Videos

Ziro music festival embodies the spirit of the Northeast. Stage names are based on animist faith practised by many tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. The music festival is the perfect platform for local talent like Abdon Mech, a songwriter-singer from Nagaland and Mizoram's Origami to shine. From Meghalaya, the music collective, Da Minot, performs to the vibrant beat of Khasi. More in this ground report by Tina Das

On the 15th of August 1985, these words of Rajiv Gandhi seemingly brought to an end one of the longest agitations in Assam. An agitation which claimed hundreds of lives and had brought the economic growth of the state to a standstill but signing of the Assam Accord a new beginning was promised the Accord address itself to the principal issues of contention the infiltration of foreigners in Assam the economic package for all round development and the protection of Assamese culture and tradition. The effort then began to identify the foreigners as per the conditions agreed to in the Accord. Those who immigrated prior to 1996 were to be given Indian citizenship. Immigrants who came into Assam between 1966 and 1971 were to be disenfranchised for 10 years. Those arriving after 1971 were to be deported. The 1985 elections saw the agitation leaders become the new political masters of Assam. It was from this campus of Guwahati University a young band of student leaders has marshal their forces and mobilize the people's movement to challenge the government and paralyze administration. Now, these leaders were the cabinet ministers of Assam Gana Parishad Movement.

On our Brahmaputra River cruise in Assam we visited a Tea Plantation. The ladies (only) pick the tea all day and then go back to the village to watch the kids dance. Video contributions from Wally and Don.

A short video promoting tourism in Assam, highlighting the Kamakhya Temple.

In India’s Assam state, 1.9 million people are facing a battle to prove they belong. They are suspected to be foreigners after the state created a National Register of Citizens, demanding that anyone not on the list prove their citizenship. Most of those fighting to prove their citizenship are Muslim, prompting claims that authorities are falsely branding them illegal migrants from Bangladesh in an attempt to appeal to hardline Hindus. Many now live in fear that they could be deported or sent to detention centres and made stateless. 101 East investigates their desperate quest to prove who they really are.

A short promotional video on tourism in Assam.

Various shots signs on the foothills. MS sign on the foothills. Various shots of the Army Base Camp of Kameng Frontier range. Check Post with barrier in the middle (the road beyond the barrier leads to Bomdilla where Dalai Lama would first arrive and then move down from there to Tezpur). Barrier being lowered. CU thick jungle surrounding the area. CU of sign hanging from a tree indicating prohibited area. LS of the road leading to Nefa Area. Various shots of army personnel clearing the roads of fallen trees. Various shots soldiers cutting trees to remove them from the road. Two shots of elephant carrying tree branches to be used on temporary roads for the arrival of the Dalai Lama. People buying vegetables in market place. Various shots of the market with tribesmen and women squatting on floor displaying their articles for sale, woman weighing on scales, group of women arriving with baskets tied on their back, shots of market purchasing. Date on dope sheet is 11/12th April 1959.

Ethnographic feature film following two headhunters of the Naga tribes in north-eastern India. Part ethnographic film, part narrative feature, Nyimsao and Kheseto follows two men of the Naga people, living in a village in the hills above Assam in the far north-east of India. With origins in Yunnan (China) and Burma, the Naga tribes had their own dialect, and customs included headhunting - filmmaker Charles Suydam Cutting had joined a party sent by the local British district commissioner to stamp out this practice. Headhunting was finally banned in the region in 1991.

Visiting The Land of Black Magic & Witchcraft! Join us on an unforgettable trip to Mayong Village in Assam, located just 50 kilometers from Guwahati. This mystical land is known as the birthplace of black magic and witchcraft. Get ready to delve into the rich cultural heritage of this region and learn about the practices and beliefs surrounding these mysterious arts. From visiting ancient temples and speaking with local practitioners, to experience the stunning beauty of this unique region, this video is a must-see for anyone interested in the supernatural and the mystical. Discover the history and legends of Mayong Village and the Land of Black Magic & Witchcraft. 00:00 Introduction 01:11 IIT Guwahati Campus Tour 01:49 Brahmaputra Carnival 2023 03:35 Meeting my college friend after 10 years 06:50 Mayong Village, Assam 08:11 Black Magic History & Tradition

The Mising Tribe - a fascinating people, with incredible skill and kind hearts.
I got to spend a little bit of time with them last year, and this short video is based on that initial visit. Due to constant flooding and soil erosion, this island might not last much longer... and the tribe is aware of the looming danger that the great river surrounds them with. Some of the people are confident that their faith will protect them. Others, like Lollima (the woman that I interviewed) are using their talents in weaving and art to make their way out onto new lands.
I look forward to visiting them again, and making a more in-depth video on this land and its people.

The film shows the daily life of the people of Assam and the other northeastern state, their culture and tradition, village activities, etc,.

A video showcasing the silk and weaving industry in Assam. Director/DOP- Barnali Kalita

Glorious colour film of a fishing trip and geese-hunting expedition in north-eastern India. G. Mackrell was a tea planter and big game hunter who lived in India from the mid-1930s to the late-1950s with his wife, R.S. Mackrell. His amateur films provide some of the clearest records of the adventurous life that many British entrepreneurs and military personnel forged for themselves in India prior to Independence. This glorious colour film records a fishing trip by canoe down the Barak River in north-eastern India, and a geese-shooting expedition, which prove extremely fruitful judging by the array of catch the Mackrell party and local fishermen are seen posing for the camera with. During WWII, Mackrell was also involved in rescuing refugees fleeing Upper Burma before the Japanese advance.

Assam's modern slaves: the real price of a cup of Tetley tea. Poverty pay on tea estates in Assam fuels a modern slave trade ensnaring thousands of young girls. A Guardian/Observer investigation follows the slave route from an estate owned by a consortium, including the owners of the best-selling Tetley brand, through to the homes of Delhi's booming middle classes, exposing the reality of the 21st-century slave trade

Atul Bora says "The elections were held also in 1985 but we want a correct electoral rule between the name of the foreigners. We had a long discussion with the Chief Election Commissioner that we must have a correct electoral rule otherwise we will not allow the election to take place in Assam."