A Rabha gentleman, in front of his house in a forest village, Gayarkata, Jalpaiguri

Rabha (Assamese: ৰাভা) (Bengali: রাভা) (also Rava) is a little known Scheduled Tribe community of West Bengal and Assam. The language/dialect spoken by the Rabha people is also of the same name. In West Bengal, Rabha people mainly live in Jalpaiguri district and Cooch Behar district. Moreover, almost, 70 per cent of them live in Jalpaiguri district. In Assam, the Rabhas live mostly in Goalpara and Kamrup districts. The whole area of Eastern and Western Dooars, may be termed as the cradle land of the Rabhas.

Ethnicity and Language[link]

The Rabhas belong to the Indo-Mongoloid group of people and have similarities with other members of Bodo group such as Garos, Kachari, Mech, Koch, Hajong and others.^[1] Most of the Rabhas of Dooars refer to themselves as Rabha, but some of them often declare themselves as Kocha.^[2] According to Dr. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, the aspects of socio-religious and material life of the Rabhas have similarities with those of the Pani-Koch. E. Dalton on the other hand, argues that the Rabhas and the Hajongs are the branches of Kachari race and connected with the Garo.^[3] According to B.H. Hodgson the Rabhas belong to the Great Bodo or Mech ft Pani-Koch and the Rabhas have the same lineage and the latter has their connection with the Garo.^[4] A. Playfair (1909) also has pointed out some linguistic and cultural similarities between the Rabhas and the Garos. He also remarks that there exists a striking linguistic affinity between the A'Tong language and the Rangdania (Rabha) dialects. This led him to think that, at some point of time they lived in contact with each other.^[5]

The Rabhas of West Bengal and Assam generally speak the local Bengali and Assamese dialects. The Rabhas who live in the forest villages have retained their original Rabha dialect to a great extent. The Rabha dialect, as stated by George Abraham Grierson, belongs to Bodo group of languages of Assam-Burmese branch.^[6]

Economy and Society[link]

A traditional Rabha house

The traditional economy of the Rabhas in general, is based on agriculture, forest based activities and weaving. In the past, the Rabhas used to practice shifting cultivation. They continued to cultivate the land with Gogo or bill-hook. Later they took up the job of settled cultivation and started cultivation with plough. Besides cultivation, hunting was also an old practice of Rabha people. Weaving was a traditional occupation of the Rabha women.^[7]

Rabhas, who once used to live in the forest and practice shifting cultivation, were deprived of their rights to the forest by the colonial rulers, since the formation of forest department, banning on shifting cultivation and demarcation of forest boundaries. Consequently, with the colonial land settlement system, most of the displaced Rabhas either adopted settled cultivation as sharecroppers or took refuge in the forest villages as plantation laboueres. After independence, Indian Government more or less continued the same colonial system of forest management, where the communities like Rabhas could not regain their rights to the forest.^[8]

Today, one finds Rabhas in diverse occupations from forest workers and cultivators to all modern occupations like school teachers and government office bearers etc., though their number in white-collar jobs would not be very high.

Religion and culture[link]

Rabha girl (Teacher) are dancing in their traditional costumes in a forest village in West Bengal

Rabha people traditionally practice a few animistic rituals. However, today they more often follow a faith, which is a blend of some Hindu and a few animistic rituals. There are considerable differences in ritual practices among forest Rabhas who still live in the forest villages and the Rabhas that live in the villages as cultivators. The forest Rabhas follow traditional animistic practices tinged with some rituals of mainstream Hinduism. On the other hand village Rabhas have merged with local Hindus as far as their religious practices are concerned.^[9]

Rabha people's religious world is pervaded with various spirits and natural objects. The main deity of the Rabhas is called Rishi. Rishi, for the forest Rabhas as well as village Rabhas, is a male deity. He is also known as Mahakal. Forest Rabhas worship him in all important social and religious ceremonies.^[10]

In addition, there are the deities Rungtuk and Basek, represented by two earthen pots of rice placed on the northern side of the store. These two deities are considered as the daughters of Rishi or Mahakal. Rungtuk and Basek are household deities and considered as the deities of wealth like the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. The Rungtuk and basek, are inherited by the heiress of the family. Their traditional priest deosi, counts the auspicious day for the foundation of these deities. The room where they are kept is occupied by the head of the family. The deities do not have any idols. A red coloured earthen pitcher filled with rice represents the deity Rungtuk. An egg is kept on the neck of the pitcher.^[11]

Like in most tribal communities, dances and music play an important part in the lives of the Rabhas. After every ritual they perform various dances to ingratiate their deities. Most of the Rabha women can both sing and dance.

Like most tribal dances, those of the Rabhas are connected to some daily agrarian activity. They have a unique dance form named "Nakchung Reni" to celebrate fishing in the forest rivulets. Rabha women of all ages take part in this dance whole-heartedly.

References[link]

Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari (7 June 1939 – 13 February 2012) (Arabic: محمد العماري‎) was Chief of Staff of the Algerian army during most of the Algerian Civil War.^[1]

Personal life[link]

He was born on 7 June 1939 in Algiers, to a family originally from Bordj Benazzouz (near Biskra).^[2]

Early military career[link]

He joined the French army, completing his training in the cavalry at the Ecole de guerre in Saumur. In 1961, seven years into the Algerian War of Independence (and just a year before independence), he changed sides, joining the National Liberation Army. After independence, he trained as an artilleryman at the Frunze Military Academy, then as a general staff officer at the Ecole de Guerre in Paris. From 1970 to 1976 he commanded a regional general staff, then he worked in the general staff operational bureau until 1988, when he became commander of the 5th military region (eastern Algeria around Constantine). In 1989, he became commander of ground forces.

Lamari's sons include Farid (a military dentist)^[3] and Mourad, an adviser at the Algerian embassy to Belgium.^{[citation needed]}

Civil war[link]

In the military coup of 1992 that started the Algerian Civil War, he was prominent among the officers demanding then-President Chadli Bendjedid's resignation. According to Mohamed Samraoui, he was relieved of his functions by the next President, the short-lived Mohamed Boudiaf, in March 1992, and only regained them after Boudiaf's assassination.^[4] He was then put in charge of an anti-terrorism task force of 15,000 soldiers, the CCLAS (Centre de commandement de la lutte antisubversive). In July 1993, as Liamine Zeroual became Minister of Defense, Mohamed Lamari became Chief of Staff, a post in which he would remain for more than a decade of war.

Politically, he was considered an eradicationist, rejecting the idea of negotiation with the government's Islamist opponents. In his capacity as head of the CCLAS, he was accused by Mohamed Samraoui of ultimately controlling the Organisation of Young Free Algerians, a pro-government armed group claiming credit for various attacks on civilians.

Controversy[link]

In 2002, he caused some controversy by publicly claiming that the military was no longer involved in national politics, the crisis of the 1990s being past; this claim angered other generals.^[5] In August 2004, he resigned and retired, ostensibly for health reasons; he was rumoured to have had differences with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.^[6] He was replaced by General Salah Ahmed Gaid.

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.algerie-plus.com/actualite/exclusif-deces-du-general-de-corps-darmee-mohamed-lamari/
2. ^ Said Boulares, "La Grande Muette livre ses secrets", Les Cahiers de l'Orient No 39/40, 1995:201.
3. ^ PROCÈS KHALIFA AU TRIBUNAL CRIMINEL DE BLIDA: De nouvelles personnalités éclaboussées, El Watan 20 Feb 2007]
4. ^ Les révélations du colonel Mohamed Samraoui de la DRS à Al Jazeera: L'autre version de la " république ", Nasreddine Yacine, algeria-watch, 6 août 2001
5. ^ Army Chief pulls Military out of Power games, Algeria Interface, July 18, 2002
6. ^ Algerian army chief steps down - BBC News, 3 August 2004, Bouteflika accepte la démission du Général-major Mohamed Lamari, Anis Rahmani - El Khabar – 27.7.04

External links[link]

• Biographie de Lamari Mohamed, Le Jeune Indépendant, 4 aout 2004
• INTERVIEW: Le Général de corps d’armée Mohamed Lamari, Le Point – n°1583 – semaine du 15 janvier 2003

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Sculpture depicting words from Bishnu Rabha

Bishnu Prasad Rabha (Assamese: বিষ্ণুপ্ৰসাদ ৰাভা) was born in Dhaka on 31 January 1909. He was a multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam. A doyen of the Arts, he is popularly known as Kala Guru ( Assamese: কলা গুৰু). From an early stage, he played an active role in the struggle for Indian independence. However, he never joined Indian National Congress. He believed - the Congress is a party of the bourgeoisie and so it's struggle against British imperialism is fraught with compromises. He came to be influenced by left wing ideas and came close to the Communist Party of India. However, when Germany attacked Soviet Union during second world war and the Indian communists decided to work with the British government, a section of the party favoured a different approach - to oppose British imperialism and Fascism simultaneously. So a split happened in the communist party and in 1945 he finally joined the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI). In 1951, after the death of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, he became the president of the Assam branch of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).

His work Bano Kobang is a masterpiece which portrays the life worlds of the ethnic groups of Axom. His other works include Mising Coneng, Sonpahi, Axomiya Kristir Samuh Abhash, and Atit Axom. His interest for the upliftment and liberation of the weaker section of society is visible in his works. But these works did not get much accolade as his other works received.Bishnu Prasad Rabha was an eminent freedom fighter. His meaning of freedom however is not simply freedom from British rule. But it meant freedom from capitalism, freedom from wage-slavery, freedom from poverty and all social evils. In his own words, "I am fighting for a revolution from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom". He dedicated his entire life for this freedom movement. He donated an ancestral estate of 2500 bigha land received from the British government in favour of the peasants.His slogan was "Haal Jaar Maati Taar" means "those who cultivate should own the land". The present day Tezpur University stands upon the land donated by him. His entire life was characterized by a restlessness to work for the people and he kept on moving around like a nomad. He was also an excellent mass mobiliser. His speeches and lectures could touch the heart of the masses. However, his political struggle was never pregnant with individual power seeking motive. It was only give power at the hands of the masses. He even said that the independence achieved in 1947 was simply a farce. It is because in spite of the freedom the poor and weaker sections of the society remained the same. According to him, the real struggle begins after 1947.

Apart from being a revolutionary he was also a brilliant academician and researcher. This was despite the fact that due to participation in freedom struggle he was forced by the British Govt to leave Rippon College at Calcutta and transferred to Victoria College at Coch Behar.He was not able to continue his formal studies even there due to frequent raid of British forces in his hostel and was compelled to give up his formal educational career for ever.

Cultural influence[link]

The level of influence exerted by the Kola Guru can be observed through the fact that most cultural music competitions of Assam feature a segment called Bishnu Rabha Sangeet related to his compositions, lyrics and verse.Bishnu Prasad was an established singer. He had learnt Borgeet of Shrimanta Shankar Deva and gave the genre a new significance for the modern times. There are more than hundred songs composed by him. His songs are collectively called as Bishnu Rabha Sangeet. This was a new genre of Assamese. In his songs one can see diverse themes like tributes to the Mother Nature, the exploitation of the peasant masses by the colonial rulers, the revolts of the workers at tea industries etc. His songs also reflects his revolutionary ideal and the country’s struggle for real freedom. Some of his songs are popular among children even today and will be, for all times to come. Some leading numbers include ‘Xurore Deulore, ’Bilote Halise’,etc.^[1]

He advocated the need to be aware of other people's cultures, views and religion etc. and advocated for a world community - a true humanist ideal.^[2]

His evergreen compositions includes song like Para jonomor khubho logonor, logon ukali gol, roi roi keteki,tilai tilai, kurua botah and many more to mention. He was a great actor. He used to perform dramas at Bann theatre of tezpur which is regarded to be one of the oldest cultural activity centers of Assam. He also translated the famous song of revolution "internationale" by Eugène Pottier into Assamese. His paintings are still preserved in his residence at Tezpur. Many of his art works are considered to be remarkable, as it were worked on with such a great perfection even at that time.^{[citation needed]}

Theatre[link]

There have been many live performances at the Ban Theatre in Tezpur which is famously connected to Bishnu Rabha. This theatre (Ban Stage) where many of Bishnu Rabha's plays have been staged is designed by renowned architect Mr. Upendra Kr. Baruah ^[3]

Films[link]

He was also recognised as a film director, music composer (Siraj) and actor (Era Bator Sur).He was an actor par excellence. His acting expertise was witnessed by Ban Theatre of Tezpur. But, he never used this talent for commercial purpose. In spite of having very good rapport with the art world of Kolkata and Bombay, he never left Assam to achieve commercial success in the field of acting. Rather he used his talent to educate the masses. This talent also helped him to move around in disguise during his days of struggle. He also assisted in making of the first Assamese film Joymoti, by Jyoti Prasad Aggarwala. He was also a recognised film director.^[4][5]

Recognition and awards[link]

Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha Bota[link]

There is an award given in his honour for achievements in the cultural/music world of Assam by the state government.^[6][7]

Smriti Udyan[link]

The Bishnu Rabha Smriti Udyan has been set up as a memorial park in his honour. It is located on the banks of the Brahmaputra near Tezpur in a plot adjacent to the Bhairabi temple.

The park is a result of the hard work of his middle son Mr. Hemraj Rava who took the initiative to pay tribute to his father and started the construction. The project was later on taken by the government of Assam. It contains the cremation spot of the maestro.Apart from it, many of his unforgettable works are sculpted into the walls. The cremation spot lies on the bank of the Brahmaputra as a result of which it was suffering from soil erosion. But now it has been provided with embankments to prevent it and preserve it. Nowadays it has become a major site of attraction for his devotees. People often visit this place to offer homage.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Assamese cinema
• Culture of Assam

References[link]