Since most areas evolved in compartmentalized geographical isolation, it is no surprise that the communities within the region still know very little about each other. A tribute to its wealthy cultural diversity and its anthropological richness has been recently paid by the husband wife duo of Kunal Verma and Dipti Bhalla in the form of a series of three pictorial books commissioned by the Indian Army - Northeast Trilogy. Aptly named, East of the Kangchengdzonga, Brahma’s Creation and Children of the Dawn, these volumes running into 1294 pages capture the colorful region at its best.

Northeast Trilogy raises a curtain on the wonders of Northeast India – a land, which was, to many and perhaps still is, a land of mystery and mystique. The three volumes encapsulate in them, an in-depth collection of hundreds of photographs taken in the field by the authors over a period of three years. Through their images they have captured a world hitherto unknown to many - the richness and the grandeur of the Northeast. The entire collection goes beyond the realm of one’s imagination.

This lavish set of three is a celebration and a tribute to the people of the Northeast - from stunning portraits to landscapes and the rich flora and fauna. Dipti and Kunal have demystified an entire area that was hitherto unknown not only to the rest of the country but also to the communities which live in the region in isolated pockets demarcated by difficult terrain. The seclusion was geographical but the story today is different. The Northeastern states are among the best performing ones in the country. There has been immense improvement in literacy, health, and infrastructure.

The first volume encompassing Sikkim, North Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya weaves geography with history, myths of origin with daily life, religion with culture and breathtaking photography with illuminating text. The resultant rich harvest of images just leaves the reader spellbound and is a delight to behold North Bengal which shares a lot in common with the Northeast is also well photo-documented. Lesser known tribes such as Rabhas, Mechs, Totos, Drukpas and ‘Tea’ tribes find place in this volume. The once ‘hidden land’ of Sikkim comes alive in its myriad hues.

The Great Himalayan wall that separates India from Tibet culminates in Arunachal Pradesh, to which the second volume is completely devoted. With heights extending up to 23,000 feet, this is a land of vast rocky expanses, glaciers and icy rivers.  The upper reaches dominated by Lamaistic Buddhism which give way to many shades of tribal animism in the middle zone and Theravada Buddhism in the foothills have been framed and almost come to life. This volume indeed has done justice to the tribal multitude of Arunachal. This book aims at demystifying and understanding even today, what is the one of the most challenging areas of the country. The pictures in this volume do justice to the virgin natural magnificence of the place where the sun rises first in the country.

Arunachal Pradesh (erstwhile NEFA) was a region which even in the 1950s was visited by just a handful of people, leave alone study and documentation. Mahatma Gandhi’s confidant and later Nehru’s Adviser on Tribal Affairs, the self trained anthropologist Verrier Elwin and the celebrated enthnologist Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf produced ground breaking work on the state. Haimendorf went on to film and document the lives of the Apatanis and Nyishis in Arunachal and the Konyaks in Nagaland, the images and archival footage of which are housed in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) London.

In the final volume the authors start their journey from Tirap and Changlang districts in Arunachal and as they move south, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizorm come alive in their respective splendour. Starting from the Nao Dehing on the eastern flank of Arunachal, the authors take the readers to the north-south chain of the Naga Patkai Hills which extend south into Nagaland and Manipur before linking up with the Chalfillh Tlang and the Uiphum Tlang ranges in Mizoram and tapering off into the Chin and Arakan Yoma. Like the eastern Himalayas, this region too was considered to be a natural barrier, separating the region from Southeast Asia.

This region holds the promise of being the gateway to Southeast Asia. The Kaladan Multi Modal Transport Project which ambitiously aims to connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar to Lawngtlai in southern Mizoram will be that link.

During the helicopter sorties to shoot pictures, often the authors put their lives at risk. One such incident when they were filming over Sikkim that finds mention in the book is recounted by them as  “the gompa at Thangu with its yellow windows was clearly visible below, and to our right was the Plateau, guarded by the king, Khangchengyao and the queen, Chomoyomo. Clear air turbulence and fierce winds were tossing the helicopters around, and the tension was quite palpable as the pilots kept looking for a draft. At 17,000 ft the captain, in between guiding the younger pilot calmly through the gap into the Plateau told the story of the lover peaks.” Such was the peril.

 

Northeast Trilogy raises a curtain on the wonders of Northeast India – a land, which was, to many and perhaps still is, a land of mystery and mystique.

The book was released by the Army Chief Gen V K Singh on the occasion of the Army Day in Delhi on 15th January in the presence of the other two Service Chiefs. At the function he presented copies of the book to the President Pratibha Patil and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. General V K Singh said of the series “The Northeast Trilogy looks at the region as a whole, taking into its ambit Sikkim, the northern part of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram. The images fill the ‘blanks on the map’ as the authors bring together a substantial mosaic of the Northeast, presenting a breathtaking canvas that is aimed at increasing our understanding of the areas in its entirety”. In the words of Lt Gen (Retd) S K Pillai, former Colonel of the Assam Regiment “For the people of the Northeast, it’s a window that transcends regional identities; and for the rest of us, it’s hopefully a new beginning towards a greater understanding of who we are.”

Kunal Verma is a photojournalist and a filmmaker who has produced some acclaimed films for the Services. Some of his well known works are Salt of the Earth for the IAF, a series of Naval and Army films, culminating with a film on the Kargil War.  Having clocked hundreds of hours in fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters, he is by far the most experienced aerial cameraman in the country today. His wife Dipti Bhalla is a filmmaker and an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTTI) and the Australian Film School (AFTS) Sydney, she was the director/editor of the Project Tiger television series. She is the first Indian woman to fly in supersonic jet fighters like the Mirage 2000 and the Jaguar and is currently working on projects on the Himalayas and India’s Northeast, a region which has fascinated her since childhood.

Pratap Chhetri