I was driving back home when all of a sudden I saw a student blowing whistle and waving me to stop the car. I lowered my window, the boy said, “Sir, you are driving without your safety belt on, please put on the belt for your safety.” I thought, how right and I quietly obliged.
This made me wonder, shouldn’t we as a motorist understand our responsibility and drive safely following the traffic rule or should we be told of our duty to drive responsively?
The Chief Minister Mr. Gegong Apang, observed that the future war will be fought for water. I ponder hard over its possibility and I came to conclusion that it seems probable. I have a feel that this war will not be fought amongst nation, but amongst states and within state. The neighbour will turn against neighbour, the poor against rich and the plebian against government-in the name of water. Take Narmada and Cauvery river for instance, these two rivers are the source of disgruntlement in the western and southern
And the government recent move to hike the water tariff in the state are viewed as an agent to cull money from public to cover up the mismanagement of fund. I had to agree as the hike in water tariff left me totally gobsmacked. The tariff is absolutely immoderate and to large extent, it could induce inflation. The restaurateurs will have no option but to increase the cost of its product. So are the barber and other entities. Considering the quality and quantity of water supplied by PHED (Public Health Engineering Department) in Ziro particularly-the tariff looks more like a legitimate extortion. I am not averse to tax or revenue collection as long as the capitals generated from payers is utilized to improve the infrastructure or development of infrastructure. But the stories tell us something else. Let me cite some of the several instances. For starters, it is deemed that the PHED supplies water for two hours, twice a day but we never get running water for more than ten minutes. Second, on a rainy day, the undrinkable water becomes more undrinkable as the mud with leeches and earthworms are sure to flow in with water. And sometimes, a grain of cooked rice too. On numerous occasions, I even found a wisp of human hair which seldom leads to misunderstanding and quarrel at home with the women folk for being careless in making their tresses. The PHED do not even bother to filter the water, let alone, the treatment of water. Sometimes, I fancy that the people of Ziro are dying all of a sudden as some miscreant had poured a bottle of poison in the water tank. And it’s frightening and feasible too.
The talk that new tank is being built in Ziro and going to operate it soon and the scarcity of water will no longer haunt the people of Ziro and so on-has almost become rhetoric. I wonder how long it will take to materialize. Even if the dream project realized at scheduled time, there’s a prospect we will be hit hard by the expenses again-the expense we bear or incur on procurement of pipe and appurtenances. Besides the expenditure, the road has to be dug to lay the pipe which means another bout with PWD officials. I cannot comprehend why the PHED would not install a pipe that carries water on both side of the road. And I’m not ready to subscribe to the notion that there is a shortage of pipes as I have often seen the Puja Pandal being built with water pipes. If PHED agrees to set water on both sides of the road, it would not only prevent the people from digging up the road which adds up to the numerous potholes that lay strewn in the road but an easy access to water connection also-thus, more revenue for the government.
In reference to the revenue; unlike our state, the metros like
The government needs to bear the common and poor people in their mind before they formulate policy to generate public revenue. And if the government and bureaucrat at the top echelon cannot provide job and equal opportunity to all without any bias, then their expectation to generate fund from common people is absolutely invalid. And the threat of war will hover as long as the people are made to pay exorbitant price for basic and essential items. Until then, people’s effort is required to take a pre-emptive action to tap the rain water in order to shun war, save money and bureaucratic hassle.
-Contributed by Roto Chobin, Editor of the fortnightly ZIRO MIRROR, published from Ziro. He can be contacted at rotochobin@rediffmail.com
Quite sometimes back, I came across a report which stated that penetration of Christianity in and around Lower Subansiri District was negligible (Joshua Project Report 2000). Then, at that time, I thought, with such an orthodox population that worships nature, would any religion make headway in the conversion process? But, I was wrong. Looking now, as in the case of Apatani plateau, conversion to Christianity has been rapid in these past few years and in case of Hinduism too, the conversion has also been going on, though not done overtly as Christianity.
This has made me think, isn’t it easy to manipulate and play around with simple, though at sometimes complex, highly orthodox Arunachalee peoples’ mindset and their outlook? I wonder, it is; and if it is on the line of their faith and belief, the easier it is. This was evident from the attendance it garnered during the recently concluded “Donyi Polo Day” (or rather Indigenous Faiths Day as was earlier known) observation on 31st last month at Donyi-Polo ground Hapoli.
What is Donyi-Polo and Donyi-Poloism?
Literally, Donyi means Sun and Polo means Moon. The descendants of mythical “Abotani”, which by and large follows animism, considers Donyi-Polo as one of their supreme powers among so many benevolent and malevolent supreme powers that governs their life. These supreme powers, in some way or the other, had some relation with the mythical Abotani as the folklore suggests. And since time immemorial, the descendants of Abotani had a ritual to erect altars of these supreme powers and make sacrifices in order to appease them, whenever these supreme or supernatural powers interfered with their lives. And this has been their religion.
But, in Indian perspective, animism is not recognized (I still remember the look on the face of interviewer when I said I don’t have any religion rather I’m an animist, in response to their question during my interview for a job – they were far from believing me, thinking either I was Buddhist or a Christian), and in order to have definite religious identity and to preserve the indigenous traditional faith, Donyi-Poloism was born and now it is recognized as a religion. And now, well, may be I guess I would say I follow Donyi-Poloism whenever I’m asked about my religion.
The Present Scenario
Going by what Donyi-Poloism stands for today, I may not say that I’m follower of Donyi-Poloism but would rather say that I’m an animist, if ever I’m asked about my religion. Why? Because it is totally devoid of the rituals that have been performed since time immemorial. Now, it has definite place of worship called “Medar Nello” or “Nyider Namlo” and has an idol too. So far, as I remember, the Apatanis or for that matter I presume even Adis or Nyishis (descendant of Abotani) had ever idol worshipped and in a designated place of worship called “Medar Nello” or “Nyider Namlo” as it is done today. Though as suggested above, only symbolic altars were erected whenever certain ceremonies or rituals had to be performed. Going by the way the rituals, that are performed now-a-days, in the so called place of worship vis-à-vis the rituals that are performed at temple, I wonder if it is akin to Hinduism or has influence of Hinduism. But then, with so many Hindu missionary leading the Medar Nallo, no wonder, if the rituals performed in the Medar Nello has Hinduism tone. And in some way or the other Donyi-Poloism has always been linked with Hinduism-Donyi with Surya Devta and Polo with Chandrama. But would someone tell those missionaries that Sun is feminine (Ayo Danyi) and Moon is masculine (Ato Piilo) unlike otherwise in Hinduism?
If Donyi-Poloism is akin to Hinduism, why people are thronging at Medar Nello?
As suggested in the previous para, the conversion to Christianity has been growing at a very rapid pace among Apatanis in these past few years and to put check on this conversion, Hindu missionary has simultaneously been trying to convert the population to Hinduism, albeit with little success. Those converted to Christianity, altogether not only stopped performing the earlier rituals but also started branding those practising the Traditional Rituals as the son of “Satan” as I’m told. This irked the highly orthodox Apatanis who performed the Traditional Rituals. And the Hindu Missionaries, which were working covertly on conversion, cleverly took advantage of this irked mindset by encouraging them to join Donyi-Poloism and to attend Medar Nello as it was their indigenous faith.
With their traditional ethos hurt and countering conversion of population to Christianity being the other motive, the people quite played into the hands of Hindu Missionaries and started attending the so called place of worship. After all, it had a Donyi-Polo tag, enough to let them believe that they are following their traditional form of faith and worship and not being almost converted to Hinduism.
Is Donyi-Poloism really an indigenous faith?
I would say no in the present context, but an alternate form of Hinduism. It has played into the hands of missionary and now has evolved into altogether different form of faith and practice with nothing indigenous about it.
What do you say?