Brahmaputra in India

Floods and their disastrous impact on the bankline plains adjoining the rivers and on the drainage channels have vexed effect on civilization since time immemorial and constitutes one of the major natural calamities faced by India almost every year resulting in the substantial loss of life , large scale damage to property, disruption of community lifelines, besides entailing untold misery to the millions.

The North Eastern Region of India comprising the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur Mizuram, Tripura and Nagaland is a huge sprawling land mass made up of extensive countless hills and mountainous terrain that rises in the north to the snow caped heights of the Himalaya and is the playground of the mighty river Brahmaputra regarded as one of the largest rivers of the world with its tributaries. This region accounts for nearly40% of the total water resources of the country and this bounty of natural resources is still unharnessed. The tentative assessment of this dynamic resource in the North Eastern part of India is about 60 million hectare meters. The flood scenario of the Assam state and the ravages brought by the recurrent flood havoc created by the mighty Brahmaputra and Borak river system is the major deterrent to the development of this region. For Assam the Brahmaputra and the Borak rivers represent the very essence of the life of its people as rivers which contain so much of promise and which can yield such rich dividends if only we can properly plan and utilize its potentials.

Complete immunity from flood or absolute ‘Flood Control’ is utopian in concept and economically not viable. The concept of flood management aims at taking such planned measures as it will ensure profitable and economic utilization of the flood plains and the water resources for the benefit of the mankind, while simultaneously ensuring that during the periods of high flood there is no severe damage to the extent possible.

The Assam plains benefit and suffer from the dominant Brahmaputra River, classified as one of the mightiest and most complex rivers in the world. Even though it ranks only 22^nd in terms of basin size, it ranks fourth in terms of average annual discharge, placing it amongst the highest in the world in terms of discharge per unit area. On top, it ranks second in terms of sediment load. Among all major rivers, the lower Brahmaputra flows not only through some of the densest populated area but also through the poorest regions of the world. The fertile flood plains of the river which develop agriculture produce with abundance of water to feed its people.

Badungduppa

Badungduppa

Badungduppa was established in 1998 at Goalpara District of Assam with the initiative of theatre lovers of Rabha Community. It is the only Rabha Tribal theatre group activity engaged in making theatre of contemporary meaning using the tribalism as spring board. Under the artistic leadership of Sukrachajya Rabha the the group has so far produced twelve plays in the last ten years. Tikhar, Changkoy, Rupalism, Maider aru Fandi, Lovita, Madaiah muchi and To’paidom are the best known production. The group has toured and performed their plays at various districts and cites like Dudhnoi, Barpeta, Sibsagar, Guwahati, Manipur, New Delhi etc. under the scheme of young Directors’ festival of Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, the group performed “Rupalism” of Jyoti Prasad Agarwal directed by Sukrachajya Rabha on 7th Jan, 2004.

About the Director :

Sukrachajya Rabha is one of the most active theatre worker of Assam. He is the founder director of Badungduppa, a tribal theatre group of Assam. His most remarkable plays are Rupalism (In Rabha Language, Writer Jyotiprasad Agarwala), Madaiah the cobbler (In Rabha language, writer H.S. Shiva Prakash), Hati aru Fandi(In Bodo Language writer Munin Bhuyan), Lavita (In Nepali language, writer Jyotiprasad Agarwala & To’paidom (Script Sukrachajya Rabha) he performed “Rupalism of Jyotiprasad Agarwala under the scheme of young directors’ festival of Sangeet Natak Akademi in 17th Jan. 2004.

In 2003 Sukrachajya Rabha met H. Kanhailal and influced by Kanhailal’s theatre. Their relationship gradually deloped into a Guru-Shishya relation. For two years he was an apprentice under Guru Kanhailal at Manipur Kalakhetra, Imphal. Now he is independently working as director and trying to promote cultural heritage of Rabha community as well Community through theatre art.

Synopsis of the Play : -

To Paidom is based on a Rabha Folk-tale. The word “To” means bird and “To’paidom” literary means “the bird named paidom”. It is used as a symbol of evil spirits. In the story a Mother lived with her five sons. One day the mother was collecting vegetables from their kitchen garden and saw dropping of a strange unknown bird all over the vegetables. The mother cleaned the vegetable properly and cooked a traditional curry (Bamsikhali) from it. The curry was extremely delicious. After knowing the facts behind the curry, the four elder sons decided to go after the bird, assuming its meat will be really testy or can even make them immortal. However the wise younger brother and mother forbade them but they beat up the younger brother and went after the bird.

The bird a symbol of evil external influence completely engulfed the brothers, making them dance into her rhythm and ultimately consumed them completely. Meanwhile the mother had a dream and forced the youngest brother to go after his brother. The son obeyed and saved his brothers. However one of the brothers struck the youngest. Other brothers reached home and lied to mother that they have not met the youngest. But regaining consciousness, the youngest son came home and killed the eldest brother. The story shows how an unknown external force could destroy the tranquility for a society and ends with this tragic note.