The BBC report on yesterday's attacks in Assam states they were conducted by a faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) who are trying to derail peace talks between the moderate NDFB faction and the Indian government.
The article opens by saying that:
Police told the BBC that a group of heavily armed guerrillas waylaid the bus and opened fire indiscriminately.
However, in an article in the Nagaland Post, it was reported that:
They [the guerillas] lined up the passengers and took away the Hindi-speaking people to the forest and shot them. “The NDFB fired at the bus, forcing the driver to stop, after which the militants lined up all the passengers on the road and took away at least 10 of them at gunpoint,” a senior police official said..
The report then reiterates that:
"All the dead were Hindi-speaking people hailing from Bihar and were Arunachal Pradesh government employees," Assam police chief Shankar Baruah told IANS.
The Nagaland Post's report actual makes more sense, given that the BBC also claims that:
Police say the rebels appear to be on a "revenge killing spree" after last week threatening to kill "at least 20 Indians" to avenge the death of their commander, Mohan Basumatary, in a clash last month.
If these were revenge attacks, and the militants had specific targets in mind, the initial report of indiscriminate shooting in the BBC article certainly needs some clarification.
I won't be travelling through Bodo regions. However, I will be going to Karbi Anglong, where a friend lives, and they have similar organisations / factions within organisation with similar goals of independence. Guwahati, where I am heading today, has also seen its fair share of violence over the past few years.
But I think the situation is slightly better in the metropolitan areas (compared to places like Mumbai) and I'll be with people who know the area too.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Connecting to the internet in South Asia
About a week ago in Nepal, I realised that I couldn't view Lauren's blog, except via an RSS reader. The reason was that Blogger had been blocked by the Nepalese government, or at least some sites with 'blogspot' in their URLs had come up on their new list of banned 'p0rn' sites, leading to a blanket ban on all our blogs with that domain name.
Weird and Funny World, a Nepal-based blog I've been following provided some coverage of this. Earlier there was also a suggestion that cybercafes in Nepal check their clients' ID in a bid to control 'cyber crime'.
India already does this sort of the control, though probably not on the same scale as China. At the cybercafes I've been to here, I'd had to present my passport (which some places photocopy) just so I can get online for 30 minutes. I am reminded of this level of control, because just to access the free wi-fi here at Delhi's new Indira Gandhi Airport domestic terminal, I had to log in with my new Airtel mobile number and then make a request to have another separate username and password via SMS (I remember a similar process at Bangalore airport last year) before finally being able to connect. Airtel also has a copy of my passport, visa and my photo, which you need to submit just to get a sim card.
Given that phones have been used in terrorist attacks to detonate bombs I suppose it's not an uncommon occurrence in most countries these days. You need some sort of ID to buy a prepaid mobile sim card in Singapore and Australia. I'm also sure there's some kind of registration to use Changi Airport's free wifi, though I suspect not quite as convoluted as the Indian system. I think I'm just too used to being able to connect to close to a dozen wi-fi networks in Kathmandu's Thamel district with just a network key.
Hmmm, my flight to Guwahati's been delayed by 40 minutes. More time on the internet for me.
Weird and Funny World, a Nepal-based blog I've been following provided some coverage of this. Earlier there was also a suggestion that cybercafes in Nepal check their clients' ID in a bid to control 'cyber crime'.
India already does this sort of the control, though probably not on the same scale as China. At the cybercafes I've been to here, I'd had to present my passport (which some places photocopy) just so I can get online for 30 minutes. I am reminded of this level of control, because just to access the free wi-fi here at Delhi's new Indira Gandhi Airport domestic terminal, I had to log in with my new Airtel mobile number and then make a request to have another separate username and password via SMS (I remember a similar process at Bangalore airport last year) before finally being able to connect. Airtel also has a copy of my passport, visa and my photo, which you need to submit just to get a sim card.
Given that phones have been used in terrorist attacks to detonate bombs I suppose it's not an uncommon occurrence in most countries these days. You need some sort of ID to buy a prepaid mobile sim card in Singapore and Australia. I'm also sure there's some kind of registration to use Changi Airport's free wifi, though I suspect not quite as convoluted as the Indian system. I think I'm just too used to being able to connect to close to a dozen wi-fi networks in Kathmandu's Thamel district with just a network key.
Hmmm, my flight to Guwahati's been delayed by 40 minutes. More time on the internet for me.
Welcome to Delhi
My arrival at the new Delhi International Airport started out well enough. The new terminal is much better than the current Kolkata Airport which I flew in and out of last year. The only thing that bugged me was that it took forever to get from the gate to the immigration counter, and yet we still had to wait about 20 minutes for our baggage - I calculated about 45 minutes from the time of the plane's arrival.
I had arranged an airport pick-up with my hotel (Rak International Hotel) - an exorbitant 600 Rs, considering it only takes about 250-300 Rs to get from the airport to the Paharganj, but I didn't really want the hassle of haggling with a taxi driver and having to pay additional tips and what not. Thankfully, my pick-up was there when I arrived, given that the plane was about an hour late in leaving Kathmandu. The driver seemed friendly enough and we chatted a little in my broken Hindi / Nepali (he understood ali ali) and English.
The first sign something was wrong was when I first saw the car. It looked ordinarily enough, apart from all the dents in the doors, the back and the front (basically everywhere). It was particularly obvious, given that all the surrounding SUVs looked brand new and spotless. But I still put my stuff in the back and got in.
The driver then pokes his head in the window and tells me I need to get out. To help him push he car. It seemed the car battery had been giving him some grief today and the car needed a push start. Eventually, he managed to get the security guard to help us as well, and we got the car all the way to the downward ramp, which gave the car the boost it needed.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I asked the driver if the battery would be a problem later. He unhesitatingly said, 'Yes'.
We were in the far right lane of a busy road in heavy traffic when the battery died again. Out we got to push the car to the side of the road. Never mind the big buses and trucks trying to run us down. A police officer directed us to a small turn-off and there we stopped the car. My driver did what he could to restart the battery but eventually decided to call for a taxi from the airport to pick me up.
We waited by the side of the road for another 20 minutes. In that time, my driver's mobile phone battery died too (I was sensing a pattern) and I told him my Nepali sim card didn't work in India. But the taxi came, and I got in, after being assured that the hotel would pay for the taxi.
As I got in, the driver reassuringly said that his taxi would run out of petrol in about 10 or 15 minutes. Great, I thought. But at least we stopped for petrol at a petrol kiosk, not on the side of the road. And at least he didn't ask for more money.
But when we got to Paharganj, he stopped the taxi about 10 minutes from the hotel (I had a pretty good idea where I was thanks to my GPS), and insisted that we couldn't drive any further and he'd have to take me on foot. It was a little suspicious. He then asked me for 'driver tips' and I pretended not to understand. I was little annoyed because I couldn't get any further without giving the guy some cash. I said 50 rupees, but he insisted on 100, and since I didn't have change and wasn't sure where the hotel was exactly, I relented.
So off we went down the main Bazaar Road in Paharganj where he deposited me at then Rak International Hotel, where I proceeded to check in, after complaining about the drive in (especially the having to push the stupid car). I had previously mentioned in my email to them that I wanted a regular room for 450 Rs/night, but was willing to look at the deluxe (750 Rs/night). (I had sent a few emails, but only got a reply after mentioning that I was willing to look at the deluxe.) Surprise surprise, they had me down for a deluxe, and no regular rooms were available.
I then mentioned the ride again and told the guy in English, with a few smatterings of Hindi, that he needed to lower the price. I wasn't paying 600 Rs, especially after the car broke down and I had to push it twice. He said he'd talk to the driver and we'd settle it later. (I then heard him on the phone yelling at someone about a gaDii 'car' that was kharab 'bad'.
When I next came down, the guy at reception said there was no way he could lower the price. After all, my driver had got me to the hotel. Of course, from my point of view, I'd paid the exorbitant 600 Rs (instead of 250 or 300 Rs) for a comfortable and reliable service - not something that required me to get out of a car and push. I also mentioned the fact that I had to pay the driver a 100 Rs tip, which the reception guy said I shouldn't have paid. Well duh, but how else was I going to reach the hotel?
In the end, we bargained it down to 500 Rs. I've got a deluxe room which looks like a cheap honeymoon suite (the bed is circular! - will need to post a picture at some point). I've also got an airport drop-off tomorrow for a more reasonable 250 Rs, but goodness knows if that car won't break down too.
Yup, welcome back to India.
I had arranged an airport pick-up with my hotel (Rak International Hotel) - an exorbitant 600 Rs, considering it only takes about 250-300 Rs to get from the airport to the Paharganj, but I didn't really want the hassle of haggling with a taxi driver and having to pay additional tips and what not. Thankfully, my pick-up was there when I arrived, given that the plane was about an hour late in leaving Kathmandu. The driver seemed friendly enough and we chatted a little in my broken Hindi / Nepali (he understood ali ali) and English.
The first sign something was wrong was when I first saw the car. It looked ordinarily enough, apart from all the dents in the doors, the back and the front (basically everywhere). It was particularly obvious, given that all the surrounding SUVs looked brand new and spotless. But I still put my stuff in the back and got in.
The driver then pokes his head in the window and tells me I need to get out. To help him push he car. It seemed the car battery had been giving him some grief today and the car needed a push start. Eventually, he managed to get the security guard to help us as well, and we got the car all the way to the downward ramp, which gave the car the boost it needed.
As if that wasn't bad enough, I asked the driver if the battery would be a problem later. He unhesitatingly said, 'Yes'.
We were in the far right lane of a busy road in heavy traffic when the battery died again. Out we got to push the car to the side of the road. Never mind the big buses and trucks trying to run us down. A police officer directed us to a small turn-off and there we stopped the car. My driver did what he could to restart the battery but eventually decided to call for a taxi from the airport to pick me up.
We waited by the side of the road for another 20 minutes. In that time, my driver's mobile phone battery died too (I was sensing a pattern) and I told him my Nepali sim card didn't work in India. But the taxi came, and I got in, after being assured that the hotel would pay for the taxi.
As I got in, the driver reassuringly said that his taxi would run out of petrol in about 10 or 15 minutes. Great, I thought. But at least we stopped for petrol at a petrol kiosk, not on the side of the road. And at least he didn't ask for more money.
But when we got to Paharganj, he stopped the taxi about 10 minutes from the hotel (I had a pretty good idea where I was thanks to my GPS), and insisted that we couldn't drive any further and he'd have to take me on foot. It was a little suspicious. He then asked me for 'driver tips' and I pretended not to understand. I was little annoyed because I couldn't get any further without giving the guy some cash. I said 50 rupees, but he insisted on 100, and since I didn't have change and wasn't sure where the hotel was exactly, I relented.
So off we went down the main Bazaar Road in Paharganj where he deposited me at then Rak International Hotel, where I proceeded to check in, after complaining about the drive in (especially the having to push the stupid car). I had previously mentioned in my email to them that I wanted a regular room for 450 Rs/night, but was willing to look at the deluxe (750 Rs/night). (I had sent a few emails, but only got a reply after mentioning that I was willing to look at the deluxe.) Surprise surprise, they had me down for a deluxe, and no regular rooms were available.
I then mentioned the ride again and told the guy in English, with a few smatterings of Hindi, that he needed to lower the price. I wasn't paying 600 Rs, especially after the car broke down and I had to push it twice. He said he'd talk to the driver and we'd settle it later. (I then heard him on the phone yelling at someone about a gaDii 'car' that was kharab 'bad'.
When I next came down, the guy at reception said there was no way he could lower the price. After all, my driver had got me to the hotel. Of course, from my point of view, I'd paid the exorbitant 600 Rs (instead of 250 or 300 Rs) for a comfortable and reliable service - not something that required me to get out of a car and push. I also mentioned the fact that I had to pay the driver a 100 Rs tip, which the reception guy said I shouldn't have paid. Well duh, but how else was I going to reach the hotel?
In the end, we bargained it down to 500 Rs. I've got a deluxe room which looks like a cheap honeymoon suite (the bed is circular! - will need to post a picture at some point). I've also got an airport drop-off tomorrow for a more reasonable 250 Rs, but goodness knows if that car won't break down too.
Yup, welcome back to India.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Farewell Nepal
After 6 wonderful weeks here in Nepal, thanks to Lauren and Sara, and especially to our Nepali friends L. and S., it's time to say goodbye. My Nepali isn't fantastic, but a few more months of classes and it should become passable. At least I'm quite proficient when talking about my family.
I think learning Nepali will prove to more useful than I thought, especially given the large number of Nepalis in NE India (though I might eventually have to learn Assamese and Nagamese). Tomorrow though, I'm going to have to try and squeeze in a little Hindi for my one night in Delhi - I'm still not sure about my accommodation because the hotel hasn't got back to me to confirm my booking. If they don't show up, I'll just get a pre-paid taxi and head to Paharganj myself.
I'm looking forward to getting back to Nagaland on Thursday. There's a Sumi Ahuna harvest festival on the weekend called which I would like to attend (apparently it's become the 'main' Sumi festival of the year, superseding the Tuluni festival which takes place in July.) The annual Hornbill Festival in Kohima is also coming in December where representatives from all the tribes of Nagaland come to the capital to perform traditional dances and other things - I'm not really sure how I feel about this one, because from what I've heard it's mostly for the benefit of tourists.
I also realise that to some of you it may seem that all I do is attend festivals, and you would be right. It just so happens that October and November are festival-heavy months here in Nepal - Dashain and Tihar being the main national festivals for the year. They are Hindu festivals, but most Buddists also observe them to some extent. On the other hand, Mani Rimdu up in Solukhumbu is a Buddhist festival and is more important to the Sherpas and Tibetans.
Alright, time for bed. I've had a fantastic time in Nepal, made some great contacts and might have a potential language project or two to get involved with if I wanted to - I still envisage my PhD project will look at multiple language projects, not just one. And I don't think this will be my last time here.
By the way, 2011 is Visit Nepal Tourism Year - visas to enter the country next year are going to be free! (I'm not sure how the country is going to cope with a surge in tourist numbers though...)
I think learning Nepali will prove to more useful than I thought, especially given the large number of Nepalis in NE India (though I might eventually have to learn Assamese and Nagamese). Tomorrow though, I'm going to have to try and squeeze in a little Hindi for my one night in Delhi - I'm still not sure about my accommodation because the hotel hasn't got back to me to confirm my booking. If they don't show up, I'll just get a pre-paid taxi and head to Paharganj myself.
I'm looking forward to getting back to Nagaland on Thursday. There's a Sumi Ahuna harvest festival on the weekend called which I would like to attend (apparently it's become the 'main' Sumi festival of the year, superseding the Tuluni festival which takes place in July.) The annual Hornbill Festival in Kohima is also coming in December where representatives from all the tribes of Nagaland come to the capital to perform traditional dances and other things - I'm not really sure how I feel about this one, because from what I've heard it's mostly for the benefit of tourists.
I also realise that to some of you it may seem that all I do is attend festivals, and you would be right. It just so happens that October and November are festival-heavy months here in Nepal - Dashain and Tihar being the main national festivals for the year. They are Hindu festivals, but most Buddists also observe them to some extent. On the other hand, Mani Rimdu up in Solukhumbu is a Buddhist festival and is more important to the Sherpas and Tibetans.
Alright, time for bed. I've had a fantastic time in Nepal, made some great contacts and might have a potential language project or two to get involved with if I wanted to - I still envisage my PhD project will look at multiple language projects, not just one. And I don't think this will be my last time here.
By the way, 2011 is Visit Nepal Tourism Year - visas to enter the country next year are going to be free! (I'm not sure how the country is going to cope with a surge in tourist numbers though...)
Everest View Hotel location
I mentioned that the Everest View Hotel is difficult to find without a guide, and especially without (m)any clear signs to it from Namche. Even people who rely on Google Earth are being misled!
I'm sure there's no mistake with my marker (in yellow) and GPS map, as this was the second time I had tracked my journey to the Everest View Hotel, and via a different route to boot. Someone at Google Earth needs to be informed about this...
If you're looking for directions to the Everest View Hotel from Namche Bazaar (this doesn't exactly follow the path I took, but with a little luck it should get you there):
First, head towards the town exit for the road that leads towards Tengboche, Gokyo etc. You should see a large mani stone on the right and a small fence with a gate on the left. Behind the gate are some pretty steep steps. Follow the steps till you reach a plateau area where you'll see the Syangboche airstrip on the left and a small ridge in front of you.
Do not walk towards the airstrip. Instead, you should see a building in front of you up on the ridge. There should be a path leading towards the building - if you can't find it, make one. Once you get to the building, you can either take the path on the left path leading through a bit of forest, or you can follow the edge of the ridge to your right. Either way, you should soon see another building on your left (I think it's called the Syangboche Panorama Hotel, but it looked closed when I was there). From this building, there should be a path on your right that follows the edge of the ridge.
Follow the path till you get to a grassy field. You should already be able to see the Everest View Hotel by now. Simply cross the field and follow the steps, which should take you right to the hotel's front door.)
I'm sure there's no mistake with my marker (in yellow) and GPS map, as this was the second time I had tracked my journey to the Everest View Hotel, and via a different route to boot. Someone at Google Earth needs to be informed about this...
*****
If you're looking for directions to the Everest View Hotel from Namche Bazaar (this doesn't exactly follow the path I took, but with a little luck it should get you there):
First, head towards the town exit for the road that leads towards Tengboche, Gokyo etc. You should see a large mani stone on the right and a small fence with a gate on the left. Behind the gate are some pretty steep steps. Follow the steps till you reach a plateau area where you'll see the Syangboche airstrip on the left and a small ridge in front of you.
Do not walk towards the airstrip. Instead, you should see a building in front of you up on the ridge. There should be a path leading towards the building - if you can't find it, make one. Once you get to the building, you can either take the path on the left path leading through a bit of forest, or you can follow the edge of the ridge to your right. Either way, you should soon see another building on your left (I think it's called the Syangboche Panorama Hotel, but it looked closed when I was there). From this building, there should be a path on your right that follows the edge of the ridge.
Follow the path till you get to a grassy field. You should already be able to see the Everest View Hotel by now. Simply cross the field and follow the steps, which should take you right to the hotel's front door.)
Everest View Hotel
Backtracking a little to Khumbu (the Everest region), there's one place in particular that requires special mention: the Everest View Hotel. It's the highest hotel in the world and not only does the place provide a wonderful view of Ama Dablam and Lhotse (oh, and Everest), but it's notoriously difficult to find without a guide, as Lauren can attest.
The view from the hotel - Ama Dablam on the far left, Lhotse in the middle and Everest just to the left.
Everest, with Lhotse to the right
Of course the view isn't always great, especially on cloudy days. Also by afternoon, you often get clouds coming in from the South (at least at this time of year) It's not so nice, but at least you can still see Ama Dablam here:
But when the weather is good, even the reflection in the glass is magnificent.
Sara had a little argument with a lady at the guest lodge in Khumjung who was complaining that the hotel was an 'abortion', what with its white concrete steps and 'Western-ness'. Of course, the hotel was built by a Japanese company and opened in 1973. As for the 'white concrete steps', here they are:
And I agree with Sara that in terms of design, it blends in quite well with its surroundings.
The view from the hotel - Ama Dablam on the far left, Lhotse in the middle and Everest just to the left.
Everest, with Lhotse to the right
Of course the view isn't always great, especially on cloudy days. Also by afternoon, you often get clouds coming in from the South (at least at this time of year) It's not so nice, but at least you can still see Ama Dablam here:
But when the weather is good, even the reflection in the glass is magnificent.
Sara had a little argument with a lady at the guest lodge in Khumjung who was complaining that the hotel was an 'abortion', what with its white concrete steps and 'Western-ness'. Of course, the hotel was built by a Japanese company and opened in 1973. As for the 'white concrete steps', here they are:
And I agree with Sara that in terms of design, it blends in quite well with its surroundings.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
भाई टिका (Bhai Tika)
Yesterday was Bhai Tika day, the last day of Tihar,when each bhai 'younger brother' receives tika from their sister(s). I was given the honour of being S.'s adopted little brother, so I got to receive tika, among other things.
Quite a bit of preparation is required to give this tika, which is not like the red dots that the mad saddhus (holy men / crazy ascetics) dish out to tourists on the streets.
The set-up requires a carpet (for the brother to sit on), along with a whole lot of other stuff in front of it. To the best of my knowledge, starting at the back on the left, there's white powder on the floor making a half-face, a guava, a pomelo, a butter candle, a small jar of water, a bowl of curd, a small plant (not sure if it's barley) stuck in a bit of cow dung, a bell, and a pot with some water and marigolds (with stalks). In front of these from the left are a plate of grain, a large plate of marigold petals, more white powder making another face (and a sun I suppose), and a plate of oil. (I'm not sure what the significance of most of these items are - something to do a bit of research on later.)
The sister starts off the ceremony by walking around the brother three times, sprinkling water on the floor and door. She then repeats this with oil. She then rubs some of the oil in his hair, around his ears, and in his ear. I was reminded of this oil afterwards when I used my mobile. She then places red-stained grain on his head, shoulders, elbows, palms, knees and feet - basically the joints and extremities. This is then repeated using marigold petals.
After this, a multi-coloured tika is applied to the forehead.
A purple malla is placed around the neck, followed by a topi (Nepali hat) on the head. The sister then feeds the brother some curd (not putting that picture up) and presents him with a huge plate of food - I had a mountain of fruit and deep-fried shel roti (see Lauren's post on this) with nuts, dried fruit and sweets, which I'm still working through today.
The brother then places tika on the sister's forehead and gives her a present (like a little envelope containing some money). He then gets to finish the curd he was given previously, and food is served! (I was quite hungry by that point because I'd thought that we'd be having breakfast first. Apparently, no food is to be consumed prior to receiving tika so all we got was a cup of milk coffee to tide us over till lunch.)
Lauren, Sara and me - after Lauren and Sara got to give L. tika.
(Thanks go to Lauren and Sara for most of the photos. Many thanks to L. and S. for the priviledge of getting tika on Bhai Tika day,)
Quite a bit of preparation is required to give this tika, which is not like the red dots that the mad saddhus (holy men / crazy ascetics) dish out to tourists on the streets.
The set-up requires a carpet (for the brother to sit on), along with a whole lot of other stuff in front of it. To the best of my knowledge, starting at the back on the left, there's white powder on the floor making a half-face, a guava, a pomelo, a butter candle, a small jar of water, a bowl of curd, a small plant (not sure if it's barley) stuck in a bit of cow dung, a bell, and a pot with some water and marigolds (with stalks). In front of these from the left are a plate of grain, a large plate of marigold petals, more white powder making another face (and a sun I suppose), and a plate of oil. (I'm not sure what the significance of most of these items are - something to do a bit of research on later.)
The sister starts off the ceremony by walking around the brother three times, sprinkling water on the floor and door. She then repeats this with oil. She then rubs some of the oil in his hair, around his ears, and in his ear. I was reminded of this oil afterwards when I used my mobile. She then places red-stained grain on his head, shoulders, elbows, palms, knees and feet - basically the joints and extremities. This is then repeated using marigold petals.
After this, a multi-coloured tika is applied to the forehead.
A purple malla is placed around the neck, followed by a topi (Nepali hat) on the head. The sister then feeds the brother some curd (not putting that picture up) and presents him with a huge plate of food - I had a mountain of fruit and deep-fried shel roti (see Lauren's post on this) with nuts, dried fruit and sweets, which I'm still working through today.
The brother then places tika on the sister's forehead and gives her a present (like a little envelope containing some money). He then gets to finish the curd he was given previously, and food is served! (I was quite hungry by that point because I'd thought that we'd be having breakfast first. Apparently, no food is to be consumed prior to receiving tika so all we got was a cup of milk coffee to tide us over till lunch.)
Lauren, Sara and me - after Lauren and Sara got to give L. tika.
(Thanks go to Lauren and Sara for most of the photos. Many thanks to L. and S. for the priviledge of getting tika on Bhai Tika day,)
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