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"Creative Joy" An interview with budding Printmaker Kompi Riba

Chow Bilaseng Namchoom

I had an exceedingly good fortune of chatting with the 27 year old budding printmaker Kompi Riba who is a native of Likabali, West Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh. Despite the fact that Printmaking in Arunachal Pradesh is a subject which many of the tribal people are unaware, Riba gambled to choose her carrier in Printmaking. Riba holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (Printmaking) from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata and a master’s degree in Fine Arts (Printmaking) from Visva Bharati University, Kolkata. Riba passed her higher secondary exam in science stream with a distinction and like others she could have chosen to become a doctor, engineer or an architect. But, drawing has always fascinated her and this has played an important part in Riba’s decision to go for learning in fine arts. Today, she recreates magic of each artwork in her own unique style. She has exhibited mostly in Kolkata and New Delhi and now plans to hold similar exhibition in other parts of the country. She has carved a niche for herself in producing mixed-media paintings, original handmade prints and bookmarks. Currently she works as an Artist in SCERT (State Council Education Research and Training). Here is what she has to say about her work in an interview with Chow Bilaseng Namchoom(CBN).

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AMRIT Pharmacy Inauguration

With the aims to provide quality and affordable medicines to the patients and public as a whole the honourable Health and Family Welfare Minister Smti. R.Warjri today inaugurated the AMRIT Pharmacy at Civil hospital Shillong.

AMRIT or (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implant for Treatment) is an initiative taken up by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India with Life Care Limited (HLL) as its distributor. The AMRIT Civil Hospital will be among the 103^rd such pharmacy in the country. Though there is one in NEIGHRIMS Hospital but the AMRIT in Civil Hospital is the first such kind of pharmacy in collaboration with Government of Meghalaya.

Speaking during the inauguration programme Warjri said that it is a privileged for the state to have such kind of hospital in order to provide better affordable medicines to the public. She also added that the state government is working out with HLL to implement 9 more such pharmacy in all district of Meghalaya.

Shri H.M. Shangpliang IAS government of Meghalaya also added that MHIS card will also be link to this pharmacy for the benefit of the cards holder.

The other dignitaries present during the inauguration ceremony were Dr.D. Lyngdoh Diretor of Health and Service (MCH&FW), Smti Rupa Chakraborty HLL,Regional Manager (East), Dr. (Mrs.) B. Mawlong Jt. Director of Health Servicess (S.S) Civil Hospital and staff of Civil Hospital.

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500 Trees Face a Massacre

Sumar Singh Sawian

It can happen only in Meghalaya, as the forest department has taken a unilateral decision, without any basis to massacre around 500 trees, considered to be a danger to human lives, the cause being that an old eucalyptus tree, because of weak roots over the years, came crashing down during the summer heavy rains, killing three persons. The eucalyptus tree is a native of Australia but somehow was grown in the premises of the Raj Bhavan Shillong. The tree has no fault of its own, as all along the years it was left unattended and uncared for. At this, the blame and responsibility should go to the attendants of Raj Bhavan, looking after the vegetation gardens which also include trees of different species.

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ICSSR-NERC National Seminar

The Indian council of Social Science Regional Research  (ICSSR) Northeast Regional Centre start off its two days National Seminar on ‘Towards Social Justice: Impact of Positive Discrimination on Marginalized Communities with Special Reference to Scheduled Caste Groups in India’ at ICSSR-NERC  Conference Room NEHU Campus Shillong. 

The two days seminar will discuss on various issues relating to Interrogating the ideas of Social Justice and Positive Discrimination, Fighting for social justice, Experiences and lessons from other countries, Social justice, democracy and socialism and Understanding Ambedkar, Positive Discrimination which include Socio-economic development of the SCs in India, Continuity and change in caste system with reference of the Dalits, Caste, class, region, religion, Political parties and electoral politics, the misused of Dalits as vote banks, Dalit movements after Ambedkar. Organizations and emerging leadership, Identity and movements for social justice: Achievements and limitations for the Dalit empowerment: Problems and challenges. 

The seminar will be chaired by Professor Gopal Guru Centre for Political Studies JNU New Delhi, Professor L.S Gassah Honorary Director, ICSSR-NERC.

The aim of this seminar is to highlight these policies of positive discrimination which aim at targeting unequal and undemocratic nature of the caste system and empower the marginalized communities in India. It also aims at questioning and suggesting out the positive and negative aspects of understanding by implementing such policies.

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Environmental Emergency sounded in Manipur

Sunzu Bachaspatimayum

Recent natural disaster testifies that landlocked Manipur is facing the heavy brunt of a severe ecological imbalance. Flashing floods, outbreak of diseases, massive landslides and its most scenic fresh water lake, Loktak gradually becoming unfit for fish are symptoms, that its environment is screaming for help to quick reverse the damages or otherwise, the worst is yet to come.

During the non-stop rains the entire Northeastern region witnessed in the months of May-June, Manipur experienced its worst ever floods in 20 years. What was significant is that the inundation continued for a long time, marooning localities and causing lots of hardship. Usually the flood waters recede quickly but this time it took a lot of time to do so. 

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India Pay Homage to Rishang Keishing

Wungkui Zimik

When the Republic of India had its first Paliamentary elections in 1952, thirtytwo year old Rishang Keishing, a fresh graduate from the prestigious St. Paul’s Cathedral Mission College of Calcutta got elected along with Jawaharlal Nehru and others. He was one of the youngest MPs. Sixty two years later in 2014, he was still a member of the Parliament. He retired as world’s oldest MP at the age of 94. He passed away at the age of 97 on Tuesday , 22 August 2017 at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences hospital, Imphal. He is survived by his life partner of 67 long years, Mrs Khathingla. They have two daughters and four sons.

Indian leaders from across the party condoled Keishing’s demise. Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee were among the first to send condolences.

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China Variation in Tussle with India

Nisha Sethia

Doklam standoff in its almost three months tuzzle has finally withdrawn the troops from the disputed site. Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

For the past few months, The Chinese media has been accusing India in its attempt to transform the territory in Doklam. In a single month around 125 articles have been written on the Indian “trespass”, “hijacking a small neighbour”, and that Doklam actually belongs to China.

There is an existing mechanism named India-China Expert-Level mechanism which was started in 2006 to share hydrological data during the flood season for Brahmaputra and Satluj rivers. Under the MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) signed in 2013 and 2015, the hydrological data is to be shared between May 15 to October 15 every year, but from May 15 till now no data has been received from China. The last meeting of the mechanism was held in April 2016 but held that linking the sharing of hydrological data with heavy floods in the northeast would be overdue.

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When a male river flows....

Nava Thakuria

They say there is only one male river (rivers are considered female in India) and that is in Tibetan highland. Of course, the name itself identifies it as the son of Lord Brahmā, the creator of the Universe according to the Hindu mythology. Brahma’s son (Putra) is known as Brahmaputra, the sacred river that emerges as a unique identity for the people of Assam. Even though Brahmaputra is an international river connecting Tibet (now under China), India and Bangladesh, it is omnipresent in the great Assamese literarycultural pieces. Often the mighty river is termed as Luit in Assamese literature, which Assam’s greatest son in recent time Dr Bhupen Hazarika described as Burha (literary meaning old) Luit also. Many of the immortal creations of Dr Hazarika are related to Brahmaputra (pronounced in Assamese as Brôhmôputrô). In different songs, the legendary singer terms the river as a symbol of greatness, harmony and assimilation. Sometime, the celebrated music composer also questioned Mohabahu Brahmaputra ‘why does it flow in spite of the endless sufferings of dwellers on both of its banks’.

The powerful river originates in Jima Yangzong glacier of the Himalayan State of Tibet (at an elevation of about 5150 meter), flows across southern Tibet and enters into Arunachal Pradesh and then flows southwest through the Assam valley to penetrate into Bangladesh. Finally the gigantic river culminates in the Bay of Bengal after merging with Padma (also known as Podda) and Meghna river. Identified as one of the major rivers of Asia (world’s fourth largest), Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo in Tibet (Yarlung Zangbo in Chinese), Siang or Dihang in Arunachal, Jomuna (not Yamuna of north India) in northern Bangladesh. It covers nearly 2,900 kilometer and embraces the basin area of around 651,300 square km. The river, occasionally adored as a sea, discharges average 19,300 cubicmeter volume of water per second.