Letters to the EDITOR: Jhumoir Binandini: Pride of Assam’s cultural heritage

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Jhumoir Binandini: Pride of Assam’s cultural heritage

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to Mita Nath Bora for the article 'Jhumur Binandini to set a world record' published in your esteemed daily on February 24, which is really worth reading. Today, it is indeed a matter of great pride and pleasure for every individual across the nation that Assam's tea tribes, originally brought from the Chhota Nagpur Plateau by the British government to work in the tea gardens in the state, are setting a historical record of the world's largest Jhumur folk dance (nach) known as 'Jhumur Binandini,' displaying their most popular traditional folk dance live with 8000 plus dancers from the state's tea garden community in the presence of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Sarusajai Stadium. The beautiful, vibrant, and graceful Jhumur nach with dynamic rhythm aims to set a Guinness World Record and is the reflection of the state government's untiring efforts and groundbreaking initiative to preserve and promote every aspect of the community's culture and practices, including their favourite traditional dance form, Jhumur nach, and deserves overwhelming appreciation as it has proved that tea workers are no longer confined to their surroundings but are an invaluable part of Assam's cultural heritage. It was Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika who introduced the tea tribe community lifestyle through the famous National Award Winning Assamese movie 'Chameli Memsahab.' The evergreen song of the movie "Axom dexar baagisaare sowali "still lingers in the ears of listeners at home and abroad. The Jhumur nach is easy to learn for any individual in its simplest form. The footsteps of the dancers clasping each other's waists, holding hands and moving in sync with the beat of the madal, a flute, and a pair of taals depict their daily activities coupled with love and devotion. From a distance, one can recognize the Jhumur nach for the simplicity of the traditional dress worn by the dancers of different tribal and ethnic groups of Assam. The folk songs of the Jhumur nach have today grown and expanded because of their essence of love and life experience and stand as an identity marker for the tea garden community apart from a form of entertainment. No doubt, that Jhumur nach is the pride of over 800 tea estates in Assam and its preservation is indispensable for the government to keep the legacy of the tea tribe and its tradition alive and thriving for the days to come.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Rebooting ties

It would be an understatement to describe the two-day visit of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, to India as "successful." Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself set the tone by personally receiving the Emir at the airport. As expected, trade and energy were high on the two leaders' agenda. Qatar, an influential player in the Middle East under the changed political dynamics in the region, is an energy powerhouse through which India stands to gain. It provides 45 percent of India's liquefied natural gas (LNG) requirement. The rich bilateral trade is propped up by the strong Indian labour force in Qatar. Both countries have pledged to almost double the current bilateral trade of 15 million dollars in the next five years. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad's visit saw bilateral ties between New Delhi and Doha being elevated to "strategic partnership," similar to India's partnership with other Gulf countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. Historically, ties between India and Qatar were not always rosy, especially during the "Arab Spring," and following the conviction of Indian naval officers in Qatar in August 2022, though they were subsequently pardoned. But the Narendra Modi government seems determined to revive mutual relations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has visited Qatar thrice in the last nine months. If India's efforts to put in place a "free trade agreement" with Qatar materialise, it would further augment bilateral friendship.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Let’s call a spade a spade with the US

As the French President Emmanuel Macron so bluntly and brilliantly put it, why are we turning a blind eye to the digital trade deficit with the US? Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, Microsoft, Snapchat, Android, ChatGPT, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Reddit, Canva, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and many more rake in billions of dollars from India, Europe, and the rest of the world. Yet, when US President Donald Trump harps on about the trade deficit, he seems to zero in solely on goods. If raising this publicly is off the table, then when PM Modi and other global statesmen have a tête-à-tête with Trump, they must bring the digital trade deficit into the conversation. It’s high time we go back to the drawing board and rethink any Free Trade Agreement with the US from scratch. We don’t need to back down—just calmly lay our cards on the table and put forth our facts and views diplomatically.

Aarohi Gupta,

Guwahati