Born to rise

                                                                                                                          Ankur Bora

It all began with a compelling question that only myself could answer. In 2008, I ran a Marathon to support and raise money for a school for underprivileged children in my home state of Assam. It was an amazing adventure - seeking discrete but effective fundraising means to appeal to the local community so that they open their hearts and wallets while maintaining everyday practices and training for the run. This year, there was a pressing need for another fundraiser – this time it was for a school for differently-abled abandoned/orphaned children named Tapoban and I found myself on a crossroad. After all, It has been a long ten years - can I endure hundreds of miles of training and push my physical limits, my drive, and my mental strength for another run.

Having a purpose , along with deliberate practice, interest and faith – is a key to accomplish any or every goal. The home of Tapoban shelters 24 differently abled children between the age group of 6-14 years as well as staff members, including a braille teacher, physiotherapist and caretakers. It is a four story residential structure without an elevator. Every day is a struggle for these children in wheelchair who needed to be lifted by others. The purpose of the fundraising is to raise enough money for construction of a lift, an electrical elevator which will greatly help these children. When I imagined, these cheering ,smiling children waiting for me at the finishing line, I began to find the answer. In the days that follow, that rewarding feeling of validation I sought for so long began to crystallize.   

Kumud Kalita, founder of  Tapoban is a sincere and upright man who is doing everything he can in his capacity to help these children lead fulfilling lives. I met him in person this year at the Jeevan Kite & River Festival where, we , on behalf of Assam Foundation of North America ( AFNA) were honoring him. At the event,  I witnessed some of the children of Tapoban performing on stage and realized how Kalita is turning their disability to ability. Established in 2005,  Kumud Kalita, initially, started running this shelter home with his own salary often struggling to keep it going. Whenever I thought of such unselfish acts of kindness , I realized that I needed to frame the Marathon run  in terms of a broader goal that has an impact beyond myself.

Before my race,  I made a list of  people that I will remember for every mile I run. Debojit Bora  used to live in my neighborhood at Fouzdaripatty in Nagaon town. A smiling face, a warm heart burning in philanthropic zeal, he is a true mentor who taught me to examine and explore issues from a variety of viewpoints. He is going through a major surgery at a hospital in Dallas- Forth worth - I know that his good wishes will be with me. Kalyan  Dutta-Choudhury of Berkeley, California had been a well-wisher and supporter of  AFNA projects for a long time. Dutta-Choudhury passed away recently and I am dedicating my marathon run in his loving memory. As I am preparing for the run - I am overwhelmed with emotion,  filled with sadness , the long term associations spreading over ten years - at the same time I am able to do something meaningful  - that we will be able to keep his legacy alive. I also have the fondest memory of another family Krishna and Pradip Das of Saint Louis , Missouri. Late Krishna Das used to share with us her story in the ancestral house of her husband at Boko in Kamrup district , how the family was raised in Gandhi's ideals of self-reliance. Those stories continued to live in my heart and as I was getting ready , I knew that they would resonate  throughout my race.

The challenge , the chance to push oneself , setting new goals and constantly  elevating ourselves is how we grow ; it’s how we keep from becoming complacent and it’s what I witnessed at the BMW Dallas Marathon on 9^th December. My road to that day was a total transformative experience. As the burst of fireworks blasted off at the start line, I shot off into a new chapter of life. It was a sight to behold, as while thousands of runners hit the road , another million hit the sidelines to cheer them up. The whole course was lined with spectators. In every mile , crowd was cheering , in every neighborhood  of the town  live bands were performing a variety of music, as I crossed each milestone , I was energized by the continuous shouts of encouragement. For a moment , it appeared, as if the whole of Dallas city were out there , showing solidarity and support to me and Tapoban. As I crossed the famed finished line, I begin to feel renewed and improved as if I am reborn to rise again.

The biggest risk in life is not taking one. Instead of doing all the things we do every day, over and over , we should keep working at the things that do not come easily to us. We need to challenge ourselves , let’s think of the feeling of accomplishment that will follow once we prove to ourselves that we actually can do the thing we thought we could not do. When we face them with courage and conquer the fear , we only grow stronger. This is the attitude to have , isn’t it?

                                                                                    ankurbora@hotmail.com

My Marathon dedication

              

                                                                                                                     Ankur Bora

Kalyan  Dutta-Choudhury had been a well-wisher and supporter of Assam Foundation of North America (AFNA) and AFNA projects for a long time.  Dutta-Choudhury passed away recently and I would like to dedicate my marathon run for the Tapoban project "In the loving memory of  Kalyan Dutta-Choudhury "

Kalyan  Dutta-Choudhury with daughters and grand children

I have the fondest memory of  Dutta-Choudhury - Kalyan da used to write various stories specially on rituals , practices of lower Assam particularly in the Gauripur area.  As I am preparing for the run - I am overwhelmed with emotion,  filled with sadness , the long term associations spreading over ten years - at the same time I am able to do something meaningful  - that we will be able to keep the legacy alive. Rani Dutta Choudhuri shares the followings

 “ From the bottom of my heart, myself and my family appreciate the honor you are planning to bestow on Kalyan. He would have been so pleasantly surprised but at the same time humbled.  He enjoyed being able to share his musings with AFNA and particularly with you. He had great affection and respect for you”

Ankur Bora at Austin Marathon 2008

                       A Tribute                              Rani Dutta-Choudhury

Kalyan Dutta Choudhury passed away on July 24th 2018 in Guwahati, Assam. It was on his yearly visit to the region that he took ill suddenly and breathed his last. He left behind his grieving family: his wife Rani, his daughters Amrita and Devika, his son-in-law Mike, and his grandchildren Hera, Pia and Hugh. Also mourning his passing are his older brother Shilabhadra’s family and his many nieces and nephews, the offspring of this large and close family, who loved and respected their uncle.

Kalyan was born in the small town of Gauripur in Goalpara district of Assam in 1938. He was the youngest of ten brothers and sisters. At barely two years old, he lost his father to illness. The large family supported each other through difficult times, and maintained the family brick business for many years.  Kalyan’s mother Amiya Lata and his oldest brother Rebati (Shilabhadra) were the most important influences in Kalyan’s life. Kalyan was home schooled as a youngster. No doubt, Kalyan was sheltered and protected by his doting family. Kalyan read voraciously growing up. He eagerly helped himself to the books his oldest brother brought into the house. He developed a lifelong love of literature.

It was not the humanities that Kalyan studied in college but science. After Dhubri College, he attended Cotton College and then Guwahati University. With a first class degree in physics from the University, Kalyan headed to IIT Bombay. Advanced degree in hand Kalyan came back to teach in his Alma Mater, Guwahati University. Ever ambitious, Kalyan fulfilled his dream of pursuing even higher studies in America. Landing first at the University of Louisville, Kalyan moved on to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where his two daughters were also born. He accrued three more degrees and, along with his young family, he headed back to Assam.

After two years in Assam, Kalyan with his family returned to the US. Back in the land of opportunity, Kalyan worked mainly in industry, but he enjoyed most of all his career as a professor and department chair at a technical college in East Texas. After retirement, and moving to Berkeley, CA to be closer to his daughters, Kalyan’s writing flourished. He told stories of his youth and mused about politics and culture. His family treasures these stories and the memories they bring up.  

Kalyan’s priority was always his family. His passion was education, the pursuit of knowledge and the welfare of youngsters growing up without all the advantages that life bestows on some. He will be always missed by family and friends.     

  

Rickshaws of Gauripur                            Kalyan Dutta-Choudhury                               

 Berkeley Aug 25, 2011 

The first rickshaw came to our town of Gauripur quite by an economic accident when a medical doctor, Dr. Upen Khan, felt he needed to quickly provide some means of income-generating scheme to his young nephew, a circumstantial migrant from East Pakistan, to provide for his parents who were living in the doctor’s house. The nephew named ‘’Patal’’ was built sturdily. He didn’t do well in school. Then one morning came a shiny new rickshaw in town – the doctor’s residence. People flocked to see what it was! A few cars going around in the town toot-tooting were quite old losing their novelty. In addition, they looked distant to common folks. .

It was a brand new novelty. And people looked at the lone rickshaw as a wonderment as it passed by with an occasional wealthy rider with an air, ‘’Look, what I’m riding!’’ Then, whoever wanted a leisurely ride along the banks of the river in the evening took to riding on it sitting coolly. Then the lone rickshaw became popular with newly-wed couples in nearby villages . They came to town to have ‘taste’ of the town-life like going to a movie or eating ‘’maza’’ (sweets) and drinking tea. The newly-married brides would pull down her‘’ghongta’’ (veil) to hide her face from an occasional friendly teasing or leering eyes

The lone operator became a busy-man taking advance reservation from prospective clients. But pulling the rickshaw took its toll on the health, and initial enthusiasm of the young man.

At that time of uncertainty of continuity of the rickshaw service in the town, an enterprising wealthy business house at Gauripur saw the potential for a few rickshaws in town. The business house was named, ‘’Lochchu, Bichchu Brothers’’. Actually, their business was repairing bicycles and selling accessories like tires, tubes, bells, saddles etc. They also had a furnace for doing small welding jobs and shaping things right. Their new venture would fall in line with what they did..

The brothers figured out that if they could buy three and four rickshaws and employ their own people, like nephews there in town or Bihar, they had a good business going. One of the brothers went to Calcutta and brought the planned number of the rickshaws and let them in the town. Rickshaws were no more a novelty in the town. It had been three of four years since the town’s people were introduced to that novelty. Willy Nilly, rickshaws became a necessity grafting into the economic landscape of the town

Town’s people began hopping into a rickshaw out of necessity like having to go from one part of the town and another for doing some business or going socially . When catching a train to Gauhati or Calcutta, we in our establishment would ask our maternal uncles who had cars to give us a ride to the railway station. No longer was that needed. We would tell one of the known rickshaw-pullers to come to our house at appointed time to provide that service. That particular rickshaw puller’s face comes to my mind till to this day. His name was Jagnu, was friendly to a fault. I tried to pull his rickshaw a couple of times. It was awfully hard because it tended to veer in one direction. Rickshaw was basically a bicycle modified to a tricycle with much-added weight in the rear. One portly dry-leaf-tobacco-seller named Bhola got into a deep ditch by the road when trying to pull a rickshaw. Luckily, he survived without so much as a scratch in his body! He was mightily embarrassed, though

When one business gets a taste of success, people see the potential in that line of business. So, others came and put their money in that business. Rickshaw population in the town grew by leaps and bounds. From one, it grew to four or five. Then, it rapidly grew to twenty or something. That’s my estimate.

For that number of rickshaws, there has to be a stand where pullers would come back to for rest and some ‘’nasta’’ or ‘’jalpan’’. (snacks). Two areas of the town became congregating points of rickshaws. One was ‘’town-square’ where busses came to disgorge passengers and pick them up, and the other was spot near the station. Initially, rickshaws were pulled by Hindu people from Bihar. Then, local Muslim young men took to pulling them. It is the economy, stupid.

In no time, rickshaws were no longer used for ferrying ‘’grahak’’ (passengers) from one place to another. They were used for carrying loads of jute, pineapples, bananas, fish, vegetables and other goods from points of origin to the points of commerce.

We went to Gauripur this July. I found that a friend and class-mate of mine and his brother have started a side-business of renting out rickshaws on a daily-basis to pullers. They absorb all repair cost. My friend said that when rickshaws are new, the margin of profit is good. But business is not so good after a few years when they’ve to opt for new rickshaws which aren’t cheap. I was told a new type of rickshaws (there was nothing new) that I saw operating in the city was designed by an IITan. ‘’Hog-wash. An IITan has better things to do’’, I said

Well, while we’re in Guwhati three or four years ago, I heard some Gauripuria words coming from the direction of two rickshaws parked by road side. I ambled in their direction and asked them, in Gauripuria, where they were from. They said they were from Balajan which is three or four miles to the West of Gauripur. Anyway, I asked them if they operate their own. I gathered that they rent them. For five days, they pay 100 rupees a day with next day free. All the repair-work is done by the ‘’mahajan’’ (owner) who has a central repair-shop with mechanics.

I asked them how was the business?.. ‘’Hoy ak-rakam’’ (Getting by), they said. A few years ago, a rode in a rickshaw pulled by a ‘’gamocha’’ wearing middle-aged man. This was coldness of winter. I asked him where he was from? He said Nalbari or somewhere. I asked him who were there in Nalbari? He replied, ‘’There were my wife and two children – one daughter and a son’’, . I trust some extra-cash in his palm and hugged him helplessly before walking away. I realized that my education was on the shoulders of these poor deprived people.

The extra mile and a run for a cause

In 2008, I ran a Marathon to support and raise money for a school for underprivileged children in my home state of Assam in India. It was a life changing experience - the practice and the preparation for the run, going through the hurdle, focusing and reaching the finishing line , the race taught how to bring one's best self to every facet of life. The marathon and the successful fund raising campaign also showed me how this country America stands for those in need , how much can we do for poor and destitute.

This year I am running again for a school for differently-abled abandoned/orphaned children called ‘Topoban’. The founder Kumud Kalita is a sincere and upright man who is doing everything he can in his capacity to help these children lead fulfilling lives. I met him in person this year when I was visiting India, witnessed some of these children performing on stage and realized how he is turning their disability to ability.  

The residential school building is a two story structure without an elevator. Every day is a struggle for these children in wheelchair who needed to be lifted by others. I am running to raise money for construction of a lift, an electrical elevator which will greatly help these children.

I am running 50 KM this year at Dallas, BMW Ultra Marathon and appealing you to a sponsor for a mile at $100 each. We will acknowledge each of you and will provide Tax exempt receipt and utilization through Assam Foundation of North America. 

It’s going to be a grueling race spreading across multiple cities, but when I imagine the cheerful faces of these children, I get motivated to run those extra miles. I am starting from zero, but I am sure I will reach my goal of 50 sponsors with all of your support.

Today, on this auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, I appeal you to support this cause, let’s all of us together cheer these children and change someone’s life for the better. You can contribution online at

http://www.assamfoundation.net/give-back/donate

Thanks and God bless

Ankur Bora

A BRIDGE TO THE PAST

                                                               

                                                                                                                      Ankur Bora

Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Theater was packed with a sold-out crowd with attendees from cities as far as Detroit and with guests as far away as France. They had come to watch the “Cloth of Vrindavan” and Sattriya performed by monks of Assam, a 500 years old classical Indian dance form that has a shared history with the cloth. As the curtain came down upon the final act, there was tremendous applause, touching and heartfelt response,  curtain call after curtain call, bow after bow to the entire cast of the dancing monks (bhokots) of Majuli, still more applaud, until the curator, a courageous young lady, came to the center stage to yet more intense applause. It was the culmination of a stirring tale of this Assamese entrepreneur, her journey beginning with a moment of awakening, adventure after another, propelled by her love for roots and motherland.  

Madhusmita Bora grew up in Madhabgaon, a village in Sonitpur District, named after Sattriya creator Sankardev's foremost disciple. Her childhood was a magical place filled with songs and music of drums, cymbals, flutes, violins, conch shells and a wonderland to play with mask-making, yoga, and dance. While she adored everything about the idyllic rhythms of the village, her education took her to faraway Delhi and then hurled her into America. Madhusmita arrived Chicago in 1999 for a Master’s program in Journalism at Northwestern University. She later began her career working in newsrooms as technology columnist and reporter. But wherever she went, she always felt a tug between her career and Sattriya. When she was residing in East coast, she came into contact with American Kathak Guru Janaki Patrik. Ms. Patrik, a teacher radiant with curiosity, compassion and love of truth, encouraged her to follow her passion – to find the place where her greatest love meets the world’s greatest need. Those words freed Madhusmita and set the first step with which journey of a thousand miles began.  

Madhusmita would take her once a year pilgrimage to the river island, drawn back to the inescapable charm of the place where she truly belongs. Life is not a place where one learns it from a book- she believes that one has to go out and get it. Thus, for the next ten years, she spent months, away from her dear family in America, staying at Vaishnavite monasteries learning Srimanta Sankardeva’s philosophy and experiencing how he created this amazing art form nearly 600 years ago. She shares her wonder and astonishment “Sankardeva’s skill in different performing arts is unparalleled in human history – his versatility can only be compared with Leonardo Da Vinci”. Madhusmita would spend hours every day practicing, she fondly recalls the life of a Majuli bhokot  “I wake up at 5 a.m., study and rehearse until 7, then, in the afternoon, after  back home from the field, we go for our classes in music, dance and theater.” It was an amazing period, guided by the tremendous creative work done by the monks as well by the great masters and Gurus of Sattriya traditions. She faced each experience with the strength and wisdom she had gained through past experiences. It was like a river of cultures merging and it was all deep. She saw the bigger picture, “Gurujona has left a rich legacy and treasure of texts to draw from.”

Cloth of Vrindavan (Vrindavani Vastra) showing Scenes from the Life of Krishna , Philadelphia Museum of Art 

The performing art, when one’s soul is uncovered and opened to public, is one of the most profoundly intimate and courteous human endeavors. Back in United States and in her adopted home city of Philadelphia, Madhusmita along with her dance partner and sister-in-law Prerona Bhuyan, took that leap of faith and launched the Sattriya Dance Company - to tell the story of a sacred tradition and raise awareness about the river island of Majuli and its Vaishnavite monasteries. Within a short time, she garnered a widespread audience as Sattriya has been embraced in mainstream showcases and festivals. With relentless determination, she is taking the classical dance, to classrooms, libraries, festivals, old age homes, college cafes and any place in the United States that offers a platform. Sattriya is appealing to the locals because of its unique storytelling tradition, narrative style and the deep current of humanity inherent in the dance form.

The Dancing Monks of Assam teach at Drexel University

Madhusmita Bora is an entrepreneur who loves to devise new and creative strategies. She is someone who wouldn’t  sit down and wait for the opportunities to come , rather she would get up and make them. Her initial success after founding Sattriya Dance Company, was forging a partnerships with Philadelphia-based organizations Leeway Foundation and the Philadelphia Folklore Project. “The Philadelphia Folklore Project gave me space initially to teach the dance. Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Leeway Foundation have funded my trips to India to record music, document the dance, and train in it.” Then came the next breakthrough. Always in search of something new, Madhusmita stumbled upon a 17th-century textile from India, held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After poring over archives, journals, Internet sites and checking facts, dates she was able to connect the elaborate silk cloth, once woven through stylized images and ancient Assamese text, to the living practitioners of Majuli. Immediately, she consulted the museum's curator of Indian and Himalayan art, Darielle Mason and head of costume and textiles, Dilys Blum and submitted a proposal to the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Her proposal titled “Threads of History: Resurrection of a Textile—a classical Indian dance performance in collaboration with the Dancing Monks of Assam” was accepted and apart from grant, the Center also committed in audience engagement, connecting her to additional resources in the field. With the financial support, the bhokots of Majuli were able to travel to Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York and as part of their first United States tour.   

The best way to create value in twenty-first century is to connect creativity with entrepreneurship Madhusmita Bora’s insights in interpreting the cloth, her mastery in illuminating its history and her ingenuity in connecting the dots to the present is a masterstroke. There are so many gifted people who deserve a chance for success but would never be able to get near it because of lack of support. If Madhusmita, only with power of a pen can do it, so can you and so can us!

                                                                                                            ankurbora@hotmail.com

Updated

Madhusmita was trained by the monks of Uttar Kamalabari Satra and also with Padmashree Jatin Goswami, Guru Ramkrishna Talukdar, Naren Boruah, and SNA awardee Anita Sharma and she would like to acknowledge their guidance and support throughout. 

A tale of two worlds

                                                                                                               Ankur Bora

Childhood is a period full of adventure, amazement and wonder for everyone and everything in its sphere. Children see the world with unbiased eyes, never judgmental, never opinionated. As we grow up, we become self-conscious, the pull of one’s race, ethnicity or religion become dominant leading to division, intolerance and bigotry. However, as we age and gain wisdom through experience, we become the little children again – instead of analyzing everything and letting inconsequential matters, we began to appreciate and again embrace the world of joy, love and innocence.

The decade of eighties in Assam was a tumultuous period - an upheaval unparalleled in the history. It was the best of the time, it was the worst of the time, when a just and peaceful movement by the indigenous Assamese fearful of becoming minority in their own land was exploited and overpowered by anger and violence. The movie Xhoihobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields) set in the time of Assam’s student agitation and in the back drop of this unrest, is a heartfelt drama that will certainly strike a nostalgic chord in anyone who grew up in that era.    

The title of the movie Xhoihobote is a metaphor that cuts across geographical barriers. Whether it is the orphanages in Afghanistan, displaced families of Myanmar or the refugee camps of Syria, the violence affects the children most. The innocent mind, the magical world, the playful days of children are shattered by violence, protest and agitation every day – Have the world ever stopped to think about them? Bidyut Kotoky’s film is about these children caught in conflict.

Bidyut Kotoky with the child actors

The movie takes us into the main character Niyor’s childhood, the happiness, the fun and games. Bidyut’s portrayal of lush green fields of Assam, set against the backdrop of picturesque Brahmaputra valley where childhood innocence flourishes, is so vivid and lyrical that even those of us who didn’t grow up there might imagine we did. As unrest begins to brew, these children encounter devastating act of violence. One day, while walking back home after school, they witness a violent mob on rampage. The brutality, seeing people burning to death, is the pivot that propels the rest of the movie.

Jani Vishwanath is the  founder of a family foundation called Healing Lives, which extensively works in the field of Education in underprivileged countries

 Bidyut Kotoky is a sensitive young man with a vision that nobody understood.  The making of the movie, how he pushed against all odds, itself is a captivating story. The money for the movie was raised through crowdfunding, a novel concept whereby the director reaches out to people with a similar mindset who will come forward and contribute financially. While he was able to raise a decent amount, it was not enough. Undaunted, Bidyut set off to convince Jani Vishwanath, a Dubai-based Indian philanthropist. Ms Vishwanath, initially, had no idea about the movie – “I just knew that Assam is a beautiful state in India, but beyond that I didn't know anything.” As she got to know more about Bidyut’s struggle, she felt an urge to rescue the project by offering him the funds he needed for the movie's commercial release, “It's so wonderful to know that there are people like Bidyut who want to make a difference, people like him are the beacons of hope”.  

One of the defining moments of the film is the arrival of grandfather of Niyor, played by Victor Banerjee. It is a treat to watch as filled with theatrics, the legendary actor lights up the screen addressing Niyor’s family as “raiz xokol” – a popular Assamese word to address the audience. The grandfather, in an effort to defuse the incident where the grandchildren witnessed the violent mob, tells them that everything happening that day was a play, the act of violence was just part of a film shooting. It is a stirring tale, a common man’s desire and search to make sense of a seemingly senseless world. Xhoixobote Dhemalite does recollect the pain and suffering of a horrific incident, but the director has also been able to remake the past. While leaning on memory he exercises his imagination and creates a new memory. It is a story of redemption, a message of hope in an age of cynicism and an affirmation that inspires us to dream on and keep moving. 

Victor Banerjee  with Dipannita Sharma

    

If you’re pursuing something you’re truly passionate about, then no amount of skepticism and obstacles will stop you. It’s only because of a young man who never let his audacious vision down, a movie that no one believed in, finally set the stage for first ever commercial release of an Assamese film in America. Xhoihobote Dhemalite was released at Cine Grand Cinema Fremont (California) on July 27 and at Cine Grand New Jersey on August 3. For some of the Assamese non-residents, it was a surreal moment witnessing the Assamese alphabets for the first time in silver screen and hearing the sound of own mother tongue coming out of the sound boxes of American theatres. It was another dramatic day as competing against 150 films from 36 countries , Xhoihobote bagged the best film, best actress (Dipannita Sharma) and best music (Anurag Saikia) at the Love International Film Festival in Los Angles. Those were tears of joy for us, of recognition that, by the most unexplainable confluence of circumstances, our worlds have come together united. Xhoihobote Dhemalite is a chronical of triumph of humanity and the story of Bidyut Kotoky is proof that, above all else, hard work, perseverance and will power are all that really matter.           
                                                                                                  

                                                                                                      ankurbora@hotmail.com 

Updated 

Xoixobote Dhemalite was shown on November 3 and 4^th 2018 ,  at the Cinema St. Louis under the Category Asian Focus. Cinema St. Louis offers programs that provide glimpses of the human experience from around the world.  It was a great occasion for Assamese community to watch an Assamese movie at the theater, following is a write-up by Chandan Mahanta to Bidyut.

For me, personally, it was a nostalgic trip, a homecoming, for more reasons than one. I grew up in a village ten miles south of Sibsagar, not too far from the Naga Hills, a place called Namti. That could not be a familiar name to most people. The story line involving the insurgency touched my family’s life also, in more ways than one and thus was very relevant. You captured the sights, sounds and life of my childhood that are so indelibly etched into my being, beautifully. I thank you and commend you on that. That it was authentic, was very important for me. I have seen other films where Assam’s rural scenes were incorporated, but the life portrayed did not always carry the authenticity that Xoixobote Dhemalite carries. Right from the beginning I connected to the sounds of rural Assam that you all picked up with great sensitivity and incorporated into the film so skillfully. I was greatly impressed by something most people would not even register, the sounds of the plough-man moving his oxen in the rice paddies in the background, sounds that are deeply embedded in my memory as sounds of a primordial struggle for survival. The drone of the ‘Hetuluka' ( green barbet), the sounds of the Dauk ( Marsh Hen) at dusk, the wail of the Keteki, call of the  Kuli sorai( Indian Koel), the symphony on night insects , all of them! I did not miss the two women fishing in the paddies in the distance in one scene. The sensitivity with which you and your associates crafted these into the movie made it very special for me. Selection of the ocale at Gogamukh ( although I had not ever been there) was very wise.

I loved the child actors. They did great. It must not be easy to direct children to be natural and not ‘ACT’. From the opening scene, the little girl who would not drink the juice, I was amazed how you had it done so naturally and authentically. The boys and girls did a very nice job in the film. Kudos on that! Bob, the RIFF reviewer also mentioned that. The overall acting was  much better than what little I have seen of films from India, where the recurring problem I find is with ‘ACTING’, not being natural and believable. I found Dipannwita’s part the most natural among the adults.

Great going! Hope you all will at least break even if not make some money and that Xoixobote Dhemalite will lead to even bigger and better successes to come. Our very best wishes to you and your associates. Hearty congratulation to Amrit Pritam Dutta. I understood that Amrit is India's best sound engineer and that he won the prestigious Golden Reel Award (the sound world's equivalent to the Oscars). What a  great collaboration here!

The road less traveled by

                                                                                                                 Ankur Bora

Have you ever had a closer look at a bee hive?  Inside the hive, there are tens of thousands of little creatures at work. Have you ever thought what they're doing? Did you know that honey bees have more than one stomach – one for eating and the other one for storing nectar collected from flowers and to ferry the goods to their hives? The wax cell in the honeycomb is hexagonal and they are tilted backward slightly – why do bees build this kind of cells?  Because hexagons possess the highest surface/perimeter ratio while the tilt ensures that honey will not spill out – an outstanding engineering construction and an equally intriguing mathematical concept! Human have never ceased to find the work of these little sculptors truly amazing – the wonderful world of honey bees inspired many and among them is a young Assamese research scholar who has been pursuing a singular path – a road which eventually led her to a journey of self-discovery and fulfillment.

Rachna with the team at the STATE INNOVATION AWARD 

Rachna Nath, based in Phoenix, Arizona is a young woman with boundless energy who would dare to step outside of comfort zone. Hailing from Guwahati, Rachna went to Cotton College to study Zoology and completed her Masters with specialization in entomology, a subject for study of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment, and other organisms. She loves being with the world of insects and when she moved to America in 2003 after her marriage, Rachna got an opportunity to work at USDA (United states Department of Agriculture) for 9 months. “I learned so much just from that short period of time and then my passion for honey bees took over.”  Later on, she learnt bee keeping while volunteering at the honey bee research facility at Arizona State University and henceforth got pulled into study and research in honey bee biology and Neuroethology.

Rachna at a Honey Bee Lab

Honey bees are social creatures and live within colonies with a queen, a few male drones and thousands of workers. To sustain, they need to speak and their language of communication is one of vibration –a buzzing sound. Mostly famously, a honey bee performs a “waggle dance”, a series of carefully choreographed movements that instructs the rest of the hive where to find a food source. How have they created such a society amongst them that they are super-efficient and what are the factors that influence this behavior? Rachna has been researching to uncover the secret and understand the genetic compositions of the bees. A huge turning for her was the opportunity to attend a conference of “Behavioral ecology and Neuroethology of social insects” at the University of Wurzburg, Germany. She experienced firsthand the imaging technologies to study and look into the ultra-structure of the different glands inside the bee’s head –valuable insights which she was able to utilize on subsequent work on Honey bee developmental genetics.

Rachna joined Arizona College, Phoenix in 2015 and she has been teaching since then. Her educational philosophy is hands on learning and creativity - “The more the students are involved in the process of learning, the more they remember and hence learn from their environment better” and thus her journey began. Rachna has initiated a unique mission to spark student’s interest in honey bees, foster enthusiasm in learning about science and promote an increased respect for the living environment. She has been volunteering at schools, colleges around the Arizona valley, sharing her experience on bees and beehives, offering samples of honey and information on bees. Every time, she carries with her a real stingless beehive being set-up as students investigate the hive freely and watch the bees come and go. There are interactive questions and answer sessions where she would discuss about how bees make beehives and how is nectar collected from flowers. Through discovering the journey of the honey bee, student learn to use information and communication technologies to investigate ideas and gained an interest and appreciation in learning about science. Rachna has successfully expanded her reach beyond her classroom, which though demanded a lot of sacrifice – long days, late nights study and extended lab work become norm in her daily and family life.

The honey bee inspired activities changed everything and unlocked a new chapter in Rachna’s life. Not only the research avenues but also they opened her eyes to the limitless opportunities available to someone willing to look for them. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in association with the Lemelson Foundation constituted an annual award titled “Lemelson-MIT Excite Award” to a select group of educators across America. The Educators are selected for this award based on their capacity to lead a year-long, open-ended invention project with students at their school and this year Rachna Nath became one of the proud winners. “At MIT, Nath will see various projects, learn more about team experience attend hands-on workshops and discussions led by MIT professors about invention - unique technological solutions to real world problems.”

Assam Tribune Horizon  August 10

You have to believe in yourself in spite of what everyone else believe. The road ahead is not always straightforward or easy. However, it's only by trying new things, pushing the envelope, doing things differently that you can truly change your life and get rid of what is holding you back. Rachna Nath took the road less travelled by, she followed her inner callings, her shared vision and values guiding her in every step throughout. And that has made all the difference!   

                                                                                                         ankurbora@hotmail.com

Notes from Rachna Nath

Thank you so much for the articles and the videos. Yes, Honey Bees have wide applications not just because of their honey but also for medicinal purposes and as a deterrent.

While growing up, I was not aware of the possibilities  of volunteering, research and outreach and its impacts in our lives. My purpose as an educator now in United States is to make high schoolers (9th through 12th graders ) understand that they don’t have to wait to become famous and do meaningful things in life. I applied for the LEMELSON-MIT award and after I got the Excite award, I am now working with 9th through 12 grade students to develop a product for which they will be filing for a patent soon. The impact of these high schoolers in our lives and society will be tremendous.  They will develop self confidence and a purpose well before they hit college and they will be able to get into credible and Tier 1 Universities with ease and not just because they have good grades. (Who wouldn’t want to have a student who already has a patent under his/her name?) . The dream continues... they maybe in future be able to get 100% tuition coverage in most universities hence relieving parents of the burden of paying tuition ( which comes up to thousands of dollars per year).

These students, for the MIT award, are working with the council man and trying to collaborate with different companies to make a prototype while in HIGH SCHOOL!  I am so happy that I am able to facilitate my students and pushing them to attain heights that was previously unconceivable. I love my scholars and I wish they achieve greatness and I will continue to work for them to make their mark on society.  I sincerely hope that the scope that these students are getting, doesn’t remain restricted to just US but will help open mindset everywhere around the world and give the school students a chance at excellence earlier in life.

Farewell of a Yogi

                                                                                                                            Ankur Bora

June 6^th, 1981 – At the park plaza in the city of Boston, a nerdy crowd gathered in a ballroom, waiting for a man who at a young age, had rocketed to international stardom. These young men and women, were about to witness the unfurling of a technical revolution that would upend the way our world live and work. The keynote speaker and the man everyone was waiting to hear was Steve Jobs. There was lot of excitement, however minutes before the speech, Mr. Jobs was nowhere to be found. The frantic organizer finally spotted him backstage. In a corner, he was sitting on the floor cross-legged. His posture erect, he was standstill. At the precipice of one of the biggest events of his life, Steve Job paused to meditate. Immersed in Dhyana, calm and concentrated amidst the chaos around, at that instance, Steve became a perfect Yogi!

The literal meaning of Yoga is union – the yoking of bodies, minds and hearts to a higher power of existence. While physical postures which is called Asanas prepares us for the well-being of the body, the pranayama or breathing technique prepares us for the control of the mind –from stress, anxiety and worry to a steady , focused and awakened state. It is said that Yoga without pranayama is like a tree that doesn’t bear fruit. Pranayama helps to keep the mind focused while meditating. That day, in those moments of Dhyana, Steve Jobs, in all likelihood was doing what a Yogi is trained to do – to focus and look at the world from the inside out. Intuition, insight and creativity –are the hallmarks that set him and his company Apple apart and which, perhaps, made him the most iconic figure in the twenty-first century. How did Steve Jobs, an American entrepreneur, get to acquire these qualities? It was a long and fascinating story – when Steve in his youth and in his quest for higher conscious visited India and where during his extended stay, he mysteriously uncovered a treasure. 

Assam Tribune , Horizon June 22nd 2018 

While Swami Vivekananda is credited with introducing the ancient tradition of Yoga to the western world, it was another enlightened Swami, a spiritual teacher and illustrious author who is widely revered as the father of Yoga in the west. In the year 1920, a young man Paramahansa Yogananda alighted on American soil. The title Paramahansa, “The Great Wild Swan’ was bestowed by his Guru – a title given to those rare disciples who had achieved this state of liberated soul. Like Vivekananda, Yogananda also came to attend a religious conference but unlike him, Yogananda spent the rest of his life in the United States. This great saint took upon the mission to reawaken humanity to the power of Yoga for inner transformation. Over the next three decades, he brought this message to packed audiences of thousands in all major US cities. In 1927, he was officially received at the White House by then President Calvin Coolidge. Yogananda used the language of science to teach Yoga uniting science and religion through realization of the unity of their underlying principles. He later laid the foundation of an institution, called Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) – today there hundreds of SRF meditation groups and centers dedicated to ignite the inner flame of Yoga in communities worldwide. His singular contribution, however, is the publication of his autobiography, which is considered as a seminal work where for the first time, a Yogi tells his spiritual experience to the western world in the form of a book. He devoted later part of his life unreservedly on writing this book and in 1952, when Paramahansa closed his mortal eyes, the ancient science of Yoga was firmly established. With the passing years, millions of readers embraced “Autobiography of a Yogi” and among them was a young man who was seeking a spiritual transformation.

Steve Jobs arrived in 1974 on a trip around India. He was, perhaps, searching for the same thing all of us search for – a quest for finding the meaning of life, why we live or how can we do anything good in our life. While staying in a village rented room where a family helped him to recuperate by feeding him vegetarian meals, he found a copy of Autobiography of a Yogi. Yogananda’s teaching of self-realization, an inner journey to transcend individual self (ego) and realizing and reclaiming the universal self (soul), strongly appealed to Steve. The India trip and Autobiography had a deep and lasting impact on him- “Your mind just slows down and you see a tremendous expense in that moment. You see so much more than you could see before”. The book, most likely, taught him how to actualize the infinite possibilities within and with a clear vision and purpose, he went on to invent products no one had ever dreamed of. The Autobiography of a Yogi was the only book Jobs downloaded on his iPad, and after first encountering the book as a teenager, he would go back and reread once every year until the end of his life.

The teaching of Yogananda resonated throughout his life and even in his death. At his memorial service, held at Stanford University in October 2011, all attendees were handed a brown box. Inside was not any of the dazzling products he created, the box inside carried this very book! The farewell gift of Steve Jobs to the world was a little book of Yoga and it was the last thing he wanted us all to think about and live by.

                                                                                    ankurbora@hotmail.com 

Feedbacks

Thank you for sending the article. This is one of the book I read long time back when I came in contact to Vedanta literature in my early life - almost fifty years back. It is timely, as we are celebrating the International Yoga Day. I was out of town, though I noticed your mail on my cell phone, I could read the article only today. That is the reason of my late response. Thank you again for sharing your writing.

Kalyan Basu , Dallas Texas

Ankur,  Jai Guru Dev,

Appreciate you sharing the enthusiasm. Yes, let us all stand together with the broader vision of a better and peaceful world. As usual, I enjoyed reading ankurbora.blogspot.com  You sure have a way with words and noble ideals.  Best wishes to you and your family

Nick Shroff

HiFu Urology Ctr of TX, PLLC

Dear Ankur:

Thank you very much for sharing the excellent article. We have been traveling around many places around US for the last two months to see our Grand Children. Will contact soon to bring you up date on Core Professional Group for the Brahmaputra (CPGB). With best wishes to you and family

Arvind Phukan , USA

Dear Ankur da,

It was a nice read in Assam Tribune today. I've forwarded your article to my brother in Guwahati who is actively involved in the Guwahati chapter of Yogada Satsang Society.

Thanks,

Protim Sharma, Assam

Ankur,

Thanks for the timely contribution and always bringing out the salient points on every worthy occasion.

Really appreciated, Keep it up

Nripen Barua

469 James Way 

Wyckoff, NJ 07481 USA

Some songs,some stories

                                                                                                              Ankur Bora

We don’t read poetry or sing songs because they are cute, we recite poetry and listen to music because we are human being and as a member of human race we are imbued with passion. Medicine, engineering, business, these are professions necessary for day to day life. But Poetry, songs and music are the higher manifestation of the man, they are the preview of life’s past and coming attractions and they are what keep us alive and throbbing. And it is the melody, rhythms, songs of music which, every time, evokes a feeling of nostalgia, delight, hope and brings all of us, whether Muslim or Hindu, Bengali or Assamese together in a common thread of oneness.

Assam Tribune , Horizon , Ist June 2018

We love music because most of us can’t really express our real feelings in words and thus music becomes the only medium which help us to unwind- by listening to songs, by posting or writing part of the lyric or simply by singing aloud.  Occasionally, as we unravel, they uncover to us- It is said that behind every song there is an untold story. Ravindra Jain was an irreplaceable song writer who left behind scores of evergreen and soulful music. Beautifully rendered by the legendary singer Yesudas, his songs illustrates the prowess of a musical composer. Unknown to most of us, late Ravindra Jain was born blind. Although he composed songs that created magic all over, he never got to see this beautiful earth and though the stellar lyrics of his songs depicted the village life in all its moods with fields, fairs, harvest and celebrations, his own world was devoid of colors!  

Generations of Assamese have grown up hearing the legendary voice of Jayanta Hazarika. For every itinerant Assamese who sets out from state to make out his fortune, there is a cassette of the singer which he carries because he knows that he will be incomplete without the voice of Jayanta. In a small corner of the new world, amidst struggles, he sustains by the music and these songs composed by another legend Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi. These songs are reflective of a great lyricist who captured the every emotion in Assamese life , ‘Akou natun prabhat hobo’ – the hope a new beginning , ‘Tumar Morome Mur’ - a fond remembrance of first love or ‘Sita Banabash Kiman Sabanu’ – lets fight the great battle called life. Dr. Bordoloi contributed immensely to Assamese literature producing scores of scholarly articles, academics essays and research works of high value. But for common man, she is eternally remembered as a song writer who added color to their life. I happened to know Bordoloi as my maternal grandmother’s house in chandmari Guwahati was located just across the road from the legendary writer. While I was a child, I heard those stories of this singer writer duo– when, while the singer would produce a tune, the writer, like a magician pulling out rabbits from a hat, would produce a song - when, while she would churn out a melody, he would render them in his golden voice.

It was early sixties, the introduction of the long playing disc produced by HMV and musical recording at the All-India Radio, revalorized Assamese music. The trendsetter was one timeless classic – ‘Agali Batahe Kopale Kalare Pat’ and there is a fascinating story behind. Both Nirmalprabha and Jayanta happened to attend a wedding party when noted poet Hiren Bhattacharyya offered a pack of cigarettes if they could compose a song within three minutes. The story goes, as everyone watched, Nirmalprabha completed composing the song within three minutes which  then was set to tune by Jayanta  in equal time. “We used to call him Rana Bhaiti” I remember another story narrated by Bordoloi “One day he walked into our house whistling as I was taking shower. He wanted a song but I needed to get ready for my university classes. So, both of us boarded the city bus- Rana set beside me while I began writing as the bus headed for Guwahati University, he was whistling continuously throughout till I completed and handed him the song ”  

The life story of Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi is a story of exemplary courage and determination who rose from her own ashes to walk her own path. It was year 1943, when her parents, compelled by the prevailing custom of ‘Bal Vivah’, married her off at the tender age of eleven to a man twenty three years older. At her thirteen, she became the mother of girl child. Nirmalprabha was not willing to leave her education incomplete and when she was not permitted to have her education, she left her husband's home with her little daughter forever. It was a moment of her rebirth, with support of her parents she completed higher study and finally established herself among the most influential writers and one of the best known Assamese public intellectuals.

The songs and the melody have a healing power. It brings people peace, let them know there are others who are going through the same. For every emotion in Assamese life there is a song from Nirmalprabha which hits a chord that cuts right through and goes right to the soul. For every unreal peak of joy and every despairing depth of sorrow there is a song by the legend which let us break free. "I shall die tomorrow, Let me alive today" - Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi still rings alive in the strains of her creation. Today, as we recall, let’s celebrate the anniversary, not in black and white but to the colors of rainbow so pretty in the sky.    

                                                                                                            ankurbora@hotmail.com

Feedbacks

Dear Bora,

I have gone through your article published in Assam Tribune today. It was really nice.

Thanks for your endeavour.

Swapna Devi baideo

Daughter of Dr. Nirmal Prabha Bardoloi

Guwahati

Phone 986426xxxx

Dear Mr. Ankur,

I am writing to you in appreciation of your article," Some songs,some stories" published in The Assam Tribune's , Horizon page today. I especially enjoyed reading your article about your tribute to illustrious writer- poet- lyricist Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi who is a contemporary artist and philosopher of my father's times, Shri Mihir Bordoloi, popularly known for lending his voice to one of Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi's lyrics, " Muk Eti Xur Kori Tula".

My contact # : +91708601xxxx

Yours sincerely,

Pronti Bordoloi( d/o Sri. Mihir Bordoloi)

 Ankur, very nice of you doing this. I sing songsDr. Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi in our community gatherings . I have tracks of  those Jayanta Hazarika songs. Bhupen Uzir made me those tracks. They are always alive in our hearts. We even did it at AC-2014 in NJ.

All the best.

Binoy Bardoloi , USA