| ANUPAM BORDOLOI Porbote porbote bogabo paaro moi/ lotaano bogaaboloi taan/ juriaa haatiku bolaabo paaro moi/ tumak no bolabole taan (I climb over hills and mountains/ But how hard to climb a creeper/ I can even tame furious elephants/ How difficult it is to win your love) — from a traditional Bihu song Not very long ago, the upper caste people of the state looked down the rites of Bihu as too pagan, filled with sexual innuendoes in the songs and the movements of the Bihu dance. For the genteel Assamese, the inherent sexuality in Bihu made it a festival of the lower castes. However, with the passage of time, those views have changed and the festival has become all-encompassing, uniting the entire state in it unique colours and rhythms.
What have also changed are the Bihu songs and dances, refined and finetuned to adapt to the change of scene for Bihu — from the open fields to modern Bihutolis and VCDs. The Bihu albums may be selling by the lakh and the young singers laughing all the way to the bank, but not everyone is amused. “What the new lyricists and singers are churning out nowadays are not Bihu songs. For the simple reason that Bihu songs are never composed,” said Joykanta Gondhia, one of the leading scholars on Bihu and a vocal proponent of preserving the sanctity of the festivities. “Bihu songs are passed down by word of mouth, generation to generation. These are songs were composed on the spot by the bihuwaas in the open fields and reflect the times they lived in,” Gondhia added. He said traditional Bihu songs were a true reflection of the times as they spoke of the Burmese invasion, the arrival of the British and even the introduction of the steam rail engines in Assam. “That is what Bihu songs are.....a reflection of the times,” he said. Gondia’s views are not without basis, though. In the rush to produce and sell what have now turned out to be bestsellers in the state — music videos based on the Bihu theme — the producers are being forced to look for new songs to cater to the market. So much so that in some instances the only thing Bihu about these songs is their tune. “A song does not become a Bihu song just because it sounds like a Bihu,” said Khagen Mahanta, acknowledged as the Bihu king of Assam, who has devoted his life to retaining the purity of Bihu songs even on the modern stage. However, the young brigade has their arguments too. Pabitra Margherita, a well-known producer and cultural activist, defended the “new Bihu creations” saying “the repository of traditional Bihu songs is very small, perhaps not more than 1,000 songs. Moreover, how can anyone say that new songs are not Bihu if they adhere to the all the requirements?” He argued that when a Bihu song was first sung 100 years ago, “it must have been a modern song. Then, when the British came, Bihu sings were composed. Certainly, today these songs are not the reflection of the times we live in. So how does our times get reflected in a Bihu song? Naturally, a song composed now will become a folk song after 100 years.” However, he said, “Everything that is being composed today is not Bihu songs. At best, many are Bihu-xuriya songs, songs rendered to the tune of Bihus. But that does not mean that everything the new generation is producing is not Bihu. Please give our creativity some credit where it is due.” Even this debate is an old one now — what is Bihu and what is not. For the next few days, however, there will be no distinction as the experts and novices dish out Bihu songs in the modern bihutolis and keep the masses awake till the wee hours. Let the show begin! | 
Lunminthang Haokip In inter-racial tryst with destiny; To later bewail trials of this country; In a noble home that thrived in giving; All that it hard-earned to Nation-building; By faith you ventured to new rules marry,
NAME: St. George is the patron saint of England and St. Ethelbert commemorates death of Christian King outside Hereford, name added in 1935 after generous donation from Diocese of Hereford to new building.
t was first week of June, 1979 when I arrived at the door of the Holy Cross College, 104 In Ya Road, Rangoon, I think it was around 9 am in the morning, and I came from Mandalay by train. I was received by a student who was cleaning the class rooms
Nineteen year-old Hattinneng Hangsing from Peren district was crowned Miss Nagaland Monday evening in a glittering show held at State Academy Hall, Kohima. Virieno Zakiesato was adjudged first runners-up while Tsukoli Kinimi was adjudged second runner-up.
By Lhunkholal Lupho In view of the fact that most of us are not aware of our true genealogical background, and for our local elders who depend on the memory bank of community
Thudih choija nakigel nah em? Nangle nang hitihin gah kidong temmo – Midangho natheitop sunna nakithopi hinam? Natoh dung juija aga loudinga nakigot hinam? Adihle adihlou lhekhenna dinga nalungel nasen hinam? Henge natileh,
Lhumlam Roman Catholic lah a chun Monas tery kiti Pathen natong dia ain alou dalha munkhat a kithem chuh-a ahinkho pumpi mangjeng ho hatah-in ahung machal’in, Houbung chu hitobanga kithem chuh ho chun
A few years ago I penned a quote for my FaceBook page that said, “A genuine friend never says, ‘Call me if you need something.’ They simply do it.”
