The Children of Abo-Tani

A horse-shoe shaped mass of land crowns the North Eastern most part of India. Veiled by not just the mist, or the green canopy of rainforests but a mystery; the mystery attached to the unknown or lesser known elements of nature. A mystery that births curiosity, a desire to explore and discover. The people and tribes of different origins and cultural practices. Among them, there is one area in the Eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh, in the Subansiri region, which stands out from the rest.

Nestled between the hilly ranges and wooded lands, is a valley of irrigated rice-fields; flat, unbroken, stretching for more than 20 square miles. A land of the Apatanis, the children of Abo-tani. It was the month of October 1997 when I first visited Ziro. A strenuous, hilly journey took me through lush greens of tropical environs which gradually yielded to pine groves. The valley was a postcard place dipped in gold, punctuated by the seven villages that home the roughly 30 thousand population of the Apatanis. The rows of long, raised houses, the community platform lapang, and the long poles babos, the religious nagos, etched their uniqueness in my mind. So did the facial decoration of the women with tattoos and nose plugs.

It was the warmth and the charm that took me to Ziro again in the year 2013. The place still exuded its old warmth, along with signs of modernity that crawled from every corner. Some pleasing, some making me question its presence. Some obvious, some subtle, or perhaps still in gestation. Unlike some of the other tribes, the Apatanis for generations have been permanent settlers in the valley and developed a life and cultural practice of self-sufficiency. They had described themselves as " a self-contained society, politically and ideologically independent of any outside power, a law unto themselves, and an oasis of peaceful, ordered existence in a world of warring, unruly tribes". Their indigenous knowledge and experimentations have made them master the systematic land use practices and judiciously maintain the balance of natural resources like water, forests etc.

The Apatanis practice sedentary agriculture with no use of chemicals or any modern machines. Their rice-fish cultivation method is something to marvel about. These practises put the Apatanis at par or even above the other cultivators of the world. The tribe is also known for their colourful and intricately woven handloom and the love for colourful beads and jewellery. The various festivals that veneer the spiritual beliefs, social and agricultural practises, expertise in cane and bamboo crafts, and the vibrant traditional village councils called Bulyan are some of the many traditions of Apatanis which make them so unique. They also maintain a friendly and helping relationship with people of their clan and village, with fellow tribesmen of other villages and also with other neighbouring tribes as a part of their living traditions. Duties towards such relations are considered sacred and become very visible during the making of houses, celebrating religious or social functions or during the sowing or harvesting of paddy. These practices strengthen the social fabric and universal values.

But Time is bringing a change. And while change cannot and should not be stopped, pushing away that which has been practised and lived proudly for centuries, into oblivion is something which should not be. My third visit to the Ziro valley and interactions with the people there allowed me to hear their concerns. While they were proud of the rich heritage, the age-old knowledge of nature and lifestyle that did minimal harm to the ecology, they could see the encroachment in their culture in the form of concrete houses, western music and culture and ideas of individualism and consumerism.

The society is in rapid transition stage and not all changes are welcome or desirable because in this transition many intangibles are being lost which are of much greater value. I am therefore working on a visual social-documentary through the medium of still photography, capturing the rare and rich culture, traditions, practices for posterity before they completely disappear. To me, Zirois a living cultural landscape where man and environment exist harmoniously together in a state of interdependence even through the changing times, in spite of the significant economic development made by the community.

Do come back to the website to see more pictures from my ongoing projects and fall in love with Ziro and the proud Children of Abo-tani.