On September 19, India lost music wizard Zubeen Garg, and authorities claim it was a case of drowning in the Singapore sea, while he was on a scheduled musical tour to Singapore to light up the North East Festival at Singapore’s Suntec City. The news of the music maestro’s unfortunate death sent shock waves not just in Assam, but the entire North East and beyond the seven seas.
Even after two weeks, people of Assam and the North East are in a state of shock and disbelief. In fact, the legend’s death has become a highly sensitive issue, with millions of Zubeen Da’s fans taking to the streets, demanding a thorough probe into this unfortunate demise.
The war cry right now in Assam and India’s North East is “Justice for Zubeen Garg”. The Government of Assam has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and all eyes are now on the outcome of the investigation. People of the North East are waiting with bated breath to decode the mysterious death of the legendary musician.
Zubeen Garg is “one-in-a-million” phenomenon and perhaps the best summation of Zubeen Da, (as he was affectionately referred to by millions of his fans) was by the Deccan Herald journalist Amrita Madhukalya thus – “Zubeen Garg, a phenomenon and enfant terrible of the Assamese cultural landscape The fandom of Zubeen, a musical virtuoso who went on to acquire the demigod status, spanned ages, and his music transcended genres”.
With tributes pouring in from across the world – Google confering him the title of “Humming King of the World” and his funeral procession itself was a massive outpouring of love by the people of Assam, putting Zubeen Da’s congregation at par with other distinguished luminaries like Michael Jackson, Pope Francis, and Queen Elizabeth II in terms of sheer magnitude!
With his untimely demise, an era of musical wizardry has come to an end. Zubeen Garg’s far-reaching influence on Indian music and culture will now have to be preserved, and his inspiring legacy will be spread far and wide.
Zubeen Da had time and again reiterated that India’s North East is a land of stupendous dimensions – colourful, traditional, modern. The region easily meets the expectations of every type of tourist. With its varied topography, picturesque valleys, high mountain peaks, cascading rivers, and haunting wilderness, the North East of India never ceases to surprise tourists with its kaleidoscopic attractions. Nevertheless, in terms of tourism, the region needs to be properly branded in the competitive global marketplace.
Apart from its stunning landscape, the North East is an Anthropological Hotspot that the rest of the world should know about. Why? 200 + tribes and anthropologists consider this region to be one of the world’s most culturally distinguishable regions. These fascinating people have grown up surrounded by love; honesty and simplicity are their trademarks. Today, mainstream India envies their sense of fashion, their gorgeous hair, their fine-looking skin and their super-cool attitude.
To help people of the North East so that they can continue to be kind and nice people, I, as a Travel Journalist and a one-time-native of that enigmatic land, feel that the region’s tribal diversity being pretty similar to New Zealand’s Māori tribes, perhaps it would pay rich dividends if India Tourism were to follow the NZ Tourism model.
New Zealand Tourism’s thoughtful and smart branding has catapulted “Māori Culture Tours” to be amongst the world’s most sought-after immersive anthropological tours, while India Tourism is still struggling to find its footing.
Much like the Māori people who belong to many sub tribes or “Hapu”, tribal people of NE states too are divided into tribes and sub-tribes. Hilly tribes who dwell in high mountains are blessed with a fascinating lifestyle, indulging in hunting and fishing, which are considered their prime occupations.
Needless to say, just as the Māori celebrate their indigenous festivals like Pasifka Cultural Festival, Parihaka Peace Festival, Māori Kai Festivals, the tribal people of North East celebrate Bihu, Brahmaputra Festival of Assam, Hornbill and Sekrenyi festival of Nagaland, Torgya Monastery Festival, Arunachal Pradesh, Shillong Autumn Festival, Chapchar Kut from Manipur, Ningol Chakouba Festival, Manipur and Kharchi Puja from Tripura are celebrated with great pomp and grandeur.
In the case of New Zealand, the whole nation gets involved with their traditional “Matariki” festival – paying homage to ancestors, cultural performances and fireworks display. I have yet to see the government’s involvement in celebrating North Eastern tribal festivals, such as Chap Char Kut, Ningol Chakouba, and Sekrenyi, which are celebrated pan-India.
The New Zealand government will celebrate Matariki, or the Māori New Year, as a public holiday from 2022, thereby sending a strong message of recognising Māori culture. The Matariki Advisory Group, consisting of Māori experts, has been providing guidance and suggestions to the NZ government on the inherent values of the Matariki festival and has even identified the dates for the festival for the next 30 years. That’s how serious the NZ government is on issues about the promotion and preservation of Māori culture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Act East Policy” – A revolutionary policy that will ensure the region’s amalgamation with mainstream India, promises greater amalgamation of India’s North Eastern states with Mainland India and one great way to do that is by declaring at least on key festival of North East, like, for instance the Bihu Festival as a National Holiday, just like the New Zealand government has done in case of the Māori tribes’ Matariki festival.
Apart from festivals, North East India has also emerged as a prime industry for rock music. Shillong is the music capital of India, while Guwahati is one of the major destinations for live rock band performances. Music and dance festivals, such as Bihu, Hornbill, and folk music festivals, haven’t been highlighted on a pan-India basis.
I can cite the example of one of Shillong’s favourite musicians – the affable Lou Majaw. He is regarded in the Rock ‘N’ Roll circles as the “Dylan of the North East”. The 61-year-old Lou was obsessed with Bob Dylan’s songs during the 1960s. As a tribute to Bob Dylan, he organises an annual concert that coincides with his birthday. Has India Tourism branded this extraordinary tribute show at the national level?
Just like the Māori people’s belief that the sky, earth, forests and all of nature are manifestations of god, as well as their conviction that the spirits of their ancestors roam around them as protectors, many North Eastern tribes have identical belief systems in place. The Mizos in particular!
The Mizo tribes worship spirits, including both ancestor spirits and the deities of the village. They believe that the destiny of the universe is in the hands of one god – “Khazangpa”. He lives in the sky, punishes evildoers and gives handsome rewards for good deeds. Their age-old tradition of offering water to the holy spirit in their small-sized cups and the ethereal scene of lighting butter lamps have captivated the hearts of a million tourists.
So fascinating is their lifestyle that, after marriage, the Ao Nagas, the bride and the groom, leave their family of origin and establish a new family. The Ao Nagas do not practice polygamy. As a family unit, they live in complete harmony. If a younger member of the family quarrels with a senior person of the family, it is believed to be ominous not only to the family but also to the village as such.
The ‘Morung’ or Bachelor’s Dormitory plays a vital role in the social life of the Ao Naga village. Most ‘Morungs’ are fine works of craftsmanship. It serves both as a guardhouse and a clubhouse. The women are forbidden to enter a ‘Morung’. The young boys are admitted into the ‘Morung’ every three years to receive practical training, aiming to become perfect men in all spheres. The similarities with Maoris are telltale!
Then again, Māori arts, such as music, dance, wood carving, weaving, and even those awesome tattoos they wear so religiously, have become very noticeable and contribute hugely towards New Zealand’s cultural enrichment. What is more, most of these traditions have been passed on from generation to generation.
Did you know that the Khasi people of North East India are blessed with Mongoloid features and, incidentally, were the earliest Mongolian invaders in this part of the world? They speak the Austric language, which, to my knowledge, is largely prevalent in Cambodia, Java, and the Nicobar Islands. The most remarkable feature of the Khasi social systemis that it is matriarchal, which is not found in any other tribes of North East India.
In places like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, where some of the highest snow-clad peaks are positioned, standing like sentinels, the tribal people, like the Monpas and Bhutias, believe in Buddhism is rock solid. If you can strike up a conversation with an elderly Monpa, you will be mesmerised by their discourse on “Reincarnation of the soul”.
For instance, legend has it that the Old Monastery in Ralang in Sikkim, dating back to 1768 AD, was blessed by the 9th Karmapa with grains of rice brought from Tibet. One of the greatest festivals of the Kagyupa Buddhists – “Pang Lhabsol” wherein Mount Kanchenjunga is worshipped is celebrated with great zest and fanfare.
It is about time to wake up and do something tangible for the North East’s Tourism.
The manner in which the New Zealand government is selling the uniqueness of “Indegenous Branding”, using the Māori culture in the crowded global tourism markets, is phenomenal and rightfully finds echo in the words of Philip Klap, Māori Business Relationship Manager, thus – “Indigenous branding can be a big plus in the United States and some European countries, like Germany. There is spiralling worldwide interest in things indigenous, especially in tourism and in upmarket food stores where people can spend more and will take the time to look at the branding and ask what it means”.
The world of tourism is changing, and the demand for authenticity is the prime driving force for today’s discerning traveller.
Ultimately, Zubeen Garg’s north-east is a full package of adventure, diverse culture and lovable people. The global tourism industry needs India’s North East to prosper and bloom. The prospect of being surrounded by the “Mountain People”, the quintessential tea estates spread like a finely woven carpet along the hillsides, breathtaking views of the snowy Himalayas and down to the swollen rivers in the valley bottoms is something that the discerning world traveller aspires for!
“I have no caste, no religion. I don’t believe in God. I am free. I am Kanchenjunga”. This quote itself is self-explanatory – Zubeen Da’s abiding love for freedom and his umbilical connect with India’s North East.
Perhaps the greatest homage to Zubeen Da would be to transform India’s North East into the world’s most preferred destination! Nothing less would suffice!
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