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

Measure of Love

                                                                                                                                   Ankur Bora

There are certain words that carry with them strong mental images – words that are capable of painting a picture with just few syllables. Mother is one such word, instantly transporting anyone that hear it to joyful feelings of wonder, love and affection. Mom, Mama, Madre, Maa: though these words are all in different languages, they signify the same concept of motherhood—love, care, nurture, dedication and selfless sacrifice. Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother.” It must be true to for many of us - the earliest, the strongest and most impacting force in life begins with mother and it is impossible to tell our story without starting with hers.    

Assam Tribune , Horizon 11th May 2018

In America and as in many parts of the world, to honor all the mothers and their amazing contributions, Mother’s Day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May. For the non-resident Assamese, thousands of miles away from our mother, whom we cannot meet, hug or greet, it’s a bittersweet day. Nevertheless, some of us were still able to celebrate this day in a unique and fulfilling way. It was made possible due to a few charitable organizations who facilitate meetings and greetings between senior citizens and interested individuals who are willing to lend a hand. In the city of Dallas where we live, we got such an opportunity on 14^th of May, last year. A few of us visited a local Rehabilitation & Nursing Center on Mother’s day where we spend the day, listening, talking and playing music for them. Some of the mothers who had not met their own songs or daughters, were delighted to receive flowers, cards and stuffed toys from us. I was having an animated conversation with a lady in a wheelchair, when she, with her touching hand alluded to her son – who had passed away never to be returned. At that moment, I felt, we were brought together as if by some divine intervention, intertwined in the common thread of love and compassion. My wife, Anjana, recited a glowing poem dedicated to the mothers while my daughters brighten the day playing violin - everybody enjoyed getting to know each other in an atmosphere of tender love and care. As we left, we realized that the seemingly little things like passing out handmade cards, poetry recitation, playing a musical instrument, are acts of love that not only make a lasting impact but also fill the hearts and minds of both the doer and the receiver with immense joy and happy memory.

Assam Tribune , Horizon Poem by Anjana Bora

There are number ways to lend a hand, a listening ear or one’s skills to senior citizens— simply giving your time and conversation can sometimes mean the most.  The loss of a parent or grandparent can be painful for many. Though that void can never be replaced, yet there are plenty of seniors out there whom we can provide tender love and company. An Assamese man hailing from a small town in upper Assam, inspired by such philanthropic zeal, has been leading a movement to create awareness and a sense of responsibility towards mothers for the past 28 years.

Gobin Bordoloi is a successful entrepreneur, who with hard work and dedication, established an electric and electronics business in North Lakhimpur town, thereby, providing employment avenues to scores of Assam Youths. However, it is a long and enduring story, in the course of his life journey he had to wade through rough waters, go through painful situations before he could steer clear and reach the shores. In the year 1990, when he was a young boy, Gobin met with an accident which shattered his whole world. The day was 20^th November when, while assisting someone, high atop a tree, he suddenly slipped and his body came into direct contact with a live high voltage electrical wire. The incident left him with severe burn wounds on the upper and lower half of his body. Fortunately he survived, though, it took months of hospitalization to recover and to become fit again. In the face of inconceivable anguish and suffering, it was his mother who pulled off a miracle in his life. She carried the burden, oftentimes, working long hours and two to three menial jobs to keep the family floating. Bordoloi slowly recovered and eventually his life turned to better sails as became a successful businessman. The story, however does not end here. The dedication and sacrifice of his mother made a profound impact on Gobin Bordoloi’s life and thus he decided to establish an organization named “MAA Anusthan”

Bordoloi made a commitment to himself that at every opportunity, he would tell his story – how his mother helped him turning his life around. He commenced his mission in a right earnest visiting schools and colleges, mobilizing students and communities and felicitating aged mother or elderly women living alone. Recently, on 18^th March, a program was organized at the Cotton University’s Sudmersen Hall where more than 50 aged mothers were honored. As Mr. Bordoloi became more well-known and getting more opportunities to speak to young students, he is trying to help them realize that they have a responsibility and encourage them to spend more time with their parents. He also regularly receives letters from mothers – how they are touched and loved, something that many of them have never seen in their lifetime.  

                       

Love is not merely a noun, love is also a verb and the only language love truly speaks is action. Sentiments and words can mean very little when it comes to expressing love. The language of love and sacrifice made a triumphant win and Gobin Bordoloi through his selfless act of love and singular quest, won the hearts of scores of mothers, making a difference in their life, which they otherwise would have never known. On the eve of this year’s Mother Day, we wish that you will also, truly, follow your heart with action and spread the enduring and universal message of love beauty and giving.  

                                                                        ankurbora@hotmail.com

Carpe diem

                                                                                                       Ankur Bora

Tuesday, April 18. 2017 – NASA Kennedy space center, Cape Canaveral was humming with activity. The primary focus was over at the launching pad where an Atlas-V rocket sat with a constellation of CubeSats mounted atop it. CubeSats are fully functional miniaturized satellites developed by the European Union sponsored QB50 project. A unique collaboration between universities and research institutes from 23 countries around the world, these satellites are designed and built by a great number young students supervised by professors at their laboratory. It was a daunting task though, those were traditionally large and heavy instruments and making them small, light and robust enough to fly to the International Space station (ISS) and then orbit around the Earth was a huge challenge, but in the end it was done, with great elegance. As the Atlas-V blasted off spectacularly into space, sending the dreams and aspirations of these students roaring to the sky, a young Assamese girl who was taking part in this ground-breaking mission from École Polytechnique, Paris was ecstatic, she realized that her personal stamp – piece of code that establishes communication channel between the CubeSats and the ground station became operational making its way into orbit.

AssamTribune Horizon 6th April 2018

 “Ever since I first saw the sky and even as a child, I found myself wanting to know everything about space.” – Priyanka Das, a PhD student working on satellite navigation systems, recalls her fascinations with the outer space. She grew up in an environment where her parents always encouraged her to be curious and pursue whatever she liked as long as it was in an organized fashion. She was a student at Mother's International School, Delhi run by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry where she learned French culture, language and history. Priyanka had a dream of becoming a Space scientist and her adventure in the exploration of science began when she secured a place at St. Stephen's College, Delhi for an honors course in Physics. During college, she attended summer internships at the Inter University Accelerator Centre, Photonics lab at IIT Delhi and in experimental physics at the Homi Bhabha Centre, organized by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. Her academic experience at St. Stephen's was thus quite rich and eventful. As she was completing graduation, her professor encouraged her to apply to École Polytechnique in Paris, one of the most prestigious schools in France. In the summer of 2013, Priyanka received the marvelous news that she was accepted at the university with a full scholarship and a paid flight to Paris. At École she was part of a team that made an actual microsatellite for the QB50 project which was launched from Cape Canaveral.

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase that means "seize the day," encouraging people to embrace and make the most of their time. At École, Priyanka seized each and every opportunity, learning from any experience and preparing for the next one. While she was a second year student, she applied to the 2015 Caltech Space Challenge, organized by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in collaboration with scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was a tough competition but she was able to rise to the occasion and Priyanka was named among the 32 selected from around the world. It was a rare occasion since she was representing two countries, India and France, at the same event. At JPL she was mentored by scientists and engineers from NASA and remained an experience of lifetime. Along the way , she listened and learned from people who had already been where she wanted to go – “I meet some amazing women in Tech events, of all ages, who have inspirational stories to share and talking with them gives me fresh perspective every time on how I could be living my life”.

Back at École, Priyanka completed her masters and simultaneously as an exchange student at ISAE-Supaéro, France's top school in the domain of aerospace, earned a double master in Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in Autonomous Systems, Decision Sciences and Robotics. As it turned out, at the end of her course, she was offered a PhD in collaboration with Safran, a leading aerospace company in Europe. I recently conversed with her and I was simply blown away by the depth of her knowledge, her dynamic energy and her footing between two great cultures, French and Assam as she spoke with me in Assamese and with my children in French! Currently she is pursuing PhD in studying the navigation signals from satellite systems – “The GPS we use today from our phones is rarely more precise than at least a few meters. My research may lead to a super precise position, of the order of centimeters and thus could have applications in autonomous cars and planes where a few centimeters can make the difference for survival.” Priyanka, who has a habit of grasping everything and turning them into action, even took up fencing as a sport and competed at the university level.

 The light we have inside ourselves is our own talent, our own strength – the elements that sets us apart from everyone else. We must find that element and set it afire; this is how our world lights up with energy, action and progress. The world is an amazing place and life is beckoning us with endless possibilities - it is just a matter of paying attention, seizing the opportunity and turning it into action. Carpe diem, my friend, carpe diem - make your life extraordinary!

                                                                                                            ankurbora@hotmail.com