Northeast Indian State Research Articles

Medium of Instruction in the Schools of Assam: a Dilemma between Self identity and Unification

Education is always considered as a medium of social transformation. Education transmits the cultural and social identity of an individual or group of individuals from one generation to another generation. In broad sense education is the sum total of knowledge of society. During the present era the formal education has a crucial role to be played in transforming the existing knowledge and exploring the new knowledge in the human society. The formal system which is also called school system is highly responsible in this context. Now the question is if the demographic distribution of a particular region is highly uneven and each demographic group wants to sponsor their own language as medium of instruction, what would be the best solution. How does the governing system accommodate it? This paper highlights the same scenario in the school system of Assam, which is culturally and demographically diverse state of North East India. As Assam is a Tribal dominated state, the new generation of tribal segments is mostly the first generation learners. The greater Assamese society covers the sub communities like Tie- Ahom, Tie- Phake, Bodo, Missing, Karbi, Rabha, Tiwa, Konch, Sonowal, Kachari, Kalita, Dimasa, Tea Tribes, Gorkhas, Maran, Mattak, Khamti, Koibatra, Bengali and many more. Most of these communities have their own language or dialect and cultural traditions. Now the critical aspect is whether these communities get educated through Assamese language as medium of instruction or their own language as medium of instruction. This brings the dilemma between self identity and unification. Again the growth of English medium schools in Assam has shown another dimension of the aspect.

New record of <I>Hydaticus (Prodaticus) Bipunctatus Bipunctatus</I> Wehncke, 1876 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) from Meghalaya

Hydaticus (Prodaticus) bipunctatus bipunctatus has previously been reported from two other States of North East India - Sikkim (Mukherjee and Sengupta, 1986) and Manipur (Mukhopadhyay and Ghosh, 2003). Therefore, the present report of the species from Meghalaya makes it the 3rd state in this region where the distribution of this species has been confirmed.

Scientific evaluation of Shidal technology - An age old traditional practice of fish preservation of Northeast India

Fermented fish products are consumed by the ethnic people of northeast India as part of their daily diet and also play a significant role in their traditional life style beside some traditional beliefs regarding their health beneficial effects. Among these, fermented fish product prepared from Puntius sp. and Setipinna phasa, known as Shidal is most popular and widely consumed in different states of northeast India. The study was conducted to evaluate the scientific technology regarding processing and production of shidal as well as quality characteristics of Shidal prepared from both the species. The proximate composition shidal indicate their importance in human nutrition particularly in terms of crude protein and lipid. Volatile nitrogenous compounds were found in higher range in both the products; however, lipid oxidation was limited may be due to absence of prooxidants. Both fermented Puntius sp. and Setipinna phasa samples of NEI were found to be loaded with higher number of microbes with significant contribution from lactic acid bacteria which indicates their probiotic importance.

Small Tea Plantation and Its Impact on the Rural Landscape of Contemporary Assam

The tea plantations in the Northeast Indian state of Assam, launched by the British colonial regime in the mid-nineteenth century, had considerably transformed the socio-economic profile of the state. Its impact on the state’s peasant economy, however, was enervating. Controlled by the British companies, the plantation sector saw few local planters, although a section of the Assamese peasants traditionally engaged in tea cultivation in their homestead on a small scale. After India’s independence, many Indian entrepreneurs entered the plantation sector largely because of the departure of the British planters. The Assamese entrepreneurs found it difficult to emulate this due to lack of capital. Since the 1970s, however, a significant section of the local small and middle peasants, as a part of a conscious drive, took to small tea plantation (STP). The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic growth in the number of such small planters, which has brought about a major change in the rural social landscape of Assam.

Trend Analysis and Change Point Detection of Mean Air Temperature: A Spatio-Temporal Perspective of North-Eastern India

The climate change phenomenon has become more imminent in the present century than ever before, as indicated by the unabated rise in atmospheric temperature aberrations from local to regional scales. Our study focuses on the changes in mean air temperature (Tavg) in the parts of eastern Himalaya, representing Naga, Lusai and Khashi hills, extended over the regional boundaries of seven northeast Indian states. We observed statistically significant increase in annual Tavg, for the majority of ground meteorological stations in northeast India. Monthly values depict significant increase for Basar, Imphal and Gangtok in the majority of the months, followed by Umiam, Kolasib and Kailashahar. Despite the spatial variability, the overall range of increase in Tavg is 0.2 °C to 1.6 °C per decade across the study region. Significant rise in Tavg during the winter is experienced by five out of seven places. Change-point detection analysis revealed that Tavg values of Imphal experienced maximum number of shifts during the early to late 1990s, followed by Gangtok, Basar, Umiam and Kolasib. Shifts in Tavg during winter months are also most common and occurred during the late-1990s. The results may be used in modelling the impact of changing climate on the ecosystem and agriculture of north-east India.

Decentralised Governance and Tribal Development in Scheduled Areas of Northeast India: A Case Study of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council

Decentralised governance has been conceived as an instrument in promoting development. In realising the rights of the tribals, the Constitution of India has provided special provisions by delineating special administrative structures for tribal development with enacting the Fifth and the Sixth Schedules. The Sixth Schedule is applicable to four states of northeast India, namely, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and the Fifth Schedule is in operation in other regions of the country where tribes form a majority in a district or districts. The Sixth Schedule provides for autonomous district councils, thus offering space for tribal self-governance. The autonomous district councils are both administrative as well as legislative entity. In Tripura, due to the movement launched by the tribal people for the protection of their rights, the State Legislative Assembly has passed an Act, Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council Act, 1979, under which the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) was established. Subsequently, in 1984, the special provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution were extended to the tribal areas in the state of Tripura. Since then, a new political process has been started in the state of Tripura by establishing TTAADC for the realisation of the rights of the tribals (Das, 2001, p. 208). It is in this context, that this article provides an overview of the decentralised governance and tribal development in the Sixth Schedule areas of northeast India with special reference to Tripura. It discusses the organisational and functional aspects the TTAADC. In this connection, the article reviews the various Acts, rules, regulations and amendments relating to TTAADC. It also examines its role and impact in tribal development in the state of Tripura. Further, an attempt has been made in the article to relate the deficiencies in the functioning of the TTAADC, recommending suitable changes.

An Updated List of Cerambycid Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Assam, India

Assam is a state in North-East India which is considered as a biological hotspot. Present communication is the first consolidated updated list of cerambycid fauna of Assam and reports 95 species, 64 genera, 32 tribes and 3 subfamilies. Among the three subfamilies from Assam, subfamily Lamiinae shares 49 species, followed by the subfamily Cerambycinae with 38 species and Prioninae with only 8 species.

Return of the Frontier

The colony in British India had at one time designed an inner line to distinguish two separate systems of administration for the frontier areas and the nonfrontier areas of colonial Northeast India. Constructing the frontiers as areas of strife and conflict and from which the nonfrontiers always needed to be secured, the British in creating the line made an instrument of policing the frontiers that has not only persisted but transgressed the colonial administrative structure into the postcolonial era. Although it was designed really for the protection of the nonfrontier areas of Assam from the raiding of the hill tribes of the frontier, in implementation the line prohibited non-natives of the frontiers from adopting interest in land or products of land located behind it. Contemporary movements demanding an inner line in three states of Northeast India have gone back to the idea of a line that divides the territory into two nonhomogenous areas, disallowing non-natives within the inner line from an extended involvement in the areas outside of the line, thus, refrontierizing themselves and giving them the peculiar characteristics of the frontier, wanting to lend themselves an exterior identity that is distinct from the identity of the regular nonfrontier territory in India.

A Spectroscopy and Chromatography Based Study on Mineral Analysis, Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Composition of Polistes olivaceus, an Edible Insect Consumed in North East India

The study was aimed to analyze the mineral content, amino acid and fatty acid composition of Polistes olivaceus larvae consumed by different aboriginal tribes of North East India. Although the edible insect larvae has high market value in Assam and adjoining states of North East India, the nutritional analysis on it has not been done till now. Mineral elements including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron and copper were detected by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Amino acid composition and fatty acid profile were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry respectively to ascertain its potentiality to be included in food based strategies concerning human health. Iron and copper were the most abundant minerals and potassium, sodium and phosphorus were present in substantial amounts. Nineteen amino acids including all essential amino acids (43.87%) except isoleucine were detected in the sample. All essential amino acids satisfied the recommended level (score>100) except leucine with a chemical score of 98%. The level of unsaturated fatty acids was 53.21% while the saturated fatty acids constituted 47.02% of the total fatty acids signifying its potentiality in nutrition and health. Presence of linolenic acid as the main constituent of polyunsaturated fatty acids greatly signifies its importance in human nutrition. Thus, Polistes olivaceus larvae may be exploited to provide high-quality diets among populations plagued by iron deficiency as well as poor supply of dietary proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Dillenia pentagyna Roxb. bark, a folklore medicine of Mizoram

Natural products have played an exceptionally important role in health care and prevention of diseases for thousands of years and are one of the greatest sources of medicine. Mizoram is a home to a rich variety of flora and fauna however; very less systematic survey and documentation were carried out to date. The plant diversity of Mizoram is not adequately studied as compared to other states of north east India. Dillenia pentagyna Roxb., known as kaihzawl in Mizo and dog teak in English, is one of the endangered plants that is yet to be explore. The Mizo communities use the decoction of D. pentagyna bark to treat different stomach ailments, inflammation and diabetes. In this perspective, the methanolic extract of the bark of D. pentagyna was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory properties. The extract showed the presence of flavanoids, triterpenoids, steroids, phenolics, saponins, fixed oils and others exerting varied pharmacological activities. The methanolic extract of this plant was found to contain active constituents such as betulinic acid and β-sitosterol which are found to actively interact with the inflammatory mediators and suppressed the inflammation when evaluated for its in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. The present study suggests that the methanolic extract of D. pentagyna bark showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. This study also support the folkloric used of the plant in diseases related to inflammatory condition.

Insurgency and Peace Building in the Northeast Indian State of Manipur

ABSTRACTThis article looks at the ongoing insurgency in the remote Indian northeast, and has a special focus on the state of Manipur. Manipur is regarded as India’s eastern most state, and is geographically sandwiched in between East Asia proper and South Asia proper. This article tries to analyze the different facets of this very complex situation, and pays special attention to how the conflict has changed its character with the passage of time. For purposes of this article, primary data was collected by interviewing local people of Manipuri descent in eastern India to get first hand information about the conflict. Finally, at the end of the article, methods of peace building have been suggested as the way forward.

Plight of the Bangru of Kurung Kumey District, Arunachal Pradesh: Issues and Constraints

The paper focuses on the issues and concerns of development of the Bangru, a numerically weak lesser known tribe of Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh. In fact, Bangrus are living in the remote and inaccessible villages of the backward most district who have the status of Scheduled Tribe but are somewhat deprived of the benefits of the induced developmental initiatives of the state. The study reveals that the people have remained underdeveloped over the years due to variegated reasons: firstly, the benefits of development do not reach their remote and isolated villages; secondly, concerned political and Panchayat leaders hardly care for such peripheral tribal people and in the process they are getting marginalised. Thirdly, there is lack of proper execution of the developmental programmes by the government agencies/officials etc. On the basis of extensive fieldwork, the paper finally attempts to understand issues and constraints of development of the Bangru located in a bordering tribal state of North East India.

Population Growth, Environmental Degradation and Human Health: A Perspective from the State of Arunachal Pradesh, India

As the human population doubles every few decades, so its impact on the environment increases at a faster rate. Humans cannot escape the decree of population growth; when population increases, the resources required for its sustenance also increases, therefore human has made a remarkable impact on the environment primarily through the use of natural resources and production of wastes. This paper examines the impact of population growth in one of frontier states of north-east India, i.e. Arunachal Pradesh on the environment and the attendant result on human health. Rapid growth of human population has been identified as underlying environmental problems in the state. The paper recommends measures to limit rapidly growing population as well as strategies to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment.

Smallholder Pig Farming for Rural Livelihoods and Food Security in North East India

Smallholder pig farming is an important livelihood resource for the poor and tribal people in India. However, the smallholder pig farms are faced with a number of problems. The present study thus aimed to build up the capacity of the smallholder pig farmers by some interventions on knowledge build up, pig variety replacement, shelter management and veterinary services in Tripura, a State of North East India. Two-stage stratified random sample survey on 178 smallholder tribal farmers using pre designed, semi-structured questionnaires was conducted to collect information before and after the interventions. The majority of the beneficiaries (83.71%) belonged to either low or medium income groups, of which 14.04% of the beneficiaries were the poorest group in the present study. After the shelter management and adoption of improved husbandry practices, a good and very good conditions in and around the pig shelters were recorded among 71.34% and 24.16% of the beneficiaries, respectively. Non-descriptive, local pigs (50%) were replaced by high yielding indigenous or exotic or crossbred pigs in the study area. Previously, 86.51% of the farmers reared pigs for fattening purpose, while 92.13% of the farmers practiced breeding of sows for piglet production after the intervention. The present interventions have brought significant impact (p<0.05) on rearing factors as well as socio-psychological factors. The implementation of ‘piglet production farming system’ augmented food security by 148 days.

Seismic Behavior of Historic Masonry Monasteries in Sikkim in the 2011 M 6.9 Sikkim Earthquake: Case Study of Hee Gyathang Monastery, North Sikkim, India

The Himalayan region is, one of the most seismically vulnerable and tectonically active zones in the world. Sikkim is a state in North-East India, situated on the Himalayan arc. Sikkim is dotted with numerous Buddhist monasteries dating back to the 17th century. These historical monastery structures are a part of the rich cultural heritage of the state, being structures of social, cultural and religious significance to the community. The old monasteries are typically load bearing structures where stone masonry and timber are used extensively as columns, beams, floors, roofs and also in staircases. The monasteries follow some spatial characteristics such as regular geometrical shapes in plan with an assembly hall and front verandah, and are usually one or two storeys high with diminishing upper storeys topped by light weight sloped roofs. The M6.9 earthquake on September 18, 2011, in Sikkim has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of the historical monastery structures. The evaluation of the earthquake vulnerability of monasteries is a necessary first step for their protection in future earthquakes. This paper analyzes the performance of one of the non-engineered monastery structure made with load bearing stone masonry - the century old hilltop Hee Gyathang Monastery located in the North District about 30 kms from Mangan. Structural analysis by demand capacity method of this monastery proves that the monastery is unsafe after the 2011 M 6.9 Sikkim Earthquake.

Molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among the HIV infected people of Manipur, Northeastern India: Emergence of unique recombinant forms.

According to the Joint National Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the northeastern region of India has the highest HIV prevalence in the country. This study was conducted to determine the current HIV-1 molecular epidemiology of Manipur, a state in northeast India. Blood samples from HIV-1 seropositive subjects were collected between June 2011 and February 2014. The partial regions of HIV-1 genes; pol and tat-vpu-env were independently amplified, sequenced, analyzed, and genotyped. Based on all sequences generated from 110 samples using pol and/or tat-vpu-env gene, the overall HIV-1 genotypes distribution of Manipur was as follows: 65.45% (72/110) subtype C, 32.73% (36/110) unique recombinant forms (URFs), and 1.82% (2/110) subtype B. The distribution of HIV-1 genotypes among the risk groups was: heterosexual: 58.33% (35/60) subtype C, 38.33% (23/60) URFs, and 3.34% (2/60) subtype B; intravenous drug users (IDUs): 85.36% (35/41) subtype C, 9.76% (4/41) URFs, and 4.88% (2/41) subtype B; mother to child (MTC): 50% (3/6) URFs and 50% (3/6) subtype C and blood transfusion: 100% (3/3) subtype C. The findings for the first time revealed the emergence of URFs of HIV-1 in Manipur which is predominant among the sexual and MTC risk groups as compared to IDUs. Taking together, this study illustrated that Manipur is the "recombinant hotspot of HIV" of India. The results will provide the clinical importance for continuous monitoring of HIV-infections in order to design appropriate prevention measures to limit the spread of new HIV infections.

Prevalence of Social Phobia among School Going Adolescents

Context: Little is known about the prevalence of social phobia among school going adolescents in North East states of India. Despite the wide prevalence of social phobia, individuals with social phobia often do not seek treatment and this lead to impairment on daily activities. Aim: To assess prevalence of social phobia among school going adolescents. Methods and Material: The present study was a cross sectional descriptive study design. Schools were selected from urban areas of Sonitpur district, Assam. Socio demographic data sheet; The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) were administered to the participants. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS-16 statistical software using appropriate statistical test. Percentage, chi-square test and person correlation test was done. Results: A total of 561 students participated in the study. In the study 14.6% of the participants had moderate level of social anxiety, 12.8% of the participants had marked social anxiety and 2.5% of the participants had severe social anxiety. Results from the present study showed that 38.3 % of the participants reported to have social phobia and 61.7 % of the participants were found to be below cut off score (normal).Further in the study no gender difference was found in social phobia. Conclusion: The study shows that there is a prevalence of social phobias among school adolescents in Tezpur, Assam. Therefore, early detection and adequate intervention is crucial to reduce overall burden and disability associated with psychiatric disorder in adolescent population.

Mobile based agro-advisory services in livestock management by tribal of Meghalaya

Meghalaya, state of North-East India, predominantly depend on animal husbandry and agriculture for their livelihood. This study covers the queries of agro-advisory lab registered farmers regarding the various aspects of animal husbandry management including poultry and fishery management for a period of 2.5 years i.e., from June 2013 to December 2015. Farmers were more interested to get information regarding livestock/poultry health management (35.95%) followed by training on animal husbandry (17.66%), schemes on pig/poultry (11.15%), source of piglets/chicks (10.70%), breeding management (10.44%), fishery management including source of fingerlings (3.03%) and housing management (1.87%). The programme has gained high popularity among the tribal farmers of Meghalaya and a sufficient numbers of farmers have been found to be benefitted through the agro- advisory service in the livestock as well as poultry and fishery sectors since number of queries raised by the farmers were found to be increased with the time. It increased from 178 numbers (15.88%) during 2013 to 529 (47.19%) in 2015. Impact assessment revealed that 19.72% of these farmers have been benefitted in animal husbandry from the agro-advisory service. Hence, Mobile Based Agro-Advisory service should be supported by the state department to uplift such types of programmes which will be helpful in improving livelihoods and socio-economic status of the rural tribal farmers in the state in a rapid way.

Assessment of radiological protection systems among diagnostic radiology facilities in North East India

This study aims to assess the adequacy level of radiological protection systems available in the diagnostic radiology facilities located in three capital cities of North East (NE) India. It further attempts to understand, using a multi-disciplinary approach, how the safety codes/standards in diagnostic radiology framed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to achieve adequate radiological protection in facilities, have been perceived, conceptualized, and applied accordingly in these facilities.About 30 diagnostic radiology facilities were randomly selected from three capitals of states in NE India; namely Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya) and Guwahati (Assam). A semi-structured questionnaire developed based on a multi-disciplinary approach was used for this study.It was observed that radiological practices undertaken in these facilities were not exactly in line with safety codes/standards in diagnostic radiology of the AERB and the IAEA. About 50% of the facilities had registered/licensed x-ray equipment with the AERB. More than 80% of the workers did not use radiation protective devices, although these devices were available in the facilities. About 85% of facilities had no institutional risk management system. About 70% of the facilities did not carry out periodic quality assurance testing of their x-ray equipment or surveys of radiation leakage around the x-ray room, and did not display radiation safety indicators in the x-ray rooms. Workers in these facilities exhibited low risk perception about the risks associated with these practices.The majority of diagnostic radiology facilities in NE India did not comply with the radiological safety codes/standards framed by the AERB and IAEA. The study found inadequate levels of radiological protection systems in the majority of facilities. This study suggests a need to establish firm measures that comply with the radiological safety codes/standards of the AERB and IAEA to protect patients, workers and the public of this region.

Diversity of traditional and fermented foods of the Seven Sister states of India and their nutritional and nutraceutical potential: a review

ABSTRACTThe Seven Sister states of northeast India are characterized by diverse population with different ethnic backgrounds. Indigenous and fermented foods are an intrinsic part of diet of these ethnic tribes. It is the oldest and most economical methods for development of a diversity of aromas, flavors, and textures as well as for food preservation and biological enrichment by manipulation of different microbial populations. Wild fruits and vegetables have more nutritional value than cultivated fruits and contribute to sustainable food production and security. Fermented products are region-specific and have their own unique substrates and preparation methods. Soybeans, bamboo shoots, and locally available vegetables are commonly fermented by most tribes. Fermented alcoholic beverages prepared in this region are unique and bear deep attachment with socio-cultural lives of local people. These products serve as a source of income to many rural people, who prepare them at home and market them locally. Detailed studies on nutritive and medicinal value of these products can provide valuable information and would prove beneficial in guiding the use of these products on a wider scale. Furthermore, the ethnobotanical field exploration, conservation of indigenous knowledge, and proper documentation of wild edible bio-resources are suggested for sustaining the livelihood of local communities.