AboutAssam

On 17th January By taking a warm reception from Nagaland House, the gifts, - a tourist guide for Nagaland some photographs – and ILP(Inner Land Permit to be in Nagaland from 29th January to 4th February ,) I left Guwahati.
To cross Bramahaputra I chose a different a path. Rather than crossing ‘her’ by bridge I towed my bicycle on her southern bank a nd put it on a boat, and here I entered in Assamies life. It was Kurua, a small village on northen bank of Bramahaputra and I was freezed seeing the beautiful life and nature over there. The way was little bit hilly and by the time it was too dark, I reached the village naming Mandakata.
This was my first halt. I was always welcomed and got friends anywhere I go. Sitting on a side of gozeous flowerished yellow Sarasoon farm Shiraj told me his life story. He was an orphan. We had a long chat but he felt sorry that he can’t take me to his house, since he was staying with other people. Every home is mine in my locality – he said, But I don’t have a home. He directed me to the Village headmen, but headmen’s brother was more enthusiastic to host me so I put up with him in his house. First they served me with Peetha, and then we went for a walk in the surrounding and had Peetha in two more houses. After diner with chat I ended up my day.

!8th January
In the morning I was introduced with that hich I named later as ‘Pukhari Culture’. Plain part of Assam has this typical lifestyle, rooms made of mud and bamboo surrounded with ‘Pukhari’(kitchen or small pond) on one side, areca nut, banana, Bamboo and several tress and a beautiful hip of animal feeder compounded with bamboo mesh. My host was introducing one after another, he was having a small different mud structure for storing paddy which they call ‘Bharal’.
With warm feeling after exchanging Greetings, I took their leave. Soon I was on NH 53. it was surrounded with Pukhari cultured houses on both sides. Since this kind of locality takes lot of space due to larger house area, I found lot of cyclists here. I had chat with few of them while riding and one of them Kesavram joined me for about 19 Km. he was an expert of weaving Muga silk. He trained other people and was going for repairing one of the looms of a small industry which he set up for a millionaire. I too joined him to the industry and first time saw Muga silk weaving. After traveling bit long on the way and into each others’ mind I asked him ‘why don’t you start a small industry on your own?’ the answer was most common ‘money’. As a treat to a guest he feed me a Samosa at Mangaldai. Then we had songs on the way and we departed.
I traveled few more kilometers with Kesavram in mind and reached Kolaigaon, sombady was waiting for me there.
Dithakanand Hazarika - circle officer kolaigaon met me at Saranya asram where I was staying in Gowhati. He was there for Behu celebration with his family. There he told me about the Hindu-Muslim communal riots that happened in his region in October 08 and asked me to visit his work place and relief camps of the victims in the region. It was a small but great interaction which decided the direction of my cycle journey.
I started with Peetha and slowly friends of Dida (Dithakanand dada) joined me one by one. Dida has really a great friend circle over here with people from different boxes of society. With introducing each other we talked on communal riots, militancy, insurgency all sensitive issues and ended in a musical night which is everlasting in my memory. Dida is a wonderful singer with all musical instruments at his house. Including his kids – rumba sumba – we were ten everyone with an instrument.
Ami Ek Jajabor…
Ganga Amar Ma Padma Amar Ma…
O Ganga Tum Behati ho kyun…
Every song has the strength to weten your eyes. I had diner with a new dish Matikalai. Since guesthouse was full with other officers I moved to ABSU It was pass twelve, silence everywhere.

19th – 22nd January
I spent a lot of time in and around Kolaigaon but I stayed with ABSU. ‘All Bodo Students Union was established in 1967’ Kolagaon Anchilik Precident started introducing ABSU. For wider acceptance of Bodo language, for rights and autonomy of Bodo people and in several other struggles ABSU is the one which has provided ‘fighters’ for all these. The place I was staying was office come hostel of Bodo students with mess, library and several other facilities. In this five day halt I had lot of chat on every single issue of WE young peoples’ interest. Before my departure they organized a small send-off program. Offered me an ‘Aranai’ – Bodo’s special Gamcha - and some gift. There I had formally given a comparatively long talk tracing 1 Developing our skills, 2 Moving in the direction of Self-reliant society or ‘SWARAJ’, 3 Preserving our cultural heritage and nature which is only possible through practice.
With different friends I visited three different villages around Kolaigaon, I participated in marriage ceremony of Assam’s family, addressed in three different function, including one which was specially organized for me in which 33 village’s headmen were present. There I made an appeal to maintain this ‘Pukhari culture’ with explaining that this is eco-friendly(since most houses are made out of bamboo, mud and roof with a long kind of grass), spacious, helps in self-dependent in vegetables, fruits and fish and made out of renewable material.
With having food in LohitDa’s ViplavDa’s and MohanDa’s home I developed family relations. ViplavDa has a bicycle shop; he did a long surgery of my bicycle.
It was really tuff to leave Kolaigaon, but finally I moved.

23rd January
By the time I reached Kuptimari it was too dark. Lot of people was gathered around the fire. In cold days this is normal picture but the huge crowed was showing some abnormality. It was densely populated relief camp of the victims of
communal riots. Before approaching them I was a bit hesitant and confused with a doubt that, will they accept me to stay over there? But I was shocked when they welcomed me with great concern, love and curiosity. There was no electricity in the camp from last many days. I had food in one of victim’s house who was staying in a small tin shade provided by government. Wooden bed and a thin sheet to cover - it was a tough arrangement for me but it was defiantly better than those who were slipping under the blue sky in that cold. Lying on that bed I was just imagining the life in my surrounding which was in dark.

24th
That temporary toilets, tuff water arrangements, all kitchens under the blue sky, I stood still watching and experiencing all this. Then with a young chap I went to the original colony where these people were residing from ages.
The partially burned but fully destroyed houses, same the furniture, ‘that’ pinching silence and finally that Youngman’s house. All this was started after 14th August last year but major clash was after 3rd October. Since then from last four months these people are living a life which they never thought of.
I was all the way asking myself and then others too ki why did all this happened?
Is there any answer?
In that day I listened to ‘their’ stories. I was sad but emotionally they were almost returned to normal life.
In the evening some policemen suspected me. They started interrogating me. Since I didn’t believe in papers or document I failed to prove my identity as Indian. Checking bag, lots of questions one after other every officer was suspecting me. It is true that lot of Bangladeshies are there but…
After three hour checkup with huge mob surrounding finally policemen pulled me in their jeep, almost crushed my cycle and took me to district headquarter Udalguri. I was just a suspect so they didn’t imprisoned me but the lodging and food facilities were like that only. I had a tough sleep with question in my mind that ‘with so much army personals and policemen with automatic bullets why they are scared of a lay person like me with whom they didn’t found any wrong belonging?’

25th
In the morning they were asked me to go. I didn’t tell them but I paddled back to the same place. But via a relief camp for Muslims. The earlier Kuptimari was for Hindus. Ranipukhari was for muslims. Together there were 43 such camps in the region. I visited two and was able to seek out the differences.
When I was back at the same Kuptimari, people were showing sympathy. Some of them were victims of police harassment and army’s over interrogation.
I had wonderful interactions. They invited me to become the citizen of their village and marry a Bodo girl.

26th
The Republic Day celebration was totally hijacked by RSS people here. Since riots happened they were the one who was ruling over this Hindu region. I was there in the function just to respect the villager’s request.
After the function I started my cycle journey. Since it was 26th January and lot of anti-elements were there, lot of army personals were appointed. So after sun set I approached to police officer in Rohata they took me 20 km far to Orang to provide me nice lodging facility.

Since it was 27th January
I was running out of time to reach Nagaland, so though I thought to travel all the by bicycle I spend all my day and night of 27th traveling in train. First to Majbhat and then to Rangapara finally reaching North Lakhimpur on
28th
Maitri Ashram is one of the six ashrams started by Vinoba Bhave. I explored handloom work here. And sheared the thoughts and experiences of Baidev who joined vinoba on his Bhudan padyatra and done twelve years padyatra differently too.
On 29th
I cooked a famous Marathi sweet dish Puranpoli today. I was resting at the same place.

30th January
I am on the way to Majuli – Tourist hot spot in Assam. Previously it was the biggest river island in the world with aprox. 1200 sq. Km, but due to soil erosion with aprox. 6-7 hundreds sq. Km it is second largest in the world now.
On the way people told me about the Sarasvati Pooja, It was going to be celebrated the next day they were busy in preparations. On the bank of Sabansari river in a small shed a baidev was weaving on local, portable handloom. I crossed the Sabansari river keeping my bicycle in a small boat, I was able to see half part of the road parallel to the river and half part was eaten by river. When I landed, it was heaven there. Raised houses with bamboo pillars, walls and flower totally made out of bamboos, grassy roof, handloom in front and a small boat under the house isn’t it wonderful? I was amazed by seeing that natural and self dependent life. I think this type of society is the most developed one which solves all the problems locally and leaving with harmony with nature. After a chat with one of these householder, I had that privilege to spend some time in the house and enjoy my mid-day meal that he served. I didn’t felt like to leave that lovely people and green and natural atmosphere.

All the way I was singing ‘Ami Ek Jajabor…(I am a gypsy) a famous song in the region. In the first stanza it is said that, I crossed the Mississippi and seen the river Volga starting from Lohit. When I arrived at Lohit, sun was setting in the west. The great thing was people had constructed a bridge out of Bamboos and they were only maintaining it by charging a small amount to user.
Because of all this when I crossed Lohit my eyes were wet. I spent few moments, I was in Majuli, and it was just like a dream land. It has attracted several people. On the way I visited two wonderful bamboo houses one constructed by a French architect and another by British.
I was at right time in Majuli. The famous Bhavana – a dramatic expression of mythological stories with music and dance – a ten day festival was just started. Majuli was work place of Shrimant ShankarDev a important sent of Assam. The stories which are enacteded in Bhavana are written by Shankardev. Very late in night after observing the Bhavana and all wonderful arrangement I moved to Satra.

31st January
‘Satra’ is an autonomous colony of 100 to 400 members, where a unmarried male can stay as long as he wants and earn on his own by skill based or agricultural means. I started my day with a round in the Satra.
Last night I was staying in Kamalabari Satra. It has it’s own guest house, shops. I had interactions with wood artisans and farmers. Some of them were having there own farm and some were working on others.
Majuli has 22 such kind of Satras. I visted the oldest one too, by paddling just 4Km. A hand fan is made in this Satra it was so decorative and finely made that it was costing Rs. 350.
Many Places they welcomed me for Sarasvati Pooja, I just joined at two places. Interacted with students, teachers and had Prasad with them.

Two and half hours on that motor boat for crossing that huge Bramahaputra compelled me to think ‘how little we are’.
In a small colony near Bahana I got wonderful young friends Utpal and Ujval, Palash, Lohit and other. When we –yuva- come together then what can be said. Utpal’s mother was bit orthodox; we were not able to communicate due to different languages. But I was surprised by the lovely treatment she gave to me. She feed me nicely arranged many things for me and finally while living she gifted me some embroidery work pieces done by her.


1st February
We had a big photo session then four Friends joined me on the way still Jorahat. Songs, chats it was great to ‘be five’.
Sweets and tea was served by way friends with a warm chat
After crossing Janzi town and river it was Amguri town. I stayed in a hotel and bought food for the first time after leaving Guwahati.

2nd February
On the way I got a nice friend Anand. He was handsome so was enacted as Krishna at several times. I named him ‘Krishnanand’ he too was on bicycle on the way to his sister’s house. After a little talk he found me credible to share his story. Due to a very close relation with a family he was on his own was ready to accept their fifteen year old daughter, who was recently raped. But there was strong opposition from krishanand’s family and he was in dwell ‘what to do?’ After asking few questions, I analyzed the situation according to me which he found wonderful. He took me to his sister’s house served with hot TailPeetha, joined long on the way and finally unwillingly left me with heavy heart. I too was glad to meet him.
On that day Sibsagar District was called for a ‘Bandh’ to protest a innocent killing by police, so no traffic on the road but lot of interrogation and checking by police personals.
Just opposite to Lakwa thermal power station I was staying with Premjeet’s family. He met me on the way and invited me to stay with him. I went to lot of friends houses with Prem and had lot of sweets. With Nepalese Muslims and Hindus it was friendly colony. Here I had very touchy interaction with on women coal worker. I thought she might be considering me a officer, so to remove the misunderstanding I asked her ‘What do you think who am I?’ she suddenly replied ‘my son’.
This was my last halt in Assam, since Nagaland border was just 17km far.

Still this point some observations I made about Assam
With ‘Pukhari culture’, bamboo and fertile land Assam is region which can attain Swaraj in a very small period if tried in that way.
If the roads made in that way and the space is provided with very little encouragement bicycle can be the vehicle of the state.
People are loving, has respect for Jajabor(a gypsy) and a bit scared of militant personals. They thing in beginning ULFA was doing good things.
For lot of people raising number of Bangladeshis is a thing to worry.
Bodland has got it’s territorial autonomy, but soon will be a different state of India.
Here I had lot of Peethas, learned 4 Assamies songs and got loving friends.