The Road Less Traveled

MARCH 2010:
Plan: To see all 8 North EASTERN STATES- explore fabrics: understand the weaves of North East India- collect weaves for the next MORA collection.
Plan that turned out to be: a lifetime of experiences in these 3 months… could hardly cover 4 states… faced flood politics… fought against biggest textile threat – synthetic which has replaced cotton completely… no cotton plantation… extreme poverty… life in a village as a villager… govt. Goons… and a whole journey of emotions all alone in North East India.

 
A few days back, I was asked- “What Does it Take to Be a Single Female Traveller In  North East India”
 
I said, “surrender”… ” a complete acceptance of unadulterated affection and attention”… “a will power to ignore the read and heard”…”a rebellion to the usual take your map, find your own way traveling”… “a strong sense to see whoever you meet, as your friend”… “TRUST”… “a challenging belief that nothing after this trip will remain the same for you”…
 
This led to a series of curious almost voyeuristic queries to bring out what goes into “an adventure” like this:
 
What about North East india?
It’s a strange world out there… nothing like someone like me, a North Indian turned Mumbaite would have seen… life itself is a hard reality… the pages on corruption, poverty, politics that you read suddenly become you and the people around you.
And amidst this lives an even bigger reality- the necessity to sustain, has cultivated a beautiful streak of talent (- art and culture) in almost every North East Indian I met.
 
For the first time, I could differentiate between the different “Chinkis- a rather ignorant and derogatory term it sounds like now” – 16 different main tribes of Nagas and many other sub tribes living not only in NAGALAND( yes, for the 100th time NAGALAND IS PART OF INDIA- atleast politically!) but also Manipur, Assam And Arunachal; stylish mizos, poor upper assamese, proud lower assamese, slowly turning into Christians –the tribal arunachalis, breaking news heroes- manipuris, almost bangladeshi- tripuri, enterprising khasis, humble garos, best cooks- bodos, dimasas resident of the land of (strange- lacking direction) bomb blasts n 1000 cr scams, almost cinema like rivalry between 2 villages within NC hills, who happen to be most skilful but lost weavers , majuli’s misings washed away by annual floods and many (many many) more!
 
Why did you take up a solo journey: When I was growing up, I was always encouraged to EXPLORE… whether it was something to do with a new hobby, or new book, film… or a new destination/ journey… so travel was something that I grew up with… only after I did vipassana I found myself comfortable with myself and feeling secure in my own company… and started traveling alone…
 
- I always made short trips on my own to places near Mumbai/ Delhi or the areas I was sort of aware of… but the journey into North East India came as a surprise to me… I had always wanted to explore textiles and culture in there so this time I just took off right after I finished exhibiting MORA collection at KALA GHODA ARTS FESTIVAL… somewhere in my heart I knew it had to be north-east indian textiles for Mora’s next collection. A random message on facebook got me 2 co- travellers who cud only stay with me on the trip for about 10 days of this life- changing journey I made…
 
And the journey started on 17th april, 2010.
 
It was time to put together some serious research of this “UNKNOWN land”.
 
Mumbai had almost no information on North East India so I was pretty hopeful that Delhi, being the capital will surely give me some trivia on the region- but what followed was very different- NORTH EAST REGION in its diverse art and culture was almost missing from every data or information bank. It’s as if it’s being kept at one arm distance- like a group of 7 step sisters n 1 brother had to kept away purposely from the rest of “mainland” happy joint family.
 
The visit to district officer in textile department ended up being an opportunity for the officer to “SEE” one more girl as a bride for his “most eligible” son and hundreds of photo copies on Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal… but NOTHING on North East India except occasional mention of the “MOST LOVED N WANTED MUGA silk” and a sprinkle of features on the insurgencies…
 
I WAS SUDDENLY DOUBTFUL ABOUT WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO!
 
Where are those rich textiles, basketry, woodcraft, tribal dances, cuisines, flora, fauna, rich topography, etc that my friends who visited north-east india kept talking about. There has to be a missing link.
 
Daily trips to craft councils, offices, more people, libraries left me more confused.
 
Vishal, my colleague and a dear friend from my media days flooded my contact book with some really wonderful people… he made my circle of friends even before I started the journey… he created my support system sitting in Mumbai… he was like a master magician writing the course of my trip with a few clicks on his phone book.
 
Through him, I met a few designers from North East India who had migrated to New Delhi in search of greener pastures, and got some handy information on the weaving communities there but nothing really solid except few pages filled with numbers of absolute strangers who at that point were just names/ numbers but became my lifeline n now friends.
 
The places I visited in NORTH EAST INDIA: NAGALAND(districts: Kohima, Phek, Mon, Mokukchung, Dimapur, Wokha), Manipur (Ukhrul), Assam (Majuli, Kokrajhar, Haflong, Dhubri, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Tejpur, Dhemaji, Sualkuchi, Sibsagar, Diphu), Meghalaya (Garo, Khasi n Jaintia hills)
 
I had never decided to travel into north-east india all alone but now m glad I got an opportunity to… Because it is one of those places where you can’t be in a group meeting another group of “north eastern people”… you have to be ONE with them… among them… by traveling alone… I became them… n I was naga, mizo, bodo, kachari, dimasa, mising, ahom at the same time… I lived in their houses, ate their food, wore the things that were given as presents to me out of love by them… I WAS THEM!
 
Almost everyone right from Mumbai to the end of my 3 month-long trip at every level… tried to tell me to come back from this “unsafe territory”… “why ritika? why would you choose an unearthly place like that?” “are you mad?” ” is nagaland in india?” “do you need visas?” “those chinkis” “insurgency” “terrorism” “bomb blasts” “head hunters” “rat/ dog eaters” “jungli log” “adivasi” “primitive” “wild” “unsafe” “NO WAY!” “please make her understand… what is wrong with her” seemed to be the only words i would hear from everywhere! it was almost like a rebuke! but something told me… “what could be so bad? is it really that bad?” i didn’t know at that time when i started the journey that the people who were strangers to me then could be/ will be my friends now…
 
They opened their life to me and I was taken in… completely… I would have felt none of this if I was in a group… and now north-east india for me is a region where I really LIVED n TRAVELED ALL BY MYSELF.
 

- What was behind the choice of destination/s: the sole objective of this journey when I started was to explore art, culture n specifically textiles from the north-east but I don’t really know when it became a fight to bring back cotton in north-east india, reviving some of the most unusual but lost traditions, going door to door to the villagers to make them more aware about cotton, begging in front of bank managers to give loans to the small but enthusiastic entrepreneurs from the villages who aim to make their world bigger (wider) than it is… learning 4 different languages which started as a necessity n then became fun activity when people would always be pleasantly surprised to hear me talking in their language… n picking words n understanding their conversations…, turning non vegetarian when I found myself living on boiled daal n rice for 2 months…, from a kadak chai person I became a “laal cha” person… coming face to face with corruption and politics was another very important thing I faced… there were a few govt. officials who wanted commissions out of everything.. I had just one thing to say to them… “I m working for your people… and you make money out of your people…  and exploit them…  that divides us in a big way.. I cannot for the life of me work with anyone like you”…
 
So I  didn’t have to really make a choice of destination… they just happened to me… whenever there was somebody willing to take me into their lives!
 
- Was this your first time/ what were the inhibitions if any.- it wasn’t the first time that I was traveling alone like this but yes it turned out be the longest I traveled alone into a territory completely unknown to many within north-east india as well. I traveled to some really remote places n even had an exciting meeting with a guy who has been in the naga rebel group (NAME WITHHELD) for the last 32 years, came across a fake encounter and a “good for nothing bomb blast”… there were no inhibitions as such but the fear among people around me about north-east india being a “terrorist region” was beginning to shake me but I met some really amazing people on the way who only told me… “there is nothing wrong with north-east india you be nice to people n see how people are going to love you” n that’s exactly how it happened…
 
I WALKED INTO THE WILD KNOWING NOTHING AND  NO ONE!
People who know me call me “rani jhansi”  because its funny but am scared of nothing… absolutely nothing and its my wish to die in the mountains, which I admit quite proudly  So I wasn’t scared at all  was just very excited if not anxious about this “unknown” n the more people said… “don’t do it”… the more I wanted to do it!!
 
- what is the first thing that struck you being a single woman traveler- people perceptions/ making your way through strange places/ fear, excitement
 
First thing that struck me as an INDIAN woman traveling alone was that people are just not used to seeing indians traveling with their backpacks.. moving around with a map… asking for directions… enquiring about places… so if your hindi is not superbly good you are invariably taken as a foreigner! But this could go for any guy as well.. but for girls it IS very strange!
 
Second reaction that you get from people is: why would you want to risk your life like this?? Or doesn’t your family mind you traveling like this? What about your husband?? How can he let you travel all alone?? Are you here for business? Are you from an organization?? “very brave of you… we have never traveled like this and look at this girl from mumbai… traveling in our region… telling us facts about our place”
 
Northeast was an amazing exploration made better n easier by the people who love to share their lives and stories… I made the most number of friends during the time I traveled from one place to another… either behind a bike, or in a rickshaw, or walking, or during (a 19hr) long journey in the bus, or trains, wingers, sumos… it would start with a simple question like “where you from” would end with exchanging numbers to joining each on the journey ahead… the latter being more common in my case… my favourite word being “chalo”… they would say so and so place is nice and I must go there and they live close by n can take me there and I wud say… “chaalo”!! and that’s how I saw most of what I saw…
 
I’m officially my Naga friends’ “FIRST HINDU INDIAN FRIEND”… they were surprised to see this non- conservative version of a Hindu girl! and refused to believe I was a married woman! 
 

Akok Jamir, my Ao Naga friend from Mokukchung, Nagaland, who hates to call himself either Naga or Indian! he’s just himself!
 

 Kilang and Archi, my first FRIENDS in North East India!
 
 
 
I was in a strange state where I trusted everyone… and noone cheated me!
 
 
- What is your advice to women who want to travel alone. YOU DON’T ALWAYS NEED TO LOOK YOUR BEST BUT FEEL YOUR BEST. Carry basic stuff like a knife, torch, pepper spray etc to ensure you have something to figure your way out of a situation, though women are really very safe and at times very respected in North East India. Remember if you don’t get a good vibe from someone.. possibility is that IT IS NOT RIGHT… don’t knowingly put yourself in trouble. Avoid night journeys. DON”T EVER HITCH HIKE WHEN U R TRAVELING ALONE… army trucks are a strict NO NO… always look for local women for support and while traveling try to get along with a group/ family… it feels safe when you go out for food/ breaks during travel especially at night…
 
Always keep extra cash hidden somewhere for a rainy day…
 
Its safer to stay with a family than in hotels/ guest houses etc. n its nice to help the people in those houses because in most cases they don’t take money from you…
 
- Traveling alone – Whats good about it, whats bad about it…
Bad: sometimes you crave to share what you are experiencing… you feel overwhelmed with the things around you n all you have is you… those days when you come back to a hut by Brahmaputra after hugging n crying for a stranger… you feel something’s changing… n that’s when you want to hug someone you love and just cry… all over again!!
 
Sometimes when you see those thousands of fireflies in the dark… from as close to your hair to as far as you can see… and you are transported to another reality… a fairy tale kind of moment… where for 45 minutes you hear nothing but the wheels of a rickshaw and see nothing but the fireflies peeping through the foliage of trees that’s excorting your way…You suddenly feel like a princess… and in that proud moment you want to cry out to someone you love and say… I saw the most beautiful thing!!!
 
When after shaking your hand with a strange bank manager, you are told something even more strange—“ don’t worry she (weaving entrepreneur in majuli) will get her desired loan… your responsibility is now my responsibility” n she actually gets that loan… you want to jump up high n give a high five to someone you love… and say “ we have done it”…
 

my majuli family:

When I was sick of having boiled daal n rice and could have it no more and decided to give my meals a miss… this old assamese lady from dhubri… woke up in the middle of the night to prepare meal for me- milk, paneer, chapatti, sugar and biscuits… when she made food “just for me- because she didn’t much care for roti”… I missed my mom…
 

neelima didi who acted my mother in a strange place…
 
Good: you observe n absorb more when you are on your own n there is no one to talk to… you learn more because you are completely at the mercy of the locals… you pick languages out of necessity… you understand the politics and general living conditions of people much better… but most importantly … YOU MAKE FRIENDS… the kind of friends you never find in cities… in no time… you seem to SHARE a lot and in the simplest way possible…
 
and that’s what makes this whole journey so meaningful… a few numbers on your contact book come back with you as friends… and you suddenly feel richer… happier… more content with life… because you SURVIVED!!! and you LIVED… really LIVED those days of your life!
 

 
the tickling laughter that still rings in my head…