Revolve around the Politics

By Dr Talam Har Neelam

"This non-fiction book aims to shed light on the geopolitical issues faced

by the entire North Eastern region, with a particular focus on the states

of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The book delves into the intricacies of

politics and its impact on the region."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Jun 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9789361726361

Book preview

Revolve around the Politics

Dr Talam Har Neelam

Ukiyoto Publishing

All global publishing rights are held by

Ukiyoto Publishing

Published in 2023

Content Copyright © Dr. Talam Har Neelam

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

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To young generation

Contents

Build social trust in Arunachal

Bird Eye View On Arunachal Pradesh

Kimin to Bilgarh: The storm before the thunderstorm or Ghost player

Bigger conspiracy behind Kimin episode: APCC

Assam CM calls for secularism in context of Indian

Re-inventing Tabi Bamboo Gardens

Hindi: Arunachal's New Mother Tongue !

Arunachal Pradesh Marriage and Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021: An. analysis

The war on drugs

Arunachal: A land for tourism

How green was my valley

Epilogue: Paradise retained

About the Author

Build social trust in Arunachal

T

he panacea for doing away with communalism, regionalism, and all forms of sectarianism is to build social trust among the members of society. In this, we all have a role to play – individual actors as well as CBOs and civil societies.

However, here I would like to focus on the role of our public institutions and not the public persons. Why? Because they are the ones vested with all the real authority and power (by us). And as they say, with greater power comes greater responsibility.

I would say that it is our public institutions that are largely responsible for the lack of social trust. In fact, social mistrust exists in our society. Kindly bear with me for a while. And I mean to include our police, our judiciary, our medical industry, our bureaucracy and so on. There is no need to get very emotional over what I have just stated. Let me give some facts which many of us are even aware of.

1. There are more than 5 crore cases pending in our judiciary across the country. And as they say ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’. The whole ordinary masses of this poor country – especially the farmers, tribals, women, the poor and the marginalized – are bereft of any justice by the very institutions supposed to deliver them.

2. As per the Transparency International Index, India is more corrupt than even Pakistan or Afghanistan. It is estimated that around 6 percent of India’s GDP is annually lost due to corruption in our bureaucracy and police.

3. Everybody knows how the medico-pharmaceutical industry treats its health patients as financial instruments more than as human beings.

4. Also everybody knows how the colonial character of the Indian police (as instruments of terror) still persists today. Even in the US, wasn’t it the police manhandling and brutality that led to the death of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter movement?Let me make it clear that I am not speaking against any individual officer or individual. The whole system lacks the confidence of people, especially those who are not quite well informed. The last thing we can expect from public officials is using slangs in their official dealings.

Let me also make it clear that I am not absolving the public, CBOs and civil societies from holding them accountable. In their capacity and merit, they have been rendering their service quite well. For instance, during the Covid lockdown, the ANSU distributed relief items not only to members who voted for them but also to all other tribes residing in the capital region, and even to non-APSTs like the stranded labourers. Also, recently, CBOs like the Adi Baane Kebang distributed relief items to the fire victims of Ego village in Leparada district and Longliang village in Tirap district, thereby fostering harmony and trust. However, as I have said, we can hold them accountable only to the extent of their merit.

Therefore, just like our shrinking GDP or deteriorating environment, even in matters of deterioration of social trust and mistrust, it is the government and public institutions that are to be held accountable. And this social trust doesn’t fall from an empty sky; it requires a certain favourable social milieu where it can blossom or wither away.

Bird Eye View On Arunachal Pradesh

A

RUNACHAL PRADESH - the Land of dawn-lit mountains lies between 26 28 to 29 30 N latitudes and 91°30 to 97°30' E longitudes with a total area of 83,743 sq. km. It is bounded by Bhutan to the west (160 km), China (Tibet-Kungding in Nyishi) to the north and north-east (1.080 km), and Myanmar to the east (440 km). It shares inter-state boundary with Nagaland in the east and south-east and Assam in the south. The past knowledge about Arunachal Pradesh and its people is known mainly through oral literature and a number of historical ruins found mainly in the foothills. Legend has it that sage Parashuram atoned for his sin, sage Vyasa meditated here, King Bhismaka founded his kingdom and Lord Krishna married his consort Rukmini in this region. As such, many believe that the earliest citations about the origin of Arunachal Pradesh are found in the epics of Mahabharata,Ramayana and other Vedic legends. The widely scattered archaeological remains of Malinithan, Bhishmaknagar, Rukmininagar, Itafort,Bhalukpung, Nakshaparvat, Parsi-Parlo, etc. found at different places in Arunachal Pradesh bear testimony to its rich cultural heritage.During the medieval period, a number of Buddhist monuments of Mahayana tradition were constructed at Tawang, Dirang, Kalaktang and Mechuka. The Tawang Monastry of 1681 A.D. is the largest and most celebrated Buddhist monastery of the State.As per the 2001 Census, Arunahal Pradesh has a total population of 10,97,968 persons of which 5,79,941 are male and 5,18,027 are female. It has an average density of 13 persons per sq.km. The sex-ratio of the state is well below the national average with 893 females per thousand males. The scheduled tribe population accounts for 64.22 per cent of the total population, as aginst 88.50 per cent in 1961. The percentage of literates in Arunachal Pradesh is 54.34 (63.83 male and 43.53 female) percentage.Arunachal Pradesh has recorded an increase in the percentage of urban population over the years. In 1971 the percentage of urban population to total population was 3.70%, 6.56% in 1981, 12.80% in 1991 and 20.75 in 2001. Prior to 1971 Census, no place of Arunachal was accorded the status of an urban area There are 17 urban centres at present, which are towns by census norms.Arunachal Pradesh is basically an agricultural state. About  66 per cent of the total working population is engaged in agricultural and other related activities. With very few exceptions, they practice jhum(shifting cultivation) on the hill slopes, the practice that is rooted intheir culture and tradition. The secondary sector accounts for 8 66 percent of the total working population About one fourth of the total workforce i.e. 23.90 per cent is engaged in tertiary sector Forests play significant role in the ecology, economy and socio-cultural life of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the primary source of natural wealth of the state. Forest covers accounts for 61.55 per cent of total area of the territory spreading over 51,540 sq, km The landscape and forests vary with changing altitude, which comprises of alpine forests,temperate and sub-tropical forests, and semi-evergreen forests.Arunachal Pradesh has eight Wildlife Sanctuaries, one Orchid Sanctuary and two National Parks covering an area of 9,488.48 sq km The State has 20% species of country's fauna, 4500 species of flowering plants, 400 species of pteridophytes, 23 species of conifers, 35 species of bamboos, 20 species of canes, 52 Rhododendron species and more than 500 species of orchids. It is considered as one of the 12 bio diversityHot Spots in the world.The wildlife of Arunachal Pradesh is both rich and varied with tigers, leopards, elephants, deers, bears and apes. The Mithun (bosfrontalis), found both in wild and semi-domesticated environment, has great socio-economic and religious significance for the tribal communities of the state. Arunachal Pradesh is also the happy home of the great Indian Hornbill Political Evolution Before the introduction of modern participatory democratic institutions, traditional Village Council was the only known institution,which regulated the socio-political and cultural life of the people in this territory. Every tribal group has its own type of village council with different nomenclature but with almost similar functions. It is known as Kebang among Adis; Tsorgen among Monpas, Jung among Sherdukpens; Mele among Akas; Buliang among Apatanis; Gindung/Nyele among Nyishis; Abbale among Idu-Mishmi; Mokchup among Khampti and Wangchu-Wancha among Wanchos.The Inner Line Regulation of 1873, for the first time, separated some tracts inhabited by tribal people from the districts of Assam and British Authority. The area was kept outside the purview of regular laws of the country and administered in different way by passing regulations and framing procedures from time to time.The area was given formal recognition as separate administrative unit with the notification of 1914 by the Foreign and Political Departments of the Government of British India. The Notification made [5:07 PM, 7/21/2021] Birju Nye: possible the extension of Assam Frontier Tracts Regulation. 1880 to the inhabited or frequented by Adis, Miris, Mishmis, Singphos Nus Shamptis, Bhutas, Akas, Nyishis etc. Therefore, hill areas habited by above tribal groups were separated from the Darrang and Lakhimpur Districts of the province of Assam to put these areas under Administrative jurisdiction, exercising the power under Regulation af 1880. As a result, the North-East Frontier Tracts came into being The Government of British India was not keen to introduce full administration in this region. They remained concerned mainly with protecting their plain interests from hill tribes and taking out occasional punitive expeditions. The administration was directly under the Governor of the provincial Government of Assam. The Federal Government of British India used to contribute some amount to the Govt.  of Assam for administrative and developmental expenses.After the transfer of power, in 1947, the Governor of Assam was deprived of his discretionary powers in respect of the North-East Frontier Tracts. The administrative jurisdiction was passed on to the Government of Assam by virtue of the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947With the Constitution of India coming into force, a change was visible in the administrative set up of the Frontier Tracts The Government of Assam was relieved of its responsibility for the administration of North-East Frontier Tract and the discretionary powers were re-vested in the Governor of Assam, as the agent of the President of India. Although the region was still part of Assam, the legislative jurisdiction was not extended to the area.In 1954, a full-scale administration of the area was inaugurated, with the promulgation of North-East Frontier Areas (Administration) Regulation of 1954. North East Frontier Tracts came to be known as North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA). The President of India promulgated the North East Frontier Agency Panchayati Raj Regulation, 1967 based on the recommendations of Daying Ering Committee. The Regulation created three-tier local administration- Gram Panchayat at village level, Anchal Samuti at Block Level, and Zilla Parishad at District Level. The fourth tier was the territorial level body named as Agency Council, which was renamed as Pradesh Council in 1972.The North-East Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 provided a new name and new political status to NEFA  was rechristened as Arunachal Pradesh, and in 1972 it became the Union Territory of the Republic of India. It was placed under the control of a Chief Commissioner. The administration of the territory was run by the President of India acting through the Chief Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh till 15 August 1975. In this year the Pradesh Council was converted into a Provisional Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers was appointed for Arunachal Pradesh. The Administrator of Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh until then designated as Chief Commissioner was upgraded to the Lieutenant Governor Consequent upon the passing of the Constitution 55*Amendment Act, Arunachal Pradesh attained the fullest political status on February 20 1987 The Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh passed the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 in order to give effect to the 55 Amendment Act, enabling it to become the 24" State of Federal India with a full-fledged Legislative Assembly and a popular Government Society and Culture Arunachal Pradesh is a home to 26 major tribes and 110 sub-tribes and minor tribes. As the state has received waves of migration from different directions in different groups, the tribal communities have achieved their heterogeneous character. As they remained in isolation for several centuries and did not allow outside interference in their way of life, all of them developed their separate and independent cultural identity. Verrier Elwin has placed the people in Arunachal Pradesh under three broad cultural groups on the basis of their socio-religious affinities. The first group includes the tribes who follow the Buddhist religion or have been influenced by Buddhism. The Monpas and Sherdukpens of Tawang and West Kameng follow the Lamaistic tradition of Mahayana Buddhism Culturally similar to them are Membas and Khambas who live in the high mountains along the northern borders of Upper Siang and West Siang. The Khamptis and the Singphos, inhabiting the eastern part of the state, are Buddhists of Hinayana Sect. They are said to have migrated from Thailand and Burma long ago. The Zakhrings of the Lohit Valley are influenced by Buddhism of Hinayana sect. They have migrated from Zeyus in Tibet. They are characterized by their expertise of carpet making, weaving, dancing, painting, mask-making and elaborate dresses, The second group consists of the Nyishis, the Galos, the Apatanis, the Adis, the Mishmis, the Tagins, the Mijis, the Akas, the Sulungs (Purok) and the Khowas. The religion of this group can be termed as animistic-naturalistic. They worship natural objects and ancestors. The Tani group of people - the Apatanis, the Nyishis, theAdis, the Galos and the Tagins worship Sun (Donyl and Moon (Polo)These tribes are excellent in weaving and fine works of cane and bamboo,This group is believed to be migrated from kentis,of mongolia.The third group comprises the Noctes, the Tangsas, and the Wanchoos of Tirap and Changlang districts. These tribes are known for their masculine dances, and art of woodcarving. They have been known for their association with the practice of headhunting and their contacts with Burmese tribes.The festivals, marked by elaborate rituals and dances, form an essential element of the socio-cultural life of the people. Some of the important festivals are Mopin of the Galos, Solung of the Adis, Losar of the Monpas, Dree of the Apatanis, Si-Donyi of the Tagins, Nyokum of Nyishis, Reh of the Idu Mishmis and Tamladu of Digaru and Miju Mishmis. All the