoga. India was placedat the apex position not just inspirituality, but also economically,socially and scientifically. But aftera while she lost that title of beingthe leading power. Call it the law ofchange or the gift of destiny, Indiais again gradually resuming the

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same position, prestige and titlewith the efforts of Shri NarendraModi. This activity must gatherpace so that India influences othernations at the earliest.

China attributes its success tothe presence of a large number ofBuddhists. One can see the impactof Buddhism on its culturalpolicies. But it is disheartening toknow that China perceives thisBuddhist impact in a differentmanner and does not considerIndian angle. Vietnam stands as anevidence to it. For these reasons,Vietnam sets higher expectationsfrom India when it comes to spreadBuddhist philosophy there. Weneed to invest in our own cultureto reap benefits in future, becauseit will spread the impact of India.Using trade as the medium ofprogress, we are progressing wellin the world and it is extremelyimportant. Sadly, it is noteverlasting.

We must aim for prosperity andhappiness too. If India has to winthe hearts of other nations, it mustspread Indian culture. For the firsttime, there was a seminar on ‘IndoPersian Literature’ in Tehran(Iran). It was a welcome change inIran. For the first time in history,there was a conference on

‘Indology’ at the RashtrapatiBhawan, Delhi. The scholars ofSanskrit were invited all over theworld. Indian culture is the sameas it was in the ancient India, butstill it is flowering in the moderntimes. It is the most appropriatetime and the suitable direction.

The Indian bureaucracy andthe officials of Foreign Ministryneed to adapt to the Indian culture.Otherwise, the momentum that thepresent Government has gainedmay slow down. There are reportsfrom some places that the IndianCentres are provided to anti-Indiaelements to organise functionsagainst the Government of Indiaitself. There is a need to reign inthe people supervising suchCentres.

The whole world has acceptedYoga. And, no doubt, the credit forit goes to the knowledge of ourancient sages. But in the presenttimes, the credit must go to PrimeMinister Shri Narendra Modi.

(The writer is internationallyrenowned Yoga instructor and amember of the Governing Body ofICCR)

Preparations to make theevent a big hit

The Ministry of External Affairs

(Contd. from Page 15)

Rich China’ s a human right s violator …

because of China’s economicpower. Morally, the internationalcommunity – the US, UK and EU inparticular – hasn’t lived up to itsprofessed ethical standards.

Protection of human rights isone of the main values of westerndemocracy. Democratic worldshave a responsibility to supportUyghurs and Tibetans.

China is an economic power –but at the same time, China is achampion of human rights

violations.

But most Chinese don’tseem bothered by the oneparty dictatorship – why?

How can one measure supportfor the dictatorship? There’swidespread dissatisfaction inChina from Chinese peoplethemselves. We’ve witnessedTiananmen – but brutalcrackdowns halt civil society withreal consequences for speakingout.

Another factor is thestranglehold on information by theChinese government – states thatexpend such tremendous efforts tocontrol information clearly sufferfrom paranoia that people may gainbetter understanding of what’sactually happening around them.

Information is passed throughthe Chinese propagandamachinery –it looks nothing likereality when it comes out.

(The Times of India, 08.06.2016)

has received action plans from 183missions/posts to make the 2ndYoga Day a big hit. The ICCR isplaying an active role insupporting Missions and Posts withmore than 50 QCI certified Yogaexperts being deputed to 34countries.

The Indian Missions and Postsin China, Kyrgyzstan, Germany,USA, Nepal, Bahrain, Zimbabwe,New Zealand and UAE haveconducted promotional events incollaboration with the localcommunity. Russia, UAE, Ukraine,Canada, China, Sri Lanka.Bangladesh, Kenya, UK andPoland have indicated large scaleparticipation this year of over10,000 participants each.

The prominent globalcelebrities who have confirmed toparticipate in various eventsacross the globe include UltraMarathon Runner Pat Farmer(Australia), Premier of OntarioKathleen Wynne (Canada), Jazzsinger Nagtalia Przybysz (Poland),Actress & Director Mai Thu Huyen(Vietnam), Ex. Miss UniverseNorelys Rodriguez (Venezuela),Secretary of State, Texas, CarlosCascos (USA), Olympic GoldMedalist Athlete, Tennis proMartina Hingis (Switzerland).

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Jveernadhana was amerchant’s son who was notsuccessful. He faced a loss in hisbusiness and lost all his money.

He thought of travelling to adifferent part of the country toseek success.

He had inherited a very costlyiron balance from his ancestors.When leaving, he mortgaged theiron balance to a nearbymerchant in exchange of moneyfor his travels.

He travelled all over thecountry, and had a successfultravel. The merchant’s son thendecided to return to his hometown.

After his return, he went to thenearby merchant’s place andasked for his iron balance, “OFriend! Please return the ironbalance that I had kept with you.”

The other merchant did notwant to return it, he said, “I do nothave it anymore. We have aproblem with rats. The rats areeating up everything. They haveeaten up your iron balance, too!”

At once, the merchant’s sonknew the truth. He replied, “If therats have eaten it up, there isnothing that you can do. Anyway,nothing can last forever!”

He continued, I am eager to gofor a bath in the river, please askyour boy to help me carry mybelongings, and to look after themwhile I take my bath”

The other merchant agreed,and called his son, “Son, this isyour uncle. Please accompanyhim to the river and keep watch

The Rat that ate Iron

so that none of his belongings getstolen.”

So, the merchant’s son andthe boy went to river. After he hadtaken a bath, the merchant’s sontook the boy to a nearby cave. Hekept the boy inside the cave andblocked the entrance of the cavewith a big rock. He then returnedto the other merchant’s place.

When the other merchant sawhis friend returning alone, heasked, “Where is my boy? Whyhave you returned alone?”

The merchant’s son replied, “Ifeel sorry for you. When I wastaking my bath, your boy wasstanding on the bank. Just then,a flamingo flying above sweptdown and carried your boy off inits claws. I could do nothing!”

On hearing this, the othermerchant got angry. He said, “Youare a liar! A flamingo can nevercarry a boy as big as him, in itsclaws. I shall complain about youto the village elders.”

At once, the other merchantdragged the merchant’s son to anearby village elder and startedcomplaining.

The other merchant said, “Heis a disgraceful man, who haskidnapped by son.”

The village elder instructed,“How can you do this? Return hisson to him immediately!”

But the merchant’s son wasunmoved. He said, “There isnothing that I can do. A flamingoswept down and carried him offin its claws from the riverbank!”

Hearing this, the village eldergot angry. He shouted, “How cana flamingo carry a child? You arelying!”

The merchant’s son replied,“Sir! In a city where rats eat iron,why cannot a flamingo carry achild?”

The village elder was amazedto hear this, “Where does a rateat iron? What is the meaning ofwhat you say? Please explainyourself clearly!”

The merchant’s son narratedthe entire sequence of events tothem and explained how he hadhidden the merchant’s boy in acave to get his iron balance back.

When the village elder, andeverybody else who had crowdedthere heard the story, they startedlaughing. The other merchant wasembarrassed.

The village elder instructed theother merchant to return the ironbalance to the merchant’s sonimmediately, and recover his sonfrom the cave.

The wise indeed say:

‘Tit for tat’ is the best policy inlife.