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Majuli island, Assam, northeast India

 

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Lost Land

 

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Majuli (Assam, Northeast india)

is one of the biggest

river islands in the world

 

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An earthquake in 1950 lifted

the riverbed, modifying the

currents and starting the ongoing

erosion of Majuli's shores

 

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Majuli island has since lost 40% of its surface

to the river Brahmaputra's currents

 

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more than 10,000 people have been displaced

due to land loss

 

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and the erosion is still going on

 

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We had land as far as over there,

 

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there, where the Brahmaputra is flowing now,

 

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where it has been already eroded,

 

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that was our cultivation field.

 

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Back then vegetables were available,

 

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rice and vegetables were available: no matter

what we sowed we harvested good products.

 

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After the erosion fruits, trees, forest, grass,

 

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nothing remained to feed the children.

 

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Farmers like us who cannot take care

of our children

 

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because we have no land anymore.

 

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How can we bring them up?

 

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When the erosion swept this side,

we ran to the other side.

 

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We had to relocate our houses three

or four times, we had to dismantle them,

 

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men, women and children, all running around

carrying salvaged building materials

 

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and then the place got attacked

by erosion again.

 

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Now, near the E.N.D. embankment life is hard,

 

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life is very hard,

with cars on one side and water on the other.

 

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Agriculture is very important for us of the

Mising tribe: without it we cannot live.

 

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Now we cultivate other people's land

and we share the harvest with them,

 

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whereas before in our own land we had fruits,

forest products, everything.

 

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We think that if the government would provide

some help to improve our conditions

 

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then we would be very happy.

 

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We are living by the road now,

 

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but we are thinking about the future

of our children and fighting for it.

 

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The Brahmaputra's erosion started

in this place in 1962.

 

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Horrible floods and erosions occurred here.

 

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Since then, immeasurable damage

struck the people here

 

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and because of the lost land

 

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many families moved from here

to other places in Assam.

 

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Salmora is a very ancient village,

 

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since they started living in this village

 

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the Kumar people have been working with

pottery, until now.

 

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Our tradition has been going on

since ancient times

 

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and in this way we support our families.

 

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The material for producing pots,

 

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the mud of this area, Salmora,

is now running out,

 

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and this scarcity is becoming a problem

for the lives of people.

 

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When this happens, people have to work

for daily wages to survive

 

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and they decide to move away from here,

 

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thus pottery art is on its way to disappear.

 

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This is the situation right now.

 

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The situation is that people are very scared:

 

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the art of pottery is very ancient,

 

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they have been doing it for a long time

and the present scenario of this business

 

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is breaking their spirit.

 

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If the next generation relies on pottery,

we are afraid the future for them will be dark.

 

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Here a natural calamity is going on

 

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but despite this natural disaster

 

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Majuli people are preserving their art

and culture,

 

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but we are afraid that maybe one day

 

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the strong currents and erosion

of the Brahmaputra will put an end to them.

 

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Mask making is an ancient art of Assam

 

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which was used by the great saint of Assam

 

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Srimanta Sankardev in

bhaona (traditional drama).

 

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Bhaona is played on the base of Ramayana

and Mahabharata (Sankrit epics)

 

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All the activities of God can be heard

and seen through bhaona,

 

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and by staging bhaona the

satras (cultural and religious centres of Assam)

 

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not only maintain the importance of bhaona

but spread it to the villages too.

 

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I was born in this satra

 

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and I grew up in its culture,

 

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for us the satra is essential

 

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because all our art and culture

are connected to the satra,

 

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art and culture build the society

and the society cannot grow without them.

 

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People say there were once 120 satras

in Majuli

 

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and now 32 only are remaining.

 

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Other than these 32, the other satras shifted

outside due to flood and erosion.

 

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Two mask making satras have moved

outside the island.

 

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The satras that have relocated

are facing problems,

 

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the materials, which can be found in Majuli,

now are unavailable there

 

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and so they have to source these materials

from here

 

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and so only some of these satras are able

to preserve their original mask making culture.

 

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The people of majuli are trying to have

the island listed as a Unesco World Heritage site

 

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Sure, I think if Majuli is declared as a

Word Heritage site

 

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then the world will benefit from it.

 

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If the Brahmaputra is put under control

then the erosion will cease.

 

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The protection system that has been developed

 

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If the government is able to make

the Brahmaputra safe

 

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then the erosion will stop,

Majuli will be saved.

 

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But the government have to take stronger

measures.

 

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Every year the government

build new protection systems.

So far they don't seem very effective

in stopping the river Brahmaputra's erosion.

 

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To be honest we wouldn't like to leave Majuli

 

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because we were born in Majuli.

 

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Sometimes inside my heart I am so sad:

our Majuli was so beautiful,

 

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the erosion ruined everything,

 

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but after all Majuli is still beautiful.

 

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I'm worried, I don't ever want to leave Majuli.

 

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a film by

Sarah Trevisiol

Matteo Vegetti

 

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music

Kai Engel

 

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in order of appearance

Bilati Payeng

Jibeswar Hazarika

Hemchandra Goswami

 

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translations and archive footage

Mitu Khataniar

 

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thanks to

Jury Sonowal

Maxime Gazzo

 

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Silent storm productions