Heart of the Matter
By Kishalay Bhattacharjee
A historic email
Wednesday November 25, 2009
Every word and sentence of this mail is loaded and extremely significant. This terse email from a thirty-year-old armed militant outfit may change the course of conflict in Assam.
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ULFA's bag of tricks
Wednesday November 18, 2009, Guwahati
Before each election, the govt has a record of slowing down its operations against the outfit in some sort of a symbiotic exchange.
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The Dalai Lama speaks out
Wednesday November 11, 2009
Tawang was excited on the Dalai Lama's arrival. Every shop, homes, all roads, and traditional gates, dressed up with prayer flags and a fresh coat of paint. In the morning of his arrival, market committees laid out chairs on the road. Residents also made arrangements on roadside. The Dalai Lama may just decide to stop over, informed our driver. Great care was taken in the floral arrangement on the ritual platform. Buckets of water with flowers were kept on roadsides. The town was suddenly filled with aroma or burning incense. Villagers from distant hamlets which appear far away trekked their way to watch him. The elderly were chanting beads. The children with flowers were waiting for a glimpse of the monk they have been taught to revere
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Tawang, in preparation
Saturday November 7, 2009
The apparent sense of alienation in India's Northeast is perhaps never felt as acutely as in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly Tawang where the international media community has descended to report on the arrival of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Foreign nationals representing the media were denied entry at the last minute.
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Nine long years
Monday November 2, 2009, Imphal
Nine years ago on the second of November I arrived in the dusty city of Guwahati for a year's assignment in the North East Bureau. The city looked unusually quiet and relaxed. And I had no idea what I was getting into. I had no idea either that on that very day a young lady somewhere in India's North East started an agitation which is today considered unprecedented in the history of resistance.
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Displaced and Dispossessed
Friday September 4, 2009
Violence is generally graded. Though terrorist violence is dramatic and powerful, it is over in a matter of moments. 26/11 was an exception.
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Obsession
Friday May 8, 2009, Guwahati
The Obama juggernaut was quite a lucrative obsession. The Indian Rajnaitik Yajna on the other hand is too repetitive to engage interest. The range of Netas is far from inspiring. The country has heard them before and seen their performances in every sphere of life.
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One India
Tuesday April 28, 2009, Guwahati
By the time I watched Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal and Nandita’s Firaaq the films were reviewed several times over and opinions on them were set aside to make room for new releases. But like most things films often arrive late to the city of Guwahati. At least they arrive! The rest of the north east cannot even afford to have such expectations.
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Assam: The day after
Friday April 24, 2009, Guwahati
The picture of Guwahati two days before the second phase of polling was impressive if not fascinating. Hundreds of people were trying to get on to some mode of conveyance to reach their home in nearby towns and villages. To cast the 'vote'.
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Cast a farce
Friday April 17, 2009, Bijoynagar, India
This is how inclusive Indian democracy is. Look at Arunachal Pradesh. Poll officials have travelled for days to places in Lumta, Pakke, Anini and Bordumsa which has just 3 voters each. In other parts like Tawang, Kurun Kumey, Upper Subansiri, Mechuka and Anjaw officials have walked on foot for three days after travelling on elephant back crossing rivers. 690 polling personnel had to be transported by helicopter.
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About Me
Kishalay Bhattacharjee is a broadcast journalist obsessed with the audio visual medium. Very opinionated that journalism is far removed from activism and he hates long bios. An Edward Murrow Fellow, Kishalay received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Journalism 2006-2007.