Issue 56

A V E

Issue 56, 2020

o u t p o s t Pg. 5

Established: 1995

Do Our Lives Matter?

Saturday, December 12th 2020

THIS WEEK’S

QUARANTINE

READLIST

Featuring: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri News Of The World by Paulette Jiles The Legend of the Fall by Jim Harrison

An article by Artham Hojai Das

Pg. 2

Pg. 6

On October 16, 2020, Samuel Patty, a French middle- Several countries across the Muslim world staged proschool teacher was beheaded by an 18- year old student tests and street demonstrations by burning his effigies for showing cartoons of Islam’s Prophet, Mohammed to and photos. While in France, about 76 mosques are his students during lessons about freedom of expression. closed down because they are flagged as possible threats The student was later shot by the police. French Presi- to France’s Republican values and its security. In such dent, Emmanual Macron gave a speech to honour the a situation where battle lines are strictly drawn, one school teacher where he defended the French ideals of the must question whether both sides are justified in taking Republic which offended the Mussuch extreme positions. Needless to lim world. This recent upheaval in say, for a modern society to function France led to worldwide protests smoothly, all citizens should adand condemnation from both sides. here to the civic norms of the state If we analyse the situation, we because it is essential for peace and need to understand what outraged law & order. This also includes being both the sides. Macron supporttolerant and respectful of ‘the other’. ed the French ideals, Equality, The right to freedom of speech, is one Liberty and Fraternity. While of the main pillars on which modern Macron argues that all religions states have been created. UK, France, should be subservient to the state, USA, India and others are known to many differ in their interpretadefend this fundamental right of an -Ojas Krish, X tion of the state-citizen relationindividual. But there are some grey ship. One can say he was only areas where the boundaries are blurred. abiding by his ideals and philosophies. Similarly, in religious matters, the liberals may tolerate a In a speech that went viral in social media, Macron de- critique while the radicals may find it offensive or even blasfended the right to blaspheme. He supported the teacher phemous. So this leads us to “Does Islam need reforms?”. showing cartoons of Prophet Mohammad and said that To an outsider, the stereotypical view of a Muslim is was his right to freedom of speech and expression. It is as a ‘jihadi’, understood as a terrorist indulging in barconsidered highly blasphemous in most Islamic tradi- baric and violent killings. but for a true Muslim, who tions to visually depict Muhammad. This outraged the is not dogmatic, this view cannot be further from the Muslim community which led to violent protests. This truth. An incident like this should not define the reliissue has again brought the question of social integra- gion and its values. Whatever the provocation is, taktion, tolerance and freedom of speech into the public de- ing a human life by another is NEVER justified. Islam bates. France has many Muslim refugees who follow the or any religion never advocates unnecessary violence. cultures and practices of their original religion and coun- The problem, then, lies not in the religion but in the raditries. This is seen as an impediment to what Macron de- cals’ interpretation of the world being divided into Mussires as secular integration. However, the question arises lims and non- Muslims (condemned as non- believers). that how much of our religion should we forsake to truly Reform is needed in religious schools where a narrow become ‘secular’? Muslims from around the world have view of the religion is promoted. However, the question always held onto their customs, the conservative hard- still remains whether freedom of speech and expression liners more so than the so- called ‘moderate liberals’. means acting without any thought for its consequences.

BIDING FOR THE FUTURE

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Weekly Newsletter of The Assam Valley Express

Do our Lives Matter?

Illustration: Ssara Jha

-Artham Hojai Das, XII

On 26th May 2020, the world witnessed thousands of people stand up in protest against incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against African Americans after the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis Police Officers. The movement came to be known as the George Floyd movement or the #Blacklivesmatter movement and has thrown light on the racial discrimination that African Americans face in the US. Recently when Merdan Ghappar a Chinese Uighur released a video from his detention camp showing the harsh treatment he and other Muslims face in Xinjiang, we thought the world would react in a similar manner as they did for the Africa American. That however was not the case.

Merdan Ghappar a Chinese model of Uighur heritage smuggled a video from his detention centre in Xinjiang to his relatives but soon disappeared after the video was passed on to the press. Uighurs, one of China’s ethnic minorities have a history of rebellion and resistance to Chinese rule. The relationship between the Uighurs and their modern-day political masters have long been as fraught as it is distant. For years China had been denying the existence of detention camps in Xinjiang until the leaked video. China officially called these detention centres as “Re-education camps” where people were being re-educated due to their violent behaviour and resistance

against the government. Chinese of Uighur heritage have been forcefully taken into these camps for re-education since 2017 and almost a million Uighur residents and other ethnic groups have been forced into the camps and separated from their families. Men and women are brainwashed or re-educated into thinking that their culture, tradition and belief in god have been nothing more than a hoax. They are forced to work in factories in Xinjiang and other regions of China as slaves and produce products for big brands across the world.

The reason behind cheap Chinese products have long been its terrible abuse of human rights.

Although countries have now begun to raise their voices against this, as long as the demand for in-expensive Chinese products remain, very little can be done about China. Several Uighur families have reported that their children have no recollection of their family ties or their religion. Two of the things most central to Uighur culture- Faith and Family are being systematically broken and the actions of the government are seen as an attempt to completely delete Uighur identity. You cannot help but see similarities of the actions against the Uighurs by the Communist Government of China with the complete extermination plan of the Nazis against the Jews.

As the footage of George Floyd became a power symbol against racial discrimination in the US we hope Mr. Ghappar’s video becomes the hope for the Uighur cause.

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AVE, Saturday, 12th Dec

Folktales

Chapter 3

The Legend of Thlen The reconstruction of the history of North East India has assumed new dimensions because other than literary sources, myths and other forms of oral tradition are also being taken into consideration. Animals and other animate objects have shared a long association with these societies and despite the changing times continue to exert an enormous influence on the socialpsychology of the people at large. The following tale is one such myth that has long ingrained itself into the collective conscious of the people of Meghalaya.

Long ago, amongst the dense forests of the Khasi hills lived a fabled creature known as the Thlen. It was believed to be the most frightening creature known to man. A few described it as an enormous serpent while others called it a monster. The Thlen was known to live in a cave in the Sohra region tormenting the villages that surrounded it.

People were advised to visit the forest only in groups of odd numbers and never alone.

For any other way and people were known to disappear.

The first person to have been lost to the Thlen was a man called Shilotia. A huge search party was organised to search for him around the Pomdoloi Falls. This unfortunately led to more men who went missing. This alarmed the Headmen of the nearby villages and they finally decided to go to their Priests to seek help against this unnatural occurrence.

The priests advised the Headmen to seek the help of Suitnoh or, the King. Suitnoh was the Chief of all the guardian spirits whose duty was to maintain the balance of good health and virtue in the world.

In order to put an end to U Thlen’s evil

ways, Suitnoh set a trap for him. He visited the cave where the Thlen lay hidden and enticed him with a piece of the choicest meat available. When the Thlen opened its massive jaws to feast, Suitnoh thrust a heated iron ball thereby burning the Thlen’s innards. With the monster dead a massive celebration was called to feast on its remains and give gratitude to the divine Shilotia for his help. The rules of the feast laid down that no remains of the Thlen should be saved or kept and the bones must be burnt to ash and buried. As the feast progressed, an old woman decided to save a tiny piece of the delicacy for her son who could not attend the gathering. Having kept away a piece of the Thlen’s flesh, she forgot all about it till the day she realised that the Thlen regenerated itself to life from the piece she has stored away. The Thlen blackmailed the old woman to serve him in return for untold riches. She knew she had no other choice for if the residents of the village came to know the truth they would boycott her, and her family would be blamed for the return of the monster. The Thlen therefore began to thrive once again in anonymity.

The legend of U Thlen is relevant to modern society. In today’s world, U Thlen manifests itself in human greed and flourishes in their obsessive and unscrupulous hunger for money and power. Evil is inherent in people. In his book, Donbok T. Laloo has stated that despite its antiquity, the myth of U Thlen continues to draw to it, those sold to their lust of power.

Unless every individual understands the underlying meaning of the Thlen, society at large would become regressive and their collective perspective will be held prisoner to primitive practices.

-Tiara Warjri, XI

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AVE, Saturday, 12th Dec

Bleed just to know

You’re Alive

“It is not often that you get fairy tale moments in a not so fairy tale life. Thus, these moments are precious to me, like pieces of a pirate’s treasure that I want to keep locked away in my chest of a heart forever and ever.”

-Letminlun Haokip, Deputy Editor

Sometimes I contemplate upon the existence of a higher being, one that transcends our dimension and any other dimensions our universe holds. A being that strings together our lives and our stories to play out like a movie, wherein the stars align and we find ourselves singing along to Iris as The Goo Goo Dolls put on the greatest rock show the world has ever seen, while the heaven opens its floodgates and rain pours down, majestically and beautifully. Seriously, rain, of all things. I look over to see my brother, his hair and his shirt soaked through, his eyes glued to the stage, lip-syncing the lyrics, and I feel my heart thump, as if it were connected with that of the bass of the drums.

through the large speakers pulsating through the crowd.

“I’m pregnant” her voice shakes, as if mimicking the beats of my heart. “You’re going to be a father”.

‘And sooner or later, it’s over, I just don’t want to miss you tonight,’ the singer crooned.

My heart thumps as I slowly walk through the white halls of the hospital. Never have I felt this nervous. My cheeks are red and my hands are shaky, like that of a bride walking down the aisle.

“You’re doing great” I hear my brother in the distance, his voice an echo, as if it were the sound of the sea carried in a bottle.

It is not often that you get fairy tale moments in a not so fairy tale life. Thus, these moments are precious to me, like pieces of a pirate’s treasure that I want to keep locked away in my chest of a heart forever and ever.

As I open the doors of the operation room, I contemplate once again upon the existence of a higher being, one that transcends our dimension and any other dimensions our universe holds. A being that strings together our lives and our stories to play out like a movie, wherein the stars align and I find myself face to face with my beautiful baby daughter, Iris.

‘And all I can taste is this moment’, the speakers reverberate into the atmosphere as my tiny flip phone rings into the rainy night.

“Hello?”

‘And I’d give up forever to touch you

“Honey” the most heavenly voice I’ve ever heard in my life whispers from the other side, raw and soothing.

‘Cause I know that you feel me somehow

“Yeah?”

You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be

‘And all I can breathe is your life’, the lyrics rang out

And I don’t want to go home right now’.

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AVE, Saturday, 12th Dec

Illustration: Ssara Jha

THE OUTPOST

Seismic changes take place in the White House with Biden appointing his Cabinet. While Iran cheers, India wears a hopeful smile. The country remains pivoted to the ongoing Farmers protest against the three Reform Bills in agriculture. The Central Government remains firm in its stand on the bills while welcoming suggestions for possible amendments in it. The Delhi winter churned with a fear cosmos and ineffective communication adds to the ongoing drama.

The Governments stand on these bills could well predict the age of reforms in the country as

The Middle Page

#11

By: Eloziini Senachena

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AVE, Saturday, 12th Dec

Ripple #146 -Jeremy jahau, Editor-In-Chief

A sudden chill darts up the spine

Awicked wiind blows loud the chimes

Fireplace ash and blood on the side

What came down the

chimney was not Christmas tide

The Quarantine Readlist

Need help finding a gem amidst a sea of monotony?

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and dive into the world of these enthralling stories. Here is a list of suggestions:

UNACCUSTOMED EARTH BY JHUMPA LAHIRI: Ruma, a housewife who’s

raising a young son with little assistance from her husband. When her widowed father comes to visit and quickly bonds with the young boy, she wrestles with the decision of whether to invite him to live with her family.

NEWS OF THE WORLD BY PAULETTE JILES: A story about the bond

that develops between the 70-year-old widower who has served in three wars and the girl who has completely forgotten her birth language, her parents, her people, her religion—even how to use a knife and fork.

LEGENDS OF THE FALL BY JIM HARRISON: An epic tale of three brothers and their lives of passion, madness, exploration and danger at the beginning of the Great War, confirms Jim Harrison’s reputation as one of the finest American writers of his generation.

Keep It Reel!

Blue and Gold -Drishti Rathi, XI

Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Jahau Deputy Editor: Letminlun Haokip Associate Editor: Anoushka S. Rabha Correspondents: Ojas, Lavanya, Ssara & Neelabh Design & Layout: Moom Lego & Jeremy Jahau Illustrator: Takhe Tamo Reela, Eloziini Senachena and Tanisha Bhadra Photo Credit: Letminlun Haokip Mistress-in-Charge: Ms. Sarmistha Paul Sarkar Publisher: The Assam Valley School, P.O. Balipara, Dist. Sonitpur, Asom-784101, India E-mail: ave@assamvalleyschool.com Telephone: 09678074320/08812009627 Website: www.assamvalleyschool.com Patron: Dr. Vidhukesh Vimal, The Headmaster of The Assam Valley School The views expressed in articles are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of AVE or its editorial policy.

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Weekly Newsletter of The Assam Valley Express