During the Second World War, an intriguing souvenir booklet entitled Yank’s Magic Carpet was specially prepared for the U.S Army personnel headed towards the China-Burma and India war theatre, and in particular the eastern most corners of the North East. Now what was this booklet all about and why was there so much emphasis on sensitizing or preparing the American soldiers for their maiden voyage towards the east? The fact is, these soldiers had never visited India leave alone the east. They had a flawed perception of India fabricated by alluringly mythical tales. To the western world India was known for the monumental Taj Mahal, an endearing symbol of romance and love. India was also known for the grandeur of the fabled Maharajas, as also for the naked wandering fakirs and snake charmers. The reality however, as they soon discovered on reaching Mumbai (then Bombay) was startingly different, to encounter the heat, the dust, the smell and ‘poverty of magic India.’ Moving further east as they entered the province of Assam- home to the lush green tea estates, they experienced a different kind of world. A veritable microcosm of India, peopled by communities of diverse ethnic origins, religion and language, living alongside the bounty of nature, but which also meant acclimatizing to the moist heat, the mosquitoes, the snakes, the elephants and the turbulent monsoons. Moving further east towards the Indo-Burmese frontier this is where man’s resilience and will to survive would be tested to the utmost limits. Nothing had prepared them for the terrain ahead—the impassible ‘malarious and tangled mountains’, the blood sucking leeches, thick jungle trails- wet and slippery, and incessant dreary monsoon months which never seemed to stop. Death by diseases and mental fatigue claimed the lives of more soldiers than by combat. Briefing these boys on the land, the people and the terrain of eastern India before embarking on their journey, therefore seemed to the U.A Army personnel a practical and necessary solution. They had to be mentally prepared.
The Indo-Burmese frontier is one of the unique bio-diversity hotspots of the world: a genetic treasure of various forms of plants and animals. The ignorance of the Americans on the reality of the entire eastern front is understandable, as in those days (colonial period) this was one of the unknown corners of the world. Even the people of mainland India were by and large unfamiliar to the history, culture and geo-strategic significance of this region.
Fast forward to the post-independence period, the unknowingness of India’s eastern most corridor continued. Rather the tendency to view the region as a distinctive ethnic, cultural and geo-political entity began to take shape. In fact the term North-East India is a post-colonial construct- which officially delineates this area as a distinctive territorial zone. Because of its specific and disorienting history during Colonial rule, which pushed the region several paces behind in the development gap vis-à-vis alternate states of India, the North East receives special status under the Special Category Status, in which the Central government provides 90 per cent share of funds to implement centrally-sponsored schemes. This is a huge impetus to the region. Thus we have the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), the North Eastern Council which is the nodal agency for the socio-economic development of the entire region and so on.
From the erstwhile province of Assam, the political reorganization of the region crystalized in the creation of 8 states- Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura known collectively as the Seven Sisters and Sikkim. Interestingly Sikkim is known as the lone brother as its borders are not connected to any of the North East States. Strategically too, this region occupies a unique position, sharing international borders with 6 countries- Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Tibet, Bangladesh and Nepal and is connected to the Indian mainland by a narrow corridor of 22 kms in Siliguri, popularly known as the ‘chickens neck.’
While the term North East implies a homogenous construct, the internal dynamics of the region is by no means homogenous. Infact the diversity of the region, in terms of its geography, language, religion, ethnic roots is incredibly varied. We find all the worlds religion existing here- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs etc; more than 125 languages are spoken which broadly speaking (linguistically) fall under the Indo-Aryan, Tibeto-Burman and Mon-khmer/Austro-Asiatic groups; and huge divergence in facial features. Therefore viewing this region as a single political or administrative entity obscures the complexities of the region, which has been little understood both during the colonial period and thereafter. When echoes from eastern India finally began to reverberate across the country, it was for all the wrong reasons- insurgency, volatile ethnic strife, prolonged bandhs, antagonism against the ‘outsiders’ and so on. In this mayhem many interesting details of the past have been submerged or overlooked all together and innumerable misconceptions exist. The prime objective of this section (as stated in the beginning) will be to delve around issues which showcases the rich diversity of this region and its significance in the larger frame of Indian history.
Taking us through this enticing journey is Mr. Wufus and Sunny. So let's hold on to them as we go time travelling in their Magic Carpet. But where are we going? …………………Hold on for the next episode………….
Artwork by Dalimi (@artistically_y0urs_ on Instagram)
AUTHOR: Sima Saigal
