KOROU

Thew Gods have their way.

Today evening, in an interesting turn of events, the rather chaotic Laai Lam Thokpa of Khunthokhanbi and Naotingkhong led to an iconic moment of (divine) disobedience in Manipur. After staggering around for a long time at Lilasingh Khongnaang for a long time, both the palanquins of the two temples dashed towards the gate of the recently inaugurated and strictly guarded Manipur Legislative Assembly campus. Fearing the wrath of the Gods, the guards had no choice but to open the gates. The two palanquins took their time ‘occupying’ the place. Meanwhile part of the procession started dancing and singing in front of the gate (which they closed to stop other people from entering). Finally the Naotingkhong palanquin dashed out after some time. And the Khunthokhanbi followed after several minutes. But not before a truck load of central armed force arrived; only to stand aside and watch the Gods fuck with them!

permalink

# Lai Haraoba

# Gods

# Manipur

# occupy

# ows

Always an inspiration.

Source

It was yesterday or day before, I was reading a book and suddenly heard the rain pouring down. I rushed outside to see how the kitten is doing. I saw it playing outside just a while ago. I stepped outside and there was this huge rainbow looming above. I rushed in, got the cam, climbed up the terrace and got this shot. I wish I had a wide angle lens though. Anyways when I got down I found the kitten sitting comfortably in a shed.

# rain

Yesterday Asit, Roshan, Mamo Sunil and I drove down to Moreh, a town bordering Burma. It was more like a teaser trip. We could not stay back longer this time and had to come back in the evening itself. It was the first time I went to this place. Next time we decided to go by bus and stay a week across border. And BTW the junta guy at the border check post made us know that cameras are not allowed without using any words I knew or gesture I could understand. It was like he totally disregard my ignorance of the language he is speaking in. Anyways that’s why there Is no picture from inside Burma. Hope there is a way to sneak it in the next time we go. My impression of this land I am visiting for the first time is dat I should definitely come back with a camera and more time at hand.

A good news

thegreenmanifesto:

The GoodNewsIndia website is up again after a long time. And this is the story they are starting with this time. The story of a determined ecologist Dr. Deb struggling to save us from (yes from) the aftermath of the green revolution. He currently runs an in-situ farming facility which grows 700 varieties of indigenous hardy species of rice every year to save them from extinction till the farmers can shed the doctrines of the green revolution and adopt them. These seeds were collected from the fringes of east India which was fortunately untouched by the green revolution. He also talks about a ‘zero growth economy’ being the only way to achieve a sustainable fulfilling livelihood. Thanks to GoodNewsIndia for making me acquainted with Dr. Deb and his works. I have just ordered his book, Beyond Developmentality (it’s available on flipkart.com btw) to find out more. I’ll keep sharing whatever interesting I come across.

… Debal was chasing a fast disappearing integrated life in India, in which traditions, cuisine, dialect, music, festivals, the calendar of seasons and behavioural prescriptions played a part in creating self reliant communities. What threatened it now? In a word, ‘developmentality’- a word he has coined, a word that at once conveys the serious malaise of modern man.

First make ‘development’ an unquestionable given. Then make all that is justified in its name, a priority. If you cannot convince people, coerce them. Promise a life with less work, easier money and freedom to ‘enjoy’. In marxist run Bengal every village was politicised with apparatchiks strutting about everywhere. To be a cadre was itself a career. All that that was asked of them was to deliver consent and compliance to the central leadership. “What unites capitalism and communism,’ Debal wryly observes “is industrialisation.”…

Read more