Equal Education for All Odyssey (contd.)
EducationWorld’s special correspondent
Srinidhi Raghavendra recently completed a 18,700 km motorcycle odyssey to highlight the importance of education equity. In March he traversed Bhutan, the north-eastern states of India and Myanmar. Excerpts from his tour diaryEducationworld’s special correspondent Srinidhi Raghavendra together with Kishore Patwardhan under the aegis of Borderless Bikers, Bangalore was on a South Asian motorcycle odyssey from December 2006 to April 2007. The objective of the mission was to spread the message that the people of India and neighbouring nations need to demand Equal Quality Education for All. The duo traversed 18,700 km during their epic four and a half month tour, zooming across 25 states in India and crossing over into Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The expedition was supported by EducationWorld; TVS Motor Company; Intel; and Cramster, Bangalore.In the July 2007 issue we featured Raghavendra’s diary notes recording the duo’s journey through the Himalayan nation of Nepal. Given below is an account of their travels through Bhutan, north eastern states of India and Myanmar.
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ebruary 14, Baghdogra. We started the day by meeting R. Rama Swamy the principal staff officer of the Border Security Force (BSF), Kadam Tala. Our host was highly supportive of our mission and arranged for our accommodation at various BSF officers mess’ en route to Kolkata. After the meeting we proceeded to Siliguri town (15 km) to leave our battered-on-Bihar-roads TVS Apaches for servicing. Since there is not much to see in Siliguri, a trading town, we returned to the officers mess in Baghdogra.F
ebruary 15. We took delivery of the bikes and decided to test ride them around the bustling business town of Siliguri. The crowded, narrow roads of Siliguri where every roadster believes he has the right of way, was not the most pleasurable experience. F
ebruary 16, Baghdogra-Jaigaon via Haldibari. On a day which proved memorable, we started off at 8.00 a.m and proceeded towards Jaigaon, the Indo-Bhutan border town. But while fuelling up in Siliguri we met Premananda Roy, vice president of DISA (Development Initiative for Social Advancement) who invited us to their anniversary celebrations at Manikganj village, Haldibari Tehsil on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Trailing his car through the outbacks of West Bengal, we passed through some of the remotest villages of the country. Although the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) which has ruled West Bengal since 1977 claims to have uplifted rural Bengal, except for good quality roads, nothing in these villages seems to have changed for the better. Houses are makeshift bamboo huts, most villages don’t have schools, running water or electricity. People eke out a living through agriculture and inland fishery.Education provision is pathetic in these border areas. A single government primary school serves 17 villages. This lacuna is being filled in an effective way by DISA (see EW, March p. 14). We spent the entire day participating in the anniversary celebrations of DISA, visiting their project sites and learning centres and interacting with resource persons, teachers and volunteers. By the time we started from Manikganj towards the Jaigaon (India)-Phuntsoling (Bhutan) border it was 5.00 p.m. It took us about four hours of riding in the night through Dalgaon, Birpara and Hasimara to reach Jaigaon.
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ebruary 17, Jaigaon. On a chilly morning we started the documentation process for entry into the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. We walked across the border gate into Phuntsoling, after a stringent security check by the Bhutan police. People without proper identification papers are denied entry into Bhutan. Once across the border, everything changes. The currency, language, food, etc, and most signboards are in dual languages, Dzonka and English, while on the Indian side signboards speak several languages — English, Hindi, Bengali, Dzonka, and even Telugu. Across the border, the landscape is sharply mountainous, while Jaigaon is flat as a pancake.It took a whole day to complete all the paperwork to be awarded the necessary immigration pass and vehicle permits from the Road Safety and Transport Authority (RSTA), Royal Government of Bhutan.
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ebruary 18, Jaigaon-Tshimasam. It was a cold morning with the clouds threatening rain. With the hope that the weather would clear up, we packed our bikes and started off towards the entry gate into Bhutan. The friendly border police waved us through, wishing us a pleasant stay in the country. Inside Bhutan, the terrain became rugged and mountainous with steeply inclined roads heading into Thimpu, the capital city. Six km from Phuntsoling is Rinchong checkpost, where immigration papers and vehicle permits are scrutinised again. After clearance, we surged ahead through vast natural forest areas resounding with bird song. The lives of people here are closely tied to the land and nature is considered a valuable treasure. Thus strict laws protect Bhutan’s ecosystems and amazing biodiversity.
We had barely covered 50 km when it started raining, forcing us to take shelter in a small tea shop-cum-hotel beside the highway. For over two hours the rain pelted our laden bikes, and when we came out my bike was completely covered with ice formed by solidification of rainwater. We cleared the ice and moved ahead only to encounter a further downpour until we reached Gedu town (60 km), where we stopped for lunch. Miraculously the weather cleared and the sun emerged from a profusion of clouds.
After Gedu the road became steeper and curvier, and we experienced snow in some stretches. Exercising extreme caution, and maintaining a safe speed of 45-50 km per hour, we reached Tshimhasan, a small village with few shops and hotels, and checked into a hotel which offered a spacious room with rudimentary facilities priced at Nu.200 (Rs.200) per night. After a dinner of piping hot noodles we retired for the night.
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ebruary 19, Tshimasam-Paro. It started out a cold morning, but before long the skies cleared and rays of the morning sun lit up the mountain tops. Riding towards Paro (75 km), our eyes feasted on sweeping vistas of immense forests blanketing the hillsides, and deep valleys cut by rivers springing forth from the Himalayas. The road between Thimpu and Phuntsoling is being expanded and converted into a four-lane highway. Hence several roadblocks slowed down our progress, and we took over six hours to ride into Paro (pop. 32,000), which hosts Bhutan’s only airport and is the second largest city of the kingdom, at 3.00 p.m. We checked into Hotel Red Chilli, (Rs.300 per night) on the edge of town, exhilarated by the crisp mountain air and scenic vistas. A walk through Paro’s main streets makes it clear that the city is heavily dependent on tourism. Every other building houses a hotel, handicraft shop or travel agency. Paro is a well-planned city, clean and well maintained. Snuggled amidst snowcapped mountains with the river Paro Chuu flowing past one side, the town presents a picture postcard ambience of Himalayan tranquility.
Among the main tourist attractions are the Paro Dzong Monastery which has a long and fascinating history. Originally built by Guru Padma Sambhava at the beginning of the 10th century, the monastery was totally re-constructed using stone instead of clay by Ngawang Namgyal in 1646 and renamed Rinpung, which translates into ‘heaps of jewels’. Tragically, Rinpung and all its treasures were destroyed in an accidental fire in 1907 and rebuilt by Penlop Dawa Penjor soon after. Today Paro Dzong hosts a vast collection of sacred masks, costumes and other Buddhist memorabilia. The National Museum, sited atop a tall hill behind Paro Dzong, is a treasure house of paintings, decorative art, arms, and jewellery.
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ebruary 20, Paro-Thimpu. A bright sunny day had dawned and after a fortifying breakfast of rice noodles, we started from Paro at 10.30 a.m and headed towards Thimpu (60 km). We had barely travelled 10 km beyond Paro, when we were stopped at a road block by the local civic authority. As we waited for the block to be cleared, a group of about 12 European, American and Australian bikers pulled up behind us. I was particularly impressed by the itinerary of Australian biker couple Peter and Kay Forwood riding a powerful 1400 cc Harley Davidson Electraglide motorcycle. The Forwoods had traversed a mind-boggling 178 countries on their marvel of engineering and were covering the Indian subcontinent at the time of our meeting. The roadblock was cleared and we were allowed to proceed to Thimpu. However once again we were halted at the confluence where the road to Paro meets with the main Thimpu-Phuntsoling highway and our immigration papers were re-checked. The next 22 km to Thimpu is a steep and curvaceous road, parts of which are being converted into a four-lane highway. Surprisingly we caught up with the Forwoods and rode the last 10 km stretch to Thimpu on a super smooth four-lane highway, hitting speeds of over 100 km even while negotiating sharp curves on the steep road.
Reaching Thimpu, the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan (pop. 98,000) at about 2.30 p.m, we checked into Hotel TT (Rs.350 per night). Thimpu is connected to other parts of the country by an excellent road network built by the Indian Army’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO). This engineering wing of the Indian Army is engaged in road construction activities in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The town has no airport or railroad connections. The nearest airport is Paro (65 km).
Formerly the winter capital (Punâkha was the summer capital), Thimpu was made the permanent seat of government in 1962. In my opinion Thimpu is one of the most unusual capital cities. Established in 1955 on the banks of Thimpu Chuu and ringed by the majestic mountains of Thimpu valley, the capital is home to the revered Bhutanese royal family, the royal government and judiciary and to several foreign missions and development projects.
At one end of the city is the Tashi Chuu Dzong, the main secretariat building which houses the throne room of His Majesty the King of Bhutan who granted us an interview (see EW March p. 56). Next to the Dzong is located the country’s sole nine-hole golf course. One of the most impressive buildings in Thimpu is the National Library sited close to the Tashi Chuu Dzong. It houses a vast collection of religious and historical books and manuscripts. Another city landmark is the Memorial Chorten, erected in 1974 by the mother of the Third King in memory of her son.
A stroll down the main street festooned with traditionally decorated shopfronts was entertaining. Shops stock everything from handicrafts and textiles to Bhutan’s colourful stamps, but like most other tourism dependent towns, everything is prohibitively priced. Atmospheric prayer wheels and flags are ubiquitous at every street corner and square of the city.
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ebruary 21, Thimpu-Jaigaon. It was the 27th birthday of the incumbent monarch of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, and the entire nation celebrated the occasion with pomp and revelry. Businessmen voluntarily closed shop and lined up to pray for this much-loved and benevolent king’s good health and prosperity of the kingdom. There is genuine warmth and goodwill towards the monarchy in this mountain kingdom. Particularly after Jigme Khesar announced that 2008 onwards, he will cede power to a democratically elected government.We started off towards the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB). Our plan was to visit the campus and re-enter India via Phuntsoling. We had a distance of 10 km of tough mountain terrain to cover to get to RUB. Yet the 45 minute journey was worth it. The university is sited on a sprawling hillside campus amid picturesque surroundings and offers 13 postgraduate study programmes to its 355 students. The department of business management welcomed us and showed us around its well-equipped campus which compares with the best in India. It was 7.30 p.m when we rode out of Bhutan into India, just in time because the gates at the border close at 8.00 p.m after which all traffic is suspended until 8 a.m next morning.
A peculiar phenomenon in Bhutan is the low price of petrol which is supplied mainly by the Indian public sector company Bharat Petroleum. It is priced at only Nu. 39 (Rs.39) per litre against Rs.51.65 back home in Bangalore. On the other hand telecommunication prices are steep and Bhutan doesn’t have broadband internet services. Dial-up internet access is prohibitively priced @ Rs.75 per hour and a telephone call to India costs Rs.19 per minute.
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ebruary 22, Jaigaon-Guwahati. Our plan was to reach Guwahati (370 km) by the evening. But several people including police and BSF personnel had advised us not to ride late into the night in north-eastern states, because of possible encounters with insurgent and outlaw groups operating in the region. Therefore we started out early from Jaigaon at 8.30 a.m and proceeded on the flat and smooth NH-31C towards Guwahati. The ride took us through vast stretches of tea gardens, flat grasslands and wildlife sanctuaries. It was a non-stop ride until 5.00 p.m when we stopped 50 km short of Guwahati for tea at a local dhaba. As we pulled up, we were surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers who wanted to know about our tour. When they learned about our mission, they expressed great support and enthusiasm. F
ebruary 23, Guwahati. Saddle sore from continuous riding we decided to relax and take in the sights of Guwahati (pop. 800,000), the whole day. Leaving our bikes behind we took a bus into the city, and visited the famous Sri Kamakhya Temple, crowning a hill known as Neelachal Parbat. Consecrated to Goddess Kamakhya or Sati, one of the numerous incarnations of Goddess Durga aka Shakti, the temple is open to visitors throughout the year. Legend is that Sati, wife of Lord Shiva, committed suicide during a religious ceremony organised by her father Daksha, because she could not bear the insults hurled at her husband. On hearing the news, an enraged Shiva punished Daksha by replacing his head with that of a goat and performed tandava nritya or dance of destruction. It took several gods to pacify his (Shiva’s) anger and in the midst of this struggle, Sati’s corpse was dismembered by the disc of Lord Vishnu and her genitalia or yoni fell on the spot where the Kamakhya temple stands today.
After spending two hours in the temple precincts we proceeded to the banks of the Brahmaputra, India’s widest river which hosts the largest riverine island in the world. This vast water body is a sight to behold, with numerous boats docked at the pier and hectic fishing and pleasure boating activity mid river. Sunsets over the Brahmaputra are legendary and rightly so. The glowing sun changes colour from golden yellow to fiery orange as it descends down the rim across the river.
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ebruary 24-25, Guwahati-Dimapur. Our bikes had to be serviced and tubes and tyres replaced. This gave us an extra day in Guwahati for rest and recreation. The next day we made an early start at 8.00 a.m and hit NH-37 upto Numaligarh, switching to NH-39 to Dimapur. Our testing 397 km route was through Nagong (122 km), Kaziranga National Park (221 km), Numaligarh, Golaghat and Bokajan. We rode through the wildlife sanctuaries of Kaziranga, Garampani, Chakrashila and East Karbi Anglong and through thick virgin forest and grasslands hosting several endangered wildlife species including the one-horned rhino, Indian elephant and the Royal Bengal Tiger.
The high points of the ride to Dimapur was crossing the Burra Pahar before reaching Kaziranga National Park through 20 km of mountainous terrain, and the 73 km stretch from Golaghat to Bokajan through the East Karbi Anglong Sanctuary. This is immense virgin territory and the forest cover is so thick that even during mid-afternoon, hardly any sunlight penetrated the thick jungle, except when we passed through a few village habitations.
As we approached the Nagaland border there was a noticeable increase in police and security traffic. We were subjected to thorough checking at the border outpost. Apart from a decades-old insurgency movement, drug abuse and trafficking is rampant in Nagaland. Government offices, schools, colleges and even hospitals are heavily guarded. We reached Dimapur at about 5.30 p.m and reported to the Border Roads Organisation’s Project Sevak headquarters, where our Bangalore-based friend Col. S.S. Rajan had arranged accommodation in the officers mess. We were allotted a comfortable room. It had been a long and intense day and we sank into our beds with gratitude.
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ebruary 26, Dimapur-Kohima. I woke up to the sound of rain pattering on the tin sheet roof of our lodgings. But luckily the skies cleared up and we were able to start off at 9.30 a.m from Dimapur towards Kohima (74 km). The short ride was punctuated with interesting experiences. After obtaining an innerline permit we proceeded towards Kohima, the state capital, through thickly forested hilly terrain. Every youth we saw in the tribal habitations en route, had an air gun slung across his shoulder and a bag behind his back. We later learned that these local people continue to lead a hunting-gathering lifestyle. Although smartly dressed in contemporary attire, they are always on the lookout for game for the table.
We reached Kohima at about 2.30 p.m and were welcomed with piping hot lunch by the 15 Task Force of BRO and lodged comfortably. Kohima lays claim to a unique oddity — the Keeda Bazaar, a typical meat market, but crawling with flesh ranging from dog, cat, snake, to creepy crawlies, snails, worms, etc.
The Kohima War Cemetery commemorates officers and men of the then British-managed Indian Army who sacrificed their lives during World War II. Well maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Comm-ission, the cemetery is dominated by two tall crucifixes amid a profusion of roses and manicured lawns. Read a poignant inscription on one of the tombstones: "When you go home, tell them of us and say, ‘For your tomorrow, we gave our today’".
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ebruary 27, Kohima-Imphal. Starting at 8.00 a.m we headed out of the 25 Task Force officers mess and hit the NH-39 to Imphal (132 km). Just outside Kohima, a signboard proclaimed that this was the very road on which the Indian National Army led by Subhash Chandra Bose with the support of Japanese forces, marched towards Nagaland from Burma. Significantly, the Battle of Kohima, a critical engagement of the Burma Campaign of World War II, was fought here from April 4 to June 22, 1944. As we progressed towards Imphal after crossing the Nagaland border, the quality of roads steadily deteriorated to the extent that in some stretches it completely disappeared. Maram, the entry point of Manipur, has one of the largest paramilitary presences in the north east. There are numerous check posts where soldiers of the Assam Rifles thoroughly search vehicles before letting them proceed towards Imphal. We passed through several small towns including Karong, Kangpokpi, and Senapathi, where army check posts posed the same set of questions: "Who are you? Where are you from? Are you from the government? Are you from TVS Company advertising the bike? What benefit will you get after you complete this tour? Are you married? What are you carrying in your bags? Do you possess any firearms?"
We reached Imphal (pop. 217,275) town at about 4 p.m and proceeded downtown to the campus of the 25 Task Force of the BRO, where we were lodged comfortably. After freshening up we proceeded into town hoping to take in the sights, but were caught unawares by the discovery that Imphal shuts down early. Every business in Imphal shuts shop at around 5.30 p.m and only military and police vehicles intensively patrol city roads after dark.
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ebruary 28, Imphal. Our itinerary was to cross the border between Imphal and Myanmar. But this didn’t happen. Our special entry permits had not been prepared and we had to wait for one whole day. The commander of the 25 Task Force C.E. Raza Ahmed was very courteous and instructed his staff officer Lt. Col. M.K. Singh to arrange for our permit papers. The pilgrim centre of Imphal is the Shri Govindajee Temple, with historic significance for Vaishnavite Hindus. Constructed in the early 18th century, the temple is the cynosure during festivals of Janmashtami, Holi, etc when thousands of people throng here to offer prayers. Enshrined inside is a majestic image of Lord Vishnu flanked by the shrines of Balarama and Krishna on one side and Jagannatha on the other. A must-see is Manipur State Museum to marvel at the rich collection of traditional costumes, war weapons, historical documents and relics.
When we returned to the officers mess in the evening we had good and bad news waiting for us. The good news was that our permits to enter Myanmar were ready. The bad news was that one of the 32 militant groups operating in the state had declared a Manipur bandh for 96 hours, starting 7 a.m the next day, i.e March 1. Our carefully chalked out plans went for a six. We had been granted a five-day non-extendable travel permit valid upto March 5 by the military junta of Myanmar. With the bandh operational, we would be able to spend only a day in Myanmar visiting the towns of Tamu, Kalemyo and Kalewa.
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arch 1-4, Imphal. It was frustrating being stuck in the 96- hour bandh. The best we could do was to read about Manipur, its militant groups, and conflicts with the Union government. There are 32 militant groups operating in different parts of the state, each with its own agenda and demands, varying from poverty eradication to secession from the Indian Union and complete sovereignty. Their common modus operandi is extortion. These groups are funded out of money collected at gunpoint from hardworking citizens of the state. During the highly effective bandh, the city was dead and we were stuck in the fort-like security zone of the BRO. It was a boon as well as a bane. Boon because of the security it offered — we didn’t have to worry about food, water or company. But on the flipside, we were effectively imprisoned. Venturing out was too dangerous, so the four days seemed like eternity.
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arch 5, Myanmar. The bandh in Imphal cost us heavily. Our permits would expire in the evening. We had just over 12 hours to spend in Myanmar. We started off at 6.30 a.m and headed out on NH-39 which was narrower than a state highway on this particular stretch. The first part of our ride from Imphal to Pallel (55 km) took us through motorable roads of reasonable quality. But on several occasions we were delayed by groups of young girls collecting donations for Holi celebrations in the village.We reached the Indo-Myanmar border at about 9.30 a.m and were warmly welcomed by friendly Myanmar immigration officers. They had our entry passes ready and immediately flagged us through into Burma. We triumphantly rode past the entry gate and started driving on the right, as Myanmar’s traffic system is the opposite of ours. We had to ride on the right side of the road for about 22 km to reach the officers mess of the BRO in Myanmar where Capt. Ranakote warmly welcomed us and offered us refreshments.
The sultry weather in Myanmar contrasted sharply with the cool breezes of Imphal and north-east India. We were dripping sweat as we proceeded to the main market area in Tamu. The largest Buddhist monastery in Tamu is a splendid structure with ornate interiors and a glittering dome. Monasteries, gilded pagodas and sculpted stupas are intrinsic to the Burmese landscape. Shaven monks and young novices wander around in spiritual bliss, in spite of the repressive military junta.
Tamu’s China Market teems with cheap, Chinese-manufactured electronic and other goods. For as little as Rs.55 one can buy a torch-cum-cigarette lighter-cum-pen knife-cum-key chain, made of gleaming plastic. DVD/ VCD players, FM radios, television sets etc are also sold at rock bottom prices. However communication is a big problem in Myanmar. The local people speak only Burmese and even police officers knew very little English and no Hindi at all.
Post lunch we decided to get back onto Indian soil before our permits expired. We headed back driving on the right until we re-crossed the border. After three hours of non-stop riding on the same road we returned to Imphal. Our journey into Myanmar had been brief, uneventful and much too short .