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REDIFF DIARY
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Anil Menon |
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Tezu is a quiet little town in the foothills of the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh, the land of Dawn. Arunachal is India's largest northeastern state. It is the only one that has almost 70 per cent of its land still covered by forests, despite a thriving timber industry. It is, for sure, a most beautiful place. And also one of the least explored. After the Chinese aggression in 1962, when Arunachal was known as the North-East Frontier Agency, the government imposed certain entry restrictions. Now you need a permit if you want to visit Arunachal. And this is largely why it still remains relatively unknown. It was in this mystic state, in Tezu to be precise, that I spent the first 16 years of my life. Those years house my most beautiful memories to date. The population in Tezu was mainly made up of Mishmis, one of the 20 major tribes in the state. The rest were migrants. Unlike in other states, nobody except the tribals can buy property or own a business in Arunachal. Most of the people work for the government, and there are very few private establishments. As very few tourists come, there are no quality hotels or restaurants in town. The normal mode of transport is the cycle-rickshaw. The local people who don't own vehicles usually walk to their destinations, as every place is close. Owing to the town's small population, the people have an active social life. If there is a wedding or any kind of celebration anywhere, you will see practically everyone in town there! Thus, as kids, we grew up celebrating every single festival, starting with New Year on January 1 and ending with Christmas. There was never any discrimination on the basis of religion, and everyone participated in all celebrations. The only time one can visit Tezu without a permit is in January, when there is a huge fair, the Parasuram Kundmela, coinciding with Makar Sankranti. Then people from all over the country come to bathe in the ice-cold waters of the River Lohit and pray for the souls of the dead. The Lohit is one of the River Brahmaputra's tributaries. Legend has it that it was here that the sage Parasuram meditated after killing his mother as per his father's wishes. Journeying to and from Tezu during summer was an experience in itself -- extremely thrilling and adventurous. The Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Corporation operates two bus services to Tinsukia, Assam, which is about 150km from Tezu. That is the nearest railway station for the people in east Arunachal. There used to be a Vayudoot air service to Tezu, but when it really mattered, during the rains, they stopped it, as the airstrip would be flooded. During the rains, travelling becomes a nightmare. The Brahmaputra draws many of its tributaries from the dense forests of Arunachal. The Lohit, Digaru and Noa Dihing start from the mountains and drain the rain from Arunachal's eastern ranges into the Brahmaputra. When the Digaru is in spate, you have to ride an elephant to get across. To reach Tinsukia, you have to cross three rivers and 150km. It easily takes up an entire day. You have to start from Tezu by the first bus at 5.30am. The first hurdle comes in the form of the highly temperamental Digaru. Once the elephants get the passengers across, they are taken by bus to the next river Lohit, about 10km away. Here, the passengers get a most amazing boat ride. To cross the river, there are big wooden boats that can accommodate 15 people, including the five muttiyas, or boatmen. Five men to navigate one boat! Incredible as it sounds, they are absolutely necessary. Because of the dangerously swift currents, there is no way one can cut across in a straight line. So after the passengers are seated, the boatmen pull the boat with ropes upstream for about 800 metres. Then they jump in and start paddling across. The calculations of these boatmen are so precise that the boat will stop almost exactly at the point opposite where it started. These crossovers are not without risk, though. Every year, there are mishaps and loss of lives. The bus on the other side of the Lohit takes the passengers about 40 kilometres away. Then they have to cross the Noa Dihing, where a motorboat waits. On the other side, you can board a bus from the Assam State Transport for Tinsukia. To go to my native state of Kerala in the holidays, we had to take the train from Tinsukia. The journey would take all of five-and-a-half days; but even that was okay, compared to the perilous journey from Tezu to Tinsukia. In winter, travelling is much easier, as the riverbeds are dry, allowing vehicles to easily cross over. Then one can reach Tinsukia in four or five hours. When I lived in Tezu, I found none of these travails remarkable. It is now, when I look at the faces of my friends so filled with wonder when I narrate my experiences, that I realise how different the life I had in Arunachal was. That puts things in a whole new perspective. And today, when I look back, I feel so fortunate about having experienced it.
Come to think of it, how many people have woken up to see the mighty Diagru draped around the majestic snow-capped Himalayas like a milky white saree?
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