chickoo chick

by Dipankar Bhagavati

Is it all about destiny?

• by Anwesha De( My opinion)

Life never moves the way one would like it to. There is an unseen supreme power which guides our lives. The life of baby Chitralekha is no exception.

It was 20th Oct 2009 ,when Baby Chitralekha was born .But the new born was left by their parents on the veranda of Dr.Lakshmi Goswami’s Clinic near the Chitralekha Udyan of Tezpur for reasons unknown.

It is said that what happens always happens for the best. Destiny soon turned its wheel when this little one was adopted and named Chitralekha by the Nabhaprabath orphanage, run by Mr Biduth Saikia and his wife Mrs Trisnamoni Laskar. Baby Chitralekha now has a home, a family who cares for her. But the question which perhaps the baby will want to be answered “What is my fault?”

Humanity shows different shades in life. The baby at this tender age got the most serious punishment of being dumped by her parents for no fault. But then again questions arises when does parents sacrifice their children; what made parents to do so?

Whatever may be the circumstances; if we look around us we are sure to find many more Chitralekha. Some might be fortunate as like as baby Chitralekha who would expect to get a name and will definitely become someone under the guardianship of Mr Saikia.

Drug abuse in North East India

• by Priyanki Banerjee (My opinion)

The use of drugs is on a rampant increase in India, especially in the North Eastern region. This is evidently seen in many of the North Eastern states. It has taken a serious toll on many innocent lives of teenagers, children as well as youths of this region. These young people directly or indirectly fall a prey into this danger, sometimes consciously or sometimes unconsciously. Many a times , drugs are supplied to schools, colleges and sold in certain places . The drug suppliers or drug lords influence these people in such a way that it becomes impossible for the young people to get over this evil. It is said that there is a nexus ,a nexus of corruption and drug dealing. We too usually see that after a victim gets caught in this trap it becomes impossible for him to come out of this evil web. He is addicted and becomes so helpless into drugs that he never hesitates to resort to covert ways to get money and to procure drugs. Stealing money from his parents , borrowing the same in the pretext of need for school or college functions are usually seen as common practices .

This menace of drug abuse has spoiled many youths . There should be proper co-ordinated and conscious steps to curtail the menace of drug abuse. After all, it involves the question of the future of the society and "youth are the future".

Man creates while the Almighty disrupts

• by Jayanta Mout

Jamini Payeng of Upar Sonowal village lost her three bighas of farmland to erosion after two waves of flooding last year. She and members of her family now eke out a living as farm laborers. Back in 2000, the merciless Brahmaputra snatched away five bighas belonging to Muktinath Saikia of Salmara-Besamara village. Eight years on, his family survives on his petty job at the Char Area Development Authority office. Even two seasons ago, these women could augment the household income by making pottery items for sale. Now with the erosion becoming acute, even the particular clay required for pottery has become scarce.

Payeng and Saikia are mere examples. With the land shrinking and the number of landless increasing, people all across the Majuli Island seek out odd jobs for a paltry income. Their despair is compounded when farm activities cease during the season of floods. In the ten years since 2000, 9,027 families have lost their homes and croplands to erosion. Of these, 4,598 families eke out a living as agricultural laborers, daily wage earners and driftwood and fish sellers. And even these means of livelihood are limited these days.

Recently, I visited the campus of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh. In the Fourth Grade Line, most of the employees of PWD had built small but comfortable cottages with their own effort. These families have been living in that place for more than twenty years. As part of their collective unity and harmony, even they established a ‘Namghar’. And in this way they lived with love and peace by shaping their small village. All the families were sympathetic to one another and interdependent.

But the gods are always jealous of too much contentment in any where. So there is now continuing sorrow and melancholy as these families have to leave each other for good. Message has come from medical authorities that these families must leave the village. It was heard that they will construct new buildings there.

In such a way, the cordial nexus of our social bindings are demolished either to serve our own requirement or to follow nature’s usual demand. But we as human beings are always optimistic for a better future. Is it for this reason that P B Shelly wants to sing, “If Winter comes can spring be far behind.”

BIHUWAN

by Himani Saikia

“Sunor jorire buta phul basilu
Ure rati bohi bohi
Somajor voyote lukuwai anilu
Senai tuk dimegoi buli”

While talking about “Bohag”, “Bihuwan” is one item no escape from consideration. The “Bihuwan” which is in a way to show our love and respect to the elders and near and dear ones represents “the Assamese identity”. Along with the cheerful ‘bohug’ cum ‘Bihuwan’, the weaving skills of Assamese women too come to the floor.

Very often the “Bihuwan” is meant only to be the “Gamusa”. However, “Bihuwan” includes other Assamese traditional weave products like “Seleng”, “Hasoti” and so on .

The history of “Bihuwan culture” in Assamese society dates back to Ahom Kingdom. Queens of King’s (Ahom) or Sorgodeus themselves used to weave so called
“Eri seleng” for their husbands just one night before the kings went to the battles.

Gifting a ‘Eri seleng’ was considered to manifest queen’s love and her holy endurance of association with the affairs of the kingdom. According to the Assamese believe, it is a holy talisman for Sorgodeus (king of Ahom) who fought for the home land and the queen or the women folk at home wove clothes for them .

Gradually, with the development of the Assamese society, weaving became an inevitable functionary of every household. However, the usability of the product weaving is mostly limited to meet the household needs and to other societal functions like marriage and all.

Assamese handlooms are mostly made welcome during ‘Bohug bihu’. “Gamusa”, “seleng”, “paat and muga”, “sadar- mekhela” and so on are some other major handloom items which are gifted as ‘bihuwan’.

However, business of ‘bihuwan’ is another aspect that can never be left un-pondered. Earlier variety in “bihuwan”, now a day, has shrunk down to “Gamusa”. “Hasoti” (hankerchief) is one of such kind which is very pervasive in agrarian and rural Assamese society. It is in which the Assamese farmer folk tied the betel nut and took to the fields in the seasons of sowing harvest.

Although “gamusa” is given a very high position in the Assamese society the cultural value attached to it is no longer there. It is the ardent need of the hour to realize that ‘Bihuwan’ which is a symbol of the artistic taste of the Assamese society should not only be promoted but also be preserved along with the embedded cultural identity in it.

Where do we stand on International Women's day ?

• by Swikrita Dowrah

International women’s day celebrated on the 8th of March is an occasion where we reflect on the successes and failures of the women’s’ empowerment movement. Its an occasion where each one of us acknowledge the existence of women with respect and look back at their achievements and the problems they faced while trying to succeed.

Every year, the United Nations comes up with a theme to mark this occasion and to set the objective for women development rolling. This year too there is no exception, with the united nation theme--- “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all.”

This theme has the greatest significance in a country like India where equal rights and opportunities, though, guaranteed by the constitution is almost a myth, especially as far as gender is concerned. And, this year, the women’s day will bear testimony to that with the government of India decided on passing the much debated women’s reservation bill on the occasion of this day.

This bill was supposed to have been implemented years back in 1996.It was one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to be considered by the parliament, seeking 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and the state assembly. This bill has been hanging for over 14years now for want of political consensus and since the very first attempt to introduce it by the then HD Deve Gowda led United Front government, the bill has faced violent oppositions with papers being snatched away from the hands of the then law minister, Ram Jethmalani in 1999.Even in 2008,when the law minister HR Bhardwaj introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha, he used to be closely “guarded “by congress Ministers. Today the government has ultimately decided on the bill being passed on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, but not without opposition. Parties like Samajwadi party, RJD are reluctant to let it through and are seeking a quota within quota for women from backward classes. With such a vicious debate surrounding the implementation of 33% reservation let alone 50%, shows how seriously the country has to achieve the UN’s objective of equal rights and opportunities.

The problem doesn’t simply end here. For in a country like India which is taking giant leaps in economic and developmental sectors, there remains a darker side where rape, dowry, female infanticide are on a rise. There are innumerable instances in India’s long history where women have struggled hard to achieve things despite many forces being against her. Now the question is where does the celebration lie? There are more girls going to school and more girls topping the board exams despite efforts to kill them before they are born. Do we rejoice at the fact that ruling parties are contemplating on giving women a chance to sit in the parliament after facing opposition for 14 years now? Shall we celebrate the fact the women’s hockey team won the Asia cup despite no support, no sponsorship and miserable living conditions than their male counterparts? That women entrepreneurs and managers are making their mark in the world even if the recognition comes by way of a separate women’s award? These are issues we can celebrate on this women’s day.

On the other hand, although we celebrate, there is a need to pause and reflect, why the number of women as compared to men continues to decline in India? Moreover, despite changes in rape laws, the convictions for rape are few and far in between while incidence of violence and crime continues to grow. No doubt, India has the largest number of professionally qualified women. However, everyday we get reports of parents continue to sell their daughters ‘to marriage’, often miserably unhappy by paying unaffordable amounts of dowry. At the same time, we can look back and wonder why despite the progress in science and technology, millions of Indian women continue to die during childbirth.

This international women’s day, the 100th anniversary is an occasion where the true strength of Indian democracy will be shown when the women’s reservation bill gets tabled. For, in a country like India, where every 8th march, the achievements of women is highlighted, the opposition they face should also be addressed. This women reservation bill seems to be giant step towards that end. Till then, India must try to work together to make the United Nations central theme---“Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all.” a reality!

Ringing Long Distance Relationship !

• by Ranadip Pathak
  
  Gone are the days when people used to convey their messages through messengers. There was a time when pigeons were happened to be the envoy of love and affection between people. Letters written with someone’s own handwriting filled with the sense of real care were regarded as the valuable personal asset. It was a normal scene where we see people used to gather around postman coming to the village to deliver letters.
  
  This is ‘the’ 21st century. The time is to move fast and fast. People are now a days running like mad after materialistic success. In the name of achieving success we have entered into an undeclared rat race. However, we are living behind some priceless assets like love, emotion, friendship and so on.
  
  A small electronic device having the capability to send and receive magnetic waves has become the connecting medium between relationships. Mobile phone is the equipment which has become inseparable part of our life.
  
  Internet, which can be regarded as the most significant discovery for mankind in modern era has become the most important medium of communication among people across the globe. Today internet is flooded with many services provided by various service providers. Email and Social networking sites are happened to be most frequently used medium. Social networking sites like Orkut , Facebook, Tweeter and so on have spread a drugs like effect on the youths now a days. Arrivals of internet cafes have helped youngsters of our day, making online friends not only with the known one but also with the unknown ones.
  
  However, the question arises today is whether these modern modes of communication are helpful enough to maintain long distance relationship or not?
  
  People may respond differently on the same question. Nevertheless, if we really try to analyze the present health of our society, then we can witness most of the people being the victim of the very useful modern modes of communication.The success of a long-distance relationship gets a toll on the mostly used idioms like “absence makes the heart grow fonder” or “out of sight, out of mind”.
  
  In the days of letters too, long distance relationship did exist. However, faith was the one aspect that bound people those days. With the easy accessibility of modern gadgets, guys and gals want to stay connected throughout all possible moments. As a result, tensions build up which has an inevitable impacts on the relationship. Your dear one is away from you and you are trying to make her a call, you find her phone busy and that’s what leads you to think in a different way.
  
  Seeing two sides of everything, communication can be considered to have both positive and negative sides. But looking at the benefits it has provided, negative impact of it is almost negligible. Anyway, it has become impossible to live life in today’s world avoiding new gadgets, but we should not let letters to pass away. Otherwise days are near when we will have to call for a ‘letters day’ to celebrate to renew our long distance relationship.