RAIOT Posts

January 26, 2024 /

Ka jingïakren ïasuk hapdeng ka Sorkar India bad ki seng kieng atiar ka thañ shatei lam
mihngi ka Ri India, kum ka NSCN (IM), ULFA bad khamtam bad ka Hynñiewtrep
Liberation Council (HNLC), ka donkam ia ka jingïatai paidbah kaba sani. Ka paw ba
kine ki seng ki la kubur ban ïakren hapoh ki kyndon jong ka Riti Synshar ka Ri India.
Kumta ha ka jingrakhe ia ka Republic Day to ngin ia thir nia halor ka jingïadei ka Ri
Hynñiewtrep bad ka Ri India.

January 23, 2024 /

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma, recently released the state anthem in Tura, which generated a fair bit of controversy. One of the criticisms about the anthem was made by the Jaintia Students’ Union, wherein they demanded corrections be made to the anthem by removing the English words and replacing them with Jaintia.

August 22, 2022 /

Himanshu Kumar has refused to pay the exemplary cost of Rs 5 lakhs imposed on him saying it would imply that he had indeed given out a fake narrative. I met him in Mumbai on the penultimate day of the deadline for payment and he provided a comprehensive background to the events in Bastar surrounding the killings, why the adivasis had turned to him in their access to justice and the challenges India’s most marginalized citizens face when it comes to securing justice, especially when the perpetrators are state agencies.

June 1, 2022 /

Often accounts that appear as ‘small’ like strawberry in comparison to the ‘big’ stories of development such as dams sit uncomfortably in the grand scheme of intellectual pursuits. We feel that it is precisely such distinctions that lead to erasure of ‘small’ developments that stem from what appears as trivial initiatives. Social sciences is often attracted to big stories where there is comprehensive literature and research materials. Thereby, reinforcing dominant epistemological frameworks. After all, development models of centre-periphery in relation to studying Northeast India reduce everything else as marginal. Unless relationships and networks are incorporated into the development, remoteness, and progress model for the region, our research risks being dismissed.

February 2, 2022 /

It has now become a truism of modern secular historiography on India that there was an ‘early’ Savarkar and a ‘late’ Savarkar (much in the same way as intellectuals refer to early and late Marx!), and that the early Savarkar was secular, humanist, and a nationalist revolutionary who, only in his later years became the theoretician of Hindutva. His nationalist, secular credentials are based on his activities in Europe and his escape from a ship mid-sea, and more and more frequently now on his book, First War of National Independence, 1857’, written by him in 1907. That we happen to be celebrating the 150th anniversary of 1857 will doubtless add to Savarkar’s glory, particularly as it is easy to prove that the Indian National Congress to begin with, did not uphold 1857.

January 26, 2022 /

Rural India faces many calamities be it natural disasters, corporate acquisition of forests, lands and village commons, or migrant workers walking back hundreds of kilometres from hostile cities due to pandemic lockdowns.  In Odisha on the eastern coast, the macabre theatre of capital’s insidious appropriation of agricultural land and village commons is being resisted bravely once again by villagers of Dhinkia of Jagatsinghpur district in collective barricading from the clutches of state-supported Jindal Steel Works Utkal Limited.

January 21, 2022 /

Ki don bun kum ma nga kiba la kha bun bnai hadien ba la plie ia ka Jylla Meghalaya ha ka 21 January 1972. Ngam shym kynmaw ban kylli na i mei (bam kwai ha dwar u Blei), kaei kaba i sngew ne pyrkhat shaphang ka Jylla ba pura. Nga wan na ka longїing kaba don ha trai jong ka kyrdan pdeng ha ka imlang sahlang (Lower middleclass) bad ngam artatien ba i mei bad i pa ki dap da ka jingkmen namar ba ki la їoh ban treikam Sorkar, wat la ka long ha ki kyrdan ba rit, hynrei ki sngewskhem ba ka jingim jong ngi ki khun ka la shngaiῆ bad kim don jingartatien ba kin lah ban bsa, ban pynheh pynsan bad phah shong skul ia ngi.

January 9, 2022 /

U Blei Janus u dei uwei na ki blei jong ki nongshong shnong jong ka Nongbah Rome hyndai bad u dei u ‘Lei ar khlieh, kawei ka khlieh ka phai shadien bad kawei pat ka peit shakhmat. Ka dur jong u Blei Janus ka long thik kumba la batai ba u don ki khmat na shadien bad na shakhmat bad katkum ka jingngeit ka long ba ki khmat kiba na shadien ki peit ia ka mynnor bad kiba shakhmat pat ki їohi ia ka lawei. Ha u Blei Janus ka mynnor ka bteng sha ka lawei, ka lawei kan ym lah їeng khlem ka mynnor bad ka mynnor ruh kam don jingmut khlem ka lawei. U Blei Janus u dei u Blei uba kongsan ha ka nongbah Rom namar ba u kdew bad pun lynti hapdeng ka mynnor bad ka lawei bad ha ka kti kamon u bat ia u diengduh bad kdew ia ki nongїaid lynti ba kin їaid ha ka lynti kaba beit.

December 25, 2021 /

Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus were Palestinians whose land was under the foreign Roman Empire and were considered second class citizens with no rights. During the birth of Jesus, the Roman Government was highly exploitative and heavy taxes were levied on the subjects, especially on unorganized laborers like the fisher folks, masons and daily wage earners. The Government Officials, including the Jews et al, in Palestine would care less about the wellbeing of the “aam admi” or common people, rather they were self-centered and only served the need and greed of the Roman Rulers in order to promote and protect their own powers, positions and interests.

December 6, 2021 /

Indian armed forces ambushed and killed 17 coal miners in Nagaland Mon’s district. An official report stated the killings as a case of mistaken identity during a counter-insurgency operation. The Home Minister of India, Mr. Amit Shah described it as an unfortunate incident, while the Chief Minister of Nagaland offered his condolences to the bereaved families and assured justice according to the law of the land. What do the inhumane extra judicial killings of civilians followed by apologies tell us about the state of India democracy? 

December 5, 2021 /

Baibl Sunday ka їalyngkhuh bad ka World Aids Day ha kajuh ka sngi. Ha ka World AIDS Day ngi pynkynmaw їalade ba ngi dang dei ban їakhun tyngeh pyrshah ia u khῆiang jingpang HIV bad AIDS. Ki Sorkar ne ki seng bymdei Sorkar ki pynlong ia ki jingїalang bad ai jinghikai ia ki briew shaphang ka jingpang AIDs ne ῆiangkulia.

November 28, 2021 /

To ngin ring dur ba ka Kper Eden ka dei kawei ka Hima/Ri/Jylla kaba donkam ban synshar, ban bishar bad ban pynїaid ia ki kam ki jam, ka trei ka ktah, khaїi-pateng bad ka imlang-sahlang. Katkum ka Kitab Jenesis 1:26-28 bad 2:15, u Blei u la buh ia “u briew” ban long sordar ne nongsynshar halor ka Kper Eden. Ka kyntien “u briew” hangne ka thew ia ki kynthei bad shynrang.

November 21, 2021 /

Kiba kynthoh ia ka saiῆpyrkhat socialism ki lah ban don ki nongrim bad une u nongthoh ruh um pdiang ba ka Sorkar kan longtrai lut tang ma ka halor ka khyndew ka shyiap bad ki jingdon jingem. Ha ka Bri Hynῆiewtrep lei lei kane kam lah ban long namar ba ki nongshong shnong ne ki khun ki hajar jong ki Hima ki longtrai halor ka khyndew bad kiwei ki jingdon jingem. Ha kajuh ka por pat, ka long kaba bakla ban pynїasoh ia ka socialism bad ka jingsynshar communist lane bad ka jingbym ngeit Blei. Ki briew ki bym ngeit blei ki dei hi ki bym ngeit bad ki don ha man ki Ri bad imlang sahlang kylleng ka pyrthei. Hynrei kaba kham shyrkhei eh ka long shaphang ki briew kiba rhem ka jingngeit Blei katba ki kam jong ki pat ki dei ki kam pap bad kam bamsap suda. Ka Baibl ruh ka їathuh shaphang ki briew kiba kup ia ka dur ba kynja blei, hynrei kiba len ia ka bor jong ka- “ki bat ia kaba paw shabar ka niam jong ki, hynrei ki kyntait ia ka bor bashisha jong ka…” (2 Timothy 3:5) Haduh mynta ki don ki Ri kiba shongshit ka ngeit blei hynrei ki bym salia pat ban їaumsnam bad pynїap briew ha ka kyrteng jong u Blei.

November 14, 2021 /

Kane ka jingthoh kam dei ka jingai sakhi lymne ka jingphla, hynrei ka dei tang ka jingїathuh ia kiei kiba shat phalang san snem mynshuwa.

Ka jingpang bam pong ne cancer ka dei ka jingpang kaba pynsuhjer. Hoid, wat la ka jingkynthah dak (stigma) halor kane ka jingpang ka la kham duna ha kane ka juk, pynban ka dang sah hi kum ka jingpang kaba shyrkhei bad kaba lynshop tyngeh ia ka jingim, ka їing ka sem bad ka jingdon jingem.

October 31, 2021 /

Ka khwan shimet ka dei ka jingim kaba pyrkhat tang їalade lane ban bit ban biang tang shimet ne shi їing lane kumba ju ong ka kyntien “tangba ba la lait ka tdong lajong kam lei lei lada kiwei ki jynjar ki suhsat bad ki kordit ka jingim”. Shisien ha kawei ka por u Kain u jubab ia u Blei kumne- “…Hato dei ma nga u ban sumar ia u para jong nga?” (Jenesis 4:9). Da kane ka jubab u Kain u kyntait ia ka kamram bad jingkitkhlieh ban peit bad kitkhlieh lang na ka bynta ka bha ka miat jong u para ne u kur u jait ne u paramarjan.  Kumjuh ka khana shaphang u Iso bad u Jakob ha ka kitab Jenesis 25:27-33, ka pynkynmaw ia ka longbriew kaba khwan bad kaba khmih tang ia ka myntoi shimet. U Iso u die duh ia ki hok jong u kum u khun nyngkong tang na ka bynta ban pynhun ia ka jingkhwah bad jingjrah ia ka “syrwa saw” (Jenesis 25:30) bad u Jakob ruh um don ka jingїatiplem kat haduh ban shim kabu ia ka jingthngan bad ka jingsliang jong u Iso bad phah smai ia u Iso ba un ai noh ha u ia ki hok baroh (Jenesis 25:33).

October 28, 2021 /

On the night of the twenty-third of October I was woken up by a rather agitated message which read: “I hear that Modi is meeting the Pope…It legitimises what is being done to minorities – Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, and Dalits and women.” “The Holy Father should not meet him” a second message continued. These messages were referring to Prime Minister Modi’s now confirmed meeting with the Pope in Rome on the thirtieth of October, prior to the former’s participation at the G-20 meet in the same city.

October 24, 2021 /

Indian Constitution, one of the most sensitive in the world to the rights of its minorities, ensures that tribal communities in Northeast states like Nagaland and Mizoram are the sole owners of their land and resources. No act of the Indian Parliament can undo this right. There are however two ways in which that right can be undone: Their own State Assembly can pass legislation abdicating this right. The other alternative is communities or individual land owners can be persuaded to voluntarily sell or hand over their land to government, private companies or corporations for projects that come in the name of their ‘development’.

October 24, 2021 /

Ha kawei pat ka liang ka niam Khristan ruh ka hikai ba ka mynsiem ka long kaba kordor bad dei u Blei uba pyrsad mynsiem ym tang ha ki khun bynriew hynrei ha ka pyrthei-mariang baroh kawei. Ka jingpyrsad mynsiem ka wan na u Blei bad ha ka Kitab Jenesis 1:2 ngi pule- “…bad u Mysiem u Blei u khih halor ki um”. Kumjuh ruh ha ka kitab Esekiel, la їathuhkhana kumno ba u Blei u pyrsad mynsiem bad pynim biang ia ki shyieng kiba tyrkhong bad kiba їap (Esekiel 37). Ka Baibl bad ka jinghikai shong tynrai ka Balang Khristan ka kdew da kaba shai ba u Blei u ai ka jingim, ka mynsiem ha ki briew bad ki jingthaw jingpynlong baroh. Ka jingim, ka mynsiem kaba u Blei u ai ka long kaba kordor, kaba remdor bad ym don tyngka pliah, ym don spah, ym don kyrdan bad ym don bor ha ka pyrthei kaba lah ban їapeiῆ lymne ban ia pynleit-iapynwan bad ka. Ka jingim, ka mysiem ka long kaba kordor tam ha ka pyrthei bad ka Hima u Blei.

October 12, 2021 /

After learning that the broker Jokhim had arranged a “signal clear” for the transport of six bulls across the India-Bangladesh border, the cattle transporter Alibaba had no time to speak to anyone. Indian border commanders who had accepted Jokhim’s bribes had verbally granted a signal, which Jokhim relayed to Alibaba by rushing to his house. A signal clear comprises a precious two-to-three-hour window of opportunity during which Indian cattle workers such as Alibaba can cross the border to Bangladesh with their animals.“Signal clear,” Alibaba said to me, tying his cotton gamosa (towel) around his head as protection against the heat and the rain.

September 27, 2021 /

When I began reading anthropological literature I felt uneasy and troubled by the way in which it was written. It was greatly problematic and I stated to think how one should do it differently. One of the problems with tribal studies is the concept itself and how tribes are looked at in a colonial social structure. The idea of a tribe was represented as primitive, savages and inferior beings which continues even today. Anthropologists did try to do away with this idea but still categorised tribes as a type of society which has very little division of labour, absence of complexities and reading and writing. Anthropology looked at the kind of transformation taking place as if they are becoming peasants, caste or socially heterogeneous. In that whole process the erosion of identity occurred.

September 26, 2021 /

Lada ngi pyrkhat ba ka Baibl kam don jingїadei bad kiei kiei kiba jia ha ka jingim hangne ha pyrthei, kata te ngi la lait sharud. Lada ngi pyrkhat ba ka Baibl ka dei ka Kot Bakhuid kaba thoh tang na ka bynta ka jingim ba kynja mynsiem bad tang na ka bynta ka jingim sha Bneng bad kam don jingїasnoh bad ka jingim hangne ha pyrthei, kata ruh ka la bakla.

September 19, 2021 /

Lah ban shem ia kitei ki kyntien ha ka Jingrwai Salm 33:12. Ka kyntien Suk sngew kumba ka jem ban sngewthuh, hynrei kam long kumta. Katba ka kyntien Jaitbynriew ha kane ka dkhot ka thew ia ka Jaitbynriew Jiw ne Israel. Ngi pule ruh shaphang ka Jaitbynriew Jiw ne Israel ha kiwei pat ki kitab jong ka Baibl.

September 7, 2021 /

A lot of people have been calling me since yesterday to understand the Western Uttar Pradesh churning, specially in the context of Mahapanchayat at Muzaffarnagar on Fifth September. Given the absolute paucity of time in my life nowadays, I may not be able to to write a very detailed note.
However, here are some very quick observations:

September 5, 2021 /

Lada ki samla ki pule ia ka kaiphot, kaba dang shu mih shen, jong ka Niti Ayog halor ki thong jong ki kam pynroi lane kita ki “Sustainable Development Goals” kiba dei ban pynurlong ha ki Jylla ka thaiῆ shatei lam mihngi, kin shem ba ka lawei ka long kaba duh jingkyrmen. Ka Niti Ayog ka dei ka tnat jong ka Sorkar India kaba la tip mynshuwa kum ka Planning Comission. Ka dei ka tnat pyrkhat kam kaba ha khlieh duh bad ka kamram jong ka ka long ban thaw bad saiῆdur ia ki kam pynroi ha ka Ri. Ki dkhot jong ka ki kynthup ia ki stad ki jhad bad ki proh jabieng, naduh ki stad saian, ki stad kot “economist”, ki riewstad ka їoh ka kot, ka khaїi-pateng bad kumta ter ter.