Child trafficking from places like Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh to engage them in coal mines is not a new phenomenon. Assam and the entire Northeast continues to be harrowed by such incidents. In order to ameliorate the sufferings of the children and their parents who are taken unaware as their children are lured away and often kidnapped by people for various works, Hasina Kharbhih from Shillong has been working relentlessly for three years now, forcing the world to turn its attention on Meghalaya’s rat holes.

So, it was not surprising to find this braveheart from the Northeast, receiving the prestigious India Positive Awards from Press Council of India’s chairman and chief guest Justice Markandey Katju, along with guest of honour Anil Kumble and Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore at the inaugural edition of India Positive Awards organized by CNN-IBN, in partnership with Jaypee Group.

The India Positive Awards delves into India’s hidden resource that cradles the wounded, makes peace among communities and improves lives of others with their selfless acts. These awards bring to light stories that celebrate the basic goodness in every Indian.

Based out of Shillong, Hasina and her team at Impulse NGO are fighting the coal mafia, saving lives of children trafficked from Nepal, Assam and Bangladesh to work as bonded labour in the rat holes of Jaintia Hills. The children rescued by the NGO are later sent to school for a better life.  

The Awards adheres to a process of selection which has the IBN Editorial Board at its core. This Board nominates, deliberates, and after many levels of scrutiny, finalizes the winners, keeping in mind their inspirational stories and contribution.

This award has been initiated to recognize the inspirational stories of everyday Indians, who are doing their bit to bring about a positive change.

Kharbhih was one of the 15 winners of the inaugural edition of India Positive Awards, which was held in a glittering ceremony held at The Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.

Speaking about the awards, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “India Positive aims to explore and spread the goodness of Indians, who enrich the lives of others and the society at large and these Awards are an effort to acknowledge the initiatives by such optimistic people who are a source of inspiration to fellow Indians.”

The grand finale of the awards ceremony will be telecast on CNN-IBN on October 20, 2012.

Festival, yes. Music, yes. But this is festival of music in Jodhpur has no star attraction. Yes! The Jodhpur RIFF taking place at the end of this month would go without any star performance, since the place of stars have been given to anonymous musicians from the hinterlands. As festival director Divya Bhatia says, “Big names distract. If I invite a popular mainstream musician, he/she would steal the show even if he has no intention of doing so. Audiences would probably come to the festival only on the day of the star performance. Even media will throw the spotlight on the star neglecting the local artistes.”

It is, in fact, a quiet festival where there will be no screaming guitars and pounding drums. The sounds are mostly acoustic, unplugged, raw and never been recorded. It is all about the live experience, about the music made at the moment and as Bhatia says “that one moment can make or mar a musician – there are no retakes.” He adds that studio recording won’t quite do justice to their music. “Their music has been passed on orally from one generation to another,” says Bhatia.

The festival is also an intimate affair where audience would run into a few hundred at a time (300 to 1,200) and not thousands. Unlike Sunburn, the electronic music festival in Goa, it is not a party where you can dance to the tunes of the DJ. This is real music with no mega ad campaigns and promotional budgets.

You would also not find any laser or ultra-violet lighting as well. Instead, you have the setting sun, the rising sun and a full moon in between. Interestingly, the festival organizers - Mehrangarh Museum Trust and Jaipur Virasat Foundation, track the moon and hold the fest as per its scheduled appearance.

 Timed to coincide with Sharad Purnima, the brightest full moon of the year in north India, the event is a moon-lit rustic experience under the twinkling stars. And with a backdrop as stunning as the spectacular Mehrangarh Fort, voted “Asia’s Best Fortress” by Time Magazine, you are in for an experience.

But in these days of playback, recorded music commercial music, Bhatia admits that the biggest challenge is to find an audience. “How do I create an audience for a music, people have no idea about? How to educate the audience on folk music? We have become so used to the familiar beats and sounds of the digital era, that we may not be quite ready for music without a microphone. There are no CDs and albums of such music, you see,” he says.

But then the festival, in its sixth year now, is growing by the year. Endorsed by UNESCO, it has the backing of the Maharaja of Jodhpur Gaj Singh with Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger being its International Patron.

So what are these sounds we are talking about? The complexity of the Nagada; the gentle sounds of the Chang; the energy of the Dhol; and the intricacies of the Khartal. Add other traditional instruments like Algoza (a double reed, wind instrument), Tandura (a string instrument), Jhanjh (a cymbal-like instrument), Sindhi sarangi, carnatic violin and aero phonic instruments such as shehnai and murli. There will also be hypnotic trance-like music of the snake charmers; soul-stirring pre-dawn devotional music; Qawaali and Sufi music.

All these combine to create beats and melodies you would probably listen for the first time ever. Fire dances, acrobatic dances from communities like the Meena, Gurjar and Maali; and dances by cross-dressing performers will add more drama to the event.

While the above are strictly from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kolkata, and Tamil Nadu, there are also local flavours from around the globe. Aboriginal Australian artistes Mark Atkins (who has worked with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and the London Philharmonic Orchestra) will play the Didgeridoo; Grupo Cimmarron from North Colombia will play the Latin Harp; Oriental Ensemble from Istanbul will play the Darbuka (a vase-shaped drum played with the fingers), Kös (kettle drum), and other stringed instruments such as the Divan-Saz, Tanbur and Oud. There will also be Celtic uilleann pipes from Scotland and Ireland, Gaelic and English folk songs and mouth music, along with traditional African, Latin percussion from Sri Lanka.

Of course, it will have electronic elements as well, with cutting-edge, global dance grooves by DJ from The Netherlands, mps Pilot who will let traditional and modern styles from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America flow through each other, forming an expressive, contagious and exciting sound. Master of beat matching, he will weave drum n’ bass rhythms, Flamenco palmas, Indian roots beats and Latin percussion solos into an organic whole.

With 250 artistes, here is a festival seeking to create new music, sounds and indeed genres. This year also marks the beginning of a new relationship between Jodhpur RIFF and Celtic Connections, the largest folk music festival in the Northern Hemisphere. The Artistic Director and Founder of Celtic Connections, Donald Shaw and Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, will both be attending Jodhpur RIFF, 2012.

However, they will not be the stars of the event. Like we said, it is the anonymous artiste, who is the real star here and if there are stars (apart from the ones overhead) among the audience like a Rahul Bose or an Arundhati Roy (who have attended the festival previously) and maybe, Mick Jagger (unconfirmed reports say he might just drop in), well, you may not really notice. For, the real stars are on the stage!

(continued from last issue) And to the relief of the eager onlookers, the man attempts to arise from his bed as if he is awakened from a prolonged slumber. And at the speedy recovery of the man, the excited onlookers starts addressing the man in raised voice as ‘Harinath Baap’, whose wife is also sitting near his bed. And regaining his senses, the man begins to look at the doctor and also queries him if his motherland has really become independent. The doctor without endeavouring to answer his query, only begins to gaze at the sick man with amazement. He is perhaps trying to recollect the missing links of certain events of the past. The doctor starts surmising that he must have seen this ailing man somewhere sometime. The man also affirms meeting him about not less than forty years ago. So finding similarities in physical features between the man he had met before and the sick man he is treating now, the doctor ventures to ask if he is Birsa. At this, a few persons sitting around attempts to make the confusion clear by saying that this ailing man’s name is Harinath Baap. Then, with a subdued smile, Birsa requests the doctor to dispel the mystery behind this matter himself. At this, the doctor ventures to disclose the real identity of the man lying before him to the inquisitive people assembled there. He discloses that apart from being their spiritual leader Harinath Baap, this man has another identity, the identity of a selfless generous man dedicated to the cause of country’s independence as an active participant of the movement. He tells them that he is Birsa, the proud son of mother India. Then the doctor concludes by saying that once a stout, energetic garden worker and subsequently, a valiant freedom fighter of the country, this man is none other than Birsa, who, under the impact of unexpected circumstances, has been now staying in this village with a new name and identity as ‘Harinath Baap’

So understanding that this man is in fact Birsa, who was once a valiant freedom fighter, the people assembled in his house starts making elaborate preparations to extend due honour to him, along with the doctor.

 A procession of sizeable number of people accompanied by drummers and singers begin to proceed through the garden carrying Birsa and the doctor in a raised bamboo platform. One of the processionists carrying the tri-colour makes plea to the assembled people to show due honour to these popular leaders by standing in lines on both side of the road. Accordingly, a sizeable number of people from Chenehjuri village and garden, along with members of the erstwhile volunteer squad, begin to assemble in lines on both sides of the road through which the procession is moving. Slogans like ‘Hail Bharat Mata: Hail Mahatma,” etc rents the air. Also seen in front of the procession are the two sons of Birsa, along with their mother.

 A group of people arriving on a truck is also seen distributing pulses, fruits and biscuits to the processionists. On the other hand, the news of Birsa’s stay in the village begins to spread all around. Phulmoni also receives the news with a feeling of disbelief as Birsa stayed so long in the guise of another individual called ‘Harinath Bap’. And unable to control her revived emotions, she also ventures out to join the procession.

Birsa, on the other hand harbours mixed feelings of disbelief and affirmation. It is really amazing for him to find his motherland independent and relieved from the bondage of foreign rule after a prolonged struggle. These feelings are the result of attaining something which was considered to be unattainable.

The main gate of the Sahib’s bungalow is now open. Rajib’s parents along with Phulmoni and Marry start moving towards the gate with two garlands of flower. One for Birsa and the other for the doctor. Birsa is highly pleased to see them along with his erstwhile garden Borbabu. He is now welcomed by all present with garlands. Phulmoni begins to stare at Birsa who so long remained in the changed entity of ‘Harinath Bap’.

She is also somewhat amazed at the changed look of Birsa with his long beard and sunken eyes.

The processionists, along with Birsa his sons, wife, the doctor and other volunteers continue moving around the entire area of Chenehjuri garden and village. After a while, the truck leading the procession comes to a halt in front of the village Namghar (prayer hall).

Meanwhile evening has set in. Birsa, bids adieu to all and after getting a checkup from the doctor goes back to board he moving truck. All others begin to move inside the Namghar, where arrangements have been made for evening meals.

Birsa considers this day to be the most memorable one in his life. He now feels immersed under the waves of gratitude and generosity shown by the people. Yet, even amidst the worldly happiness and sense of fulfillment inwards, he remains in search of something eternal or ethereal. In other words, Birsa now endeavours to merge his mundane identity with the greater entity of spiritualism-- an entity where he might be able to obtain the real elixir of life and its hidden meaning.

After a bath with cold water from the well, Birsa suffers from a mild cold and fever. So having covered his body with warm cloths, Birsa takes a sip of the tea prepared by his wife. Slowly, a state of numbness and slumber begins to overtake him. In such a state of mind and body, Birsa is able to hear someone calling him with these words:

“Kindly forgive me for my inability to recognize you.” Hearing these words, Birsa gets up only to find Phulmoni waiting with a garland of flowers outside his door. Before Birsa could speak anything, the unexpected visitor starts pouring out her feelings.

 Addressing Birsa, she at first admits her mistakes. Then she implores him to forgive her for her betrayal. After that, she confides to him that she had taken a wrong step by she accepting someone else as her life partner despite her love and betrothal to him.  She further reveals that she has been undergoing mental agony for her actions. Yet, she affirms that by forgiving her past failings and betrayals, Birsa is the only person who could rescue her from the present turmoil and do something positive for the well-being of her daughter.

She imposes Birsa to give a new meaning to her life. In an attempt to console her, Birsa tells her about his own life, that he is now married, has a wife and two sons and known by his new identity “Harinath Baap”. Inwardly, Birsa is also annoyed and disturbed at the sudden appearance of Phulmoni in presence of his wife and sons. So out of exasperation, he remains quiet for sometime. Meanwhile, Birsa’s wife, still in her bed was listening to the hushed talk between her husband and Phulmoni quietly. She is under the impression that Birsa may be talking with visitors in a state of delirium due to high fever. But coming close to his bed, she finds Birsa’s fever has lessened and he was perspiring. Then she tries to clean up his body with a piece of wet cloth. Being relieved, Birsa begins to wonder whether he was in a state of dream or reality. He also begins to recapitulate the past events--- the declaration of India’s independence, the public ovation extended to him and Phulmoni’s night appearance and plea for forgiveness. Due to his present state of mental anxiety, he finds himself still in state of confusion and complexity.

Every good action brings a good result. Birsa now begins to surmise the significance of this statement in the context of the result of his own actions. In fact, he has been able to do something for his motherland. Inspite of his great esteem for Gandhiji’s ideal of non-violence, he has a record of violent acts as part of the freedom struggle, like killing selected individuals, stealing factory materials, derailing goods train by removing fish plates, making explosive to cause damage to the Government offices and destroying bridges (to be continued) (This is an English translation of the Assamese novel Chenehjuri by Dulal Chandra Das)