On August 15, 2004, a bomb blast killed 18 people, mostly school children and their mothers, assembled for the Independence Day parade in Dhemaji College ground in Assam. Musician Zubeen Garg, who was in Mumbai that day, was extremely disturbed by this news from his homeland. He poured his emotions into a song, which was the anthem of a protest he took out the next day in the state.
Some peace…
Give a little bit of love,
Give me a bit of rest,
Give some love.
For whom is the rising smoke of the funeral pyres?
Who will see?
Who will realise?
Who will wipe those tears away?
Dam the deluge.
Return…
Return my parents back to me;
Return my brothers and sisters…
The moving song features in Assamese filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky’s musical documentary Guns and Guitars . This is just a sample of the tunes and emotions percolating through the Northeast where music is interwoven into the region’s social and cultural fabric. It is a place where traditional folk music thrives alongside a rich, adopted tradition of western music, constantly influenced by rampant political and economic unrest.
“More often than not, the Northeast finds mention in the national media for all the wrong reasons — bomb blast, ambush, economic blockade, drug haul… With no mention or focus on the positive energies in the region, the default focus has been on the negative energies,” explains Kotoky, whose documentary exploring the region’s musical sensitivities will release this year. Troubled by the negative exposure, Kotoky set out on an exploratory journey to unearth the region’s real story hidden beneath violence and economic undergrowth — a place where music permeates everyday life.
Music from this region is not always dark though; there’s also the kind that Lou Majaw endorses — one of celebration and joy. For the last 40 years, Shillong’s endearing musician, Majaw has been celebrating Bob Dylan’s birthday the way he knows best — with music. Way back in the 1970s, when the guitarist-singer felt a strong urge to thank Bob Dylan for the way his songs had touched his life, rather than writing him a postcard, he came up with the idea of a birthday concert. The concert became a hit and has since become an anticipated annual event in Shillong’s calendar.
This May 24 too, the much-loved musician in his trademark denim shorts and long silver hair picked up the guitar and belted out Dylan’s popular tracks to a small but dedicated gathering of fans in a city that is rightly called the rock music capital of India; even international bands like Sepultura and Scorpions have made a stop here as part of their world tours.
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For an outsider, the process of exploration has to begin with an understanding of the region’s problems that are unique to each of the eight states — home to more than 220 ethnic groups. Though the problems are many and emanate from differences in histories, needs, culture, besides the state and non-state violence, the struggle for a better life is a common battle, feels Assamese author Mitra Phukan.
Phukan understands this because she grew up in Assam at a time when agitations and protests were a part of life. In fact, her debut novel The Collector’s Wife is set against the Assam agitation of the 1970s and 1980s. “Lack of development, corruption and economic disparity are major challenges. The cycle of poverty is getting worse and the frustration amounting from this is like a boiling kettle,” she says. But, she also notes that these issues have not gotten the youth up in arms. “Youth in the region today are aspirational and pragmatic. The previous generation was constantly exposed to conflict. This, they see, has not solved anything.”
Despite the conflicts, the region’s cultural identity has remained intact because, at a fundamental level, the unrest is about identity fuelled by idealism. Yet, to the people, the identity that is lost in alienation and economic disparity can also be found in the comfort of one’s own culture. That would explain why Sattriya, a classical Assamese dance form that was in danger of dying out, saw a revival despite an environment ripe with insurgency.
Similarly, many pursued this search for identity through alternative means — through a culture that is not part of one’s own but has come to define it over the years — like western music.
“For many years, the Northeast has had a strong presence of Christian missionaries. In fact, it may have been one of their earliest strongholds in India. The missionary schools play a very important part in the educational environment of northeast,” says Kotoky. This, along with the militants’ choke on most things ‘Indian’, could perhaps explain the popularity of rock music in the region, giving rise to some of the country’s biggest names in Indian rock like Soulmate, Lucid Recess and Still Waters.
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Talents like these are earning the region its much-deserved attention and, in the process, rewriting perceptions. Manipur’s three-member metal band Cleave is one such. Formed casually to jam and perform for friends, they are now one of India’s popular bands and, reflective of the aspirations of the region’s youth, they aim to go global.
“Drugs are an outdated issue from our point of view. Better educational institutions and talent development opportunities need to be addressed rather than the usual political issues. Problems will be there but they exist throughout the world, not just here. We have the brains and the talent, but all we need is the opportunity to develop them,” feel Alex, Bipin and Braja, members of Cleave.
The Nagaland government’s Music Task Force (MTF) was formed to address these specific issues. The first of its kind by a State government, the force aims to developing the talent of budding musicians and bands by offering them exposure to music, experts and their audience, even if it means sending them to other parts of the country. “Though musicians are our central focus, we are also working on developing a networked music industry with a promising platform that allows stakeholders to make bold investments,” says Gukhato ‘Gugs’ Chisi, the director of MTF.
In keeping with its agenda, the MTF organises the Hornbill International Rock Contest and Music Festival every December in Kohima, as an opportunity for locals and tourists to experience Naga songs, dances, crafts, sports, customs and food. It is especially known for the highly touted rock contest where bands across the country vie for the top prize.
“We keep complaining about opportunities and things like that. It will be that way as long as we remain within that fence. We need to break the wall and go beyond that. Nothing comes easy. We have to struggle and that’s how it is. On the bright side, this will make us stronger and better people,” says Majaw from the experience of one who has seen his world changing.
The real question though is: Is this change a sign of hope — a sign that people are moving on from years of conflict, towards economic prosperity and social development? As Bob Dylan said, “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind....”
