She greets you with a sweet smile that touches you instantly. A popular singers of present-day Asomiya music scenario, she is blessed with one of the sweetest voices you will ever hear. Her beautiful rendition of the theme song, ‘Rongmon Rongmon’ of the 33rd National Games, Guwahati has been a chartbuster. As the interaction progresses , you uncover hidden realms of her personality, and you realize that she is not only blessed with a sweet smile and a sweeter voice, but with a persona that is, put it simply, Sweeter than honey.
An achiever both in academics and on the musical front, Sangita Kakati was born in Chaygaon, to Dr. Surendra Narayan Kakati, and Anjali Kakati. Dr. Surendra Narayan Kakati was a government doctor, but since the Chaygaon area had no other doctor for miles around, he gave up the lucrative government job to start private practice, providing yeoman’s service to the people of the area for years.
Regarding her name, Sangita Kakati has an interesting story to tell. She must have been about three-four years then. One day, as she was hopping about, singing something to herself, with all the joviality and innocence of a toddler, her ever-observant mother told her: “majoni, your voice is so sweet, you sing so beautifully...I’ll call/name you Sangita.” And thus probably her destiny was sealed in the seven letters of her name. However, it was through the elegant Xatriya dance that Sangita began her tryst with the world of art and culture. Her guru was Nagen Lahkar. Due to certain unavoidable circumstances when the Xatriya classes were discontinued, her parents decided to enroll her (as well) as a student of Pandit Karuna Shankar Thakuria, under whom her elder sisters Nandini and Ajanta Kakati were already taking their lessons in vocal classical. As a student young Sangita proved to be sincere and hardworking. Pandit Karuna Shankar Thakuria beamed at his young student’s quick and superb progress made possible as much due to her talent as to her dedication and sincerity. Soon enough young Sangita had won a national level ‘Talent Search Scholarship’ under the Ministry of Culture and Human Resource Development, Government of India. At that time, only eight persons could get this scholarship from one state, and that too from the four branches of art: vocal classical, classical dance, painting and instrumental (Tabla). Thus, to get this scholarship was not an easy task. On top of that it was a challenge to retain this scholarship: for, there used to be a reviewing of the progress made by a student after every six months, wherein persons appointed by the Centre would come over to take a test-of-sorts: if a student’s progress wasn’t found to be satisfactory, the scholarship might even be curtailed. This made her doubly serious and sincere towards the art. The fact that she continued receiving this scholarship for eight consecutive years, up to her Higher Secondary level bears testimony to her dedication and sincerity. In the meanwhile, Sangita had shifted base to Guwahati: after having passed Matriculation Exams from Chaygaon High School with a first division and letter marks in General and Advanced Mathematics, she took admission in the Science Stream of Cotton College after. After her HS however, she shifted to the arts stream, for by then she had found her métier in Music (specifically in Singing). In 1989, she graduated from the Gauhati University as a student of English literature with flying colours. After which she shifted her base to Pune and then to Mumbai (then Bombay) where she stayed for a few years before returning to Asom. Yet in that short span of a few years she managed to carve a small yet significant space for herself: significant (not only because of the short time but also) because it was a time when there were no talent hunt shows to catapult one directly into stardom, nor had she any Godfather in the industry; added to the fact that she went from a relatively obscured corner of the country. Yet she managed to get up to where most upcoming singers could reach after prolonged toil of many years. Yet never for once did she let her extra-curricular activities hamper her studies. Throughout her student years, she managed to balance her studies and musical pursuits with perfect élan. While doing her graduation in Cotton College itself she had acquired both her Bachelor of Music (B.Mus) and Master of Music (M.Mus.) degrees from 'Akhil Bharatiya Gandharba Mahavidyalaya Mandal', Mumbai. At the same time, she also took lessons in ‘khayal’ and ‘bhajan’ under Deben Sarmah. In 1986 while still in College, her first audio album ‘Sowansiri’ was released. Produced by her father and the songs tuned by renowned music director and singer J.P.Das, this album was widely appreciated, especially in the musical circles. In addition, it was because of her wonderful rendition in this album that soon she earned her first major break in Nip Baruah’s ‘Aai Mur Janame Janame’, which had music by Anupam Choudhury. This film, where she sang five songs, earned her the Best Playback Singer Award in 1988 from the Eastern Motion Pictures Association (EMPA). A couple of years on, while doing her M.A. in English from Poona University, Sangita participated in various singing competitions and functions, and at all those places, she earned plaudits from all quarters. During those days, she was fortunate to have come into close contact with the likes of Hariharan and santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. Also, from her University days in Pune itself, she had begun recording songs in different Mumbai studios for various production houses of Assam, chief of which was Music Makers, with which she shares a long and memorable association. It was in 1991 that she recorded her first album for Music Makers entitled ‘Niribili Godhuli’, with music by Jitul Sonowal. In that album, which earned record-breaking sales, Sangita sang two songs, one of which was a duet with Udit Narayan. In addition, this album also had renditions by Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kumar Sanu and Sadhna Sargam. The success of this album made Sangita a household name in Assam. It was followed by another hit album ‘Anjana’, where Sangita repeated her sterling performance. Once in Mumbai, she enrolled herself as a student of the reputed St Xaviers College, Mumbai for a diploma in Mass Communication [where the likes of Jahnu Baruah, Tom Alter, famous film director Bikash Desai and Aruna Raje taught]. After passing out from St. Xaviers, she took up a job as a Production Executive in an advertising agency ‘Expert Creations’. In the meanwhile, she took admission into the Kalaveer Academy, the famed music school of the doyens Kalyanji-Anandji. Remembering her days at the Academy, Sangita baideo reminisces: “it was a unique school in that the traditional ‘guru-shishya parampara’ was followed there. We were not simply students; rather we were a family learning the finer nuances of the art of singing, viz. improving pronunciation, learning to lay proper stress on the appropriate word, improving upon our standing notes and so on. In a way, it was a school where we gave finishing touch to our singing abilities under the blessed tutelage of our Gurujis Kalyanji and Anandji, in a homely atmosphere. For instance if they had guests, we girls had to make tea and serve the guests. This way the shackles of formality were broken”. It was at the advice of the famed musical duo, (who apparently saw great promise in this young girl) that Sangita went to learn Urdu under the famous Dr. Taheera Banarasi for two years. At the same time, she also took lessons in vocal classical under renowned singer Dr. Charushila Diwekar. At the same time, she was busy recording songs in different languages like Urdu, Marathi, Oriya and Sanskrit and Asomiya [her Asomiya renditions had become highly popular throughout the state. Of all those albums, baideo especially mentions the album ‘Surere Bhoril Protitu Prohor’, which was produced by Music Makers and had music by the indomitable Bappi Lahiri. Of the other languages, she has fond remembrances of the Oriya album ‘Somokila Badambari’ (music by popular Oriya artist Biju Vyas). This album, where she shared the microphone with Sonu Nigam, Anuradha Paudwal and Manhar Udhas, attained tremendous popularity throughout Orissa]. She had sung in a few jingles as well, besides recording a few songs for the famous production house of Venus. She has also had a few performances on television (Doordarshan and Zee) to her credit apart from functions in different parts of Mumbai, as a student of Kalyanji-Anandji and also through Bappi Lahiri, who had taken a great deal of interest in this budding talent. Speaking of Bappi Da, her face lights up as she reminisces, “I can never forget Bappi Da; he was always encouraging me. At his advice, I started going to Maya Govind for Hindi lessons. Also it was he who gave me a chance to sing in films like ‘Raffoochakkar’ and ‘Agni Prem’. In this regard, I would also like to take Kumar Sanu’s name. He too would always tell me that my entry into this field had been a very good one. He would often say, in his typical Bengali accent, “Sangita, you have a bright future. Your entry into the industry has been good. You just keep singing; I will help you out through my connections as well”. During her stay in Mumbai she had come into close contacts with the likes of Yesudas, Jagjit Singh, Y.S. Moolki besides Abhijit(with whom she has sung a few songs as well)Yet, in spite of all this, when the time arrived for her to take the momentous decision of her future course of action in life she left behind her all the razzmatazz of Mumbai and returned home. But wasn’t it a hard decision to make-leaving all the glitz and glamour of Mumbai, especially in view of the fact that she was inching closer to a really big break in the industry? Does not she ever have any regret as such, especially when she sees some of her contemporaries really making it big... for instance, Babul Supriyo? “Absolutely not” comes the immediate reply, “you see life in Mumbai is extremely tough and expensive. To sustain yourself there you need to have a definite income of your own. And to make it to the big league as soon as you enter the industry is near impossibility, especially in those days when we didn’t have contests in such a grand scale as the Indian Idol or the Sa-Re-Ga-Ma Voice of India Challenge. At that time even if you gave a big hit you needed to keep doing the rounds of the offices of the eminent music directors and filmmakers to remind them constantly that you were so-and-so and you had given so-and-so hit song. Only after such repeated/prolonged attempts you stood a chance of getting a big break. This takes away a big chunk of your time; and often many a talented singer’s voice was spoilt after years of prolonged attempts with success still eluding them. So despite the fact that my entry might have been good, yet I was still far from the highest levels of success which I aimed at, and I didn’t want to take a chance-- whereas I had already created a field for myself here in Asom (although I was Based in Mumbai at that time, my songs were quite popular throughout the state). Also, music is my anweshan—language is not the chief criterion, nor is commercial success a prerequisite for my dedication to music. Besides I have always had a firm attachment to my roots, to the traditions, customs et al of my state”. Taking a deep breath, she sums up, “and thus I was back in the midst of my own people, and returning, I embarked upon a full-fledged career in singing here. And touchwood, the audience, especially my fans have showered such love on me that I feel blessed... I cannot tell you how thankful I am to my fans, whose undying support has been my constant source of motivation all these years. In other words”, she ends with a happy sigh, “I have no regret as such for leaving Mumbai then”.
Just then, the tea things arrive, and there is a slight detour in the conversation/interaction. It gives me a chance to look around the artistically done sitting room. On the four walls there are several paintings, which immediately draws my attention and raises baideo in my estimation: for each of those paintings, as is apparent from the signatures at the bottom, is done by baideo herself.
Tea over,we pick up the discourse up from where it had been suspended temporarily, I venture to ask about her subsequent days in Asomiya music industry, and whether her marriage had been any impediment upon her career. To the later query, she replies at once, “No, No, never. In fact, it has been the unconditional/constant support of my in-laws, especially my husband that has enabled me to continue with my musical pursuits. Especially after Geet and Jhumpa came to our lives, my husband has shouldered equal responsibility of our children, despite the demands of his job”. her husband Rajib Prakash Baruah is an ACS officer, and currently a high-ranking official in the Asom Government.. Shecontinues, “after marriage a wife needs the support of her in-laws, especially her husband.many a talented girl’s career is curtailed owing simply to the lack of support. It is sad that even in the 21st century there are many instances of this...in my case after my marriage I continued my studies as well. I did my B.Ed. from Gauhati University and then M.Ed. from Himachal Pradesh University besides a P.G. Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from M.S.P.I., New Delhi”.After completing her studies, for eight years she served as a lecturer in the K.R.D. College of Education, Chaygaon. Currently, she is a visiting lecturer of the Institute of Mass Communication and Media, Guwahati and Regional Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication (RIJAM), Guwahati, Asom. All this in addition to a successful career in music. Over the last fifteen years she has rendered her voice into more than eight hundred audio albums, in Asomiya, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Bodo and Karbi languages, apart from Goalpariya Lokageet (although she hasn’t done any album till date, she is interested in working on the same in the future). Some of her abums include--‘Protikhya’, ‘Aparup’, ‘Jahnavi’, ‘Sangita’, ‘Sirojugamiya Geet’. She has also music direction in several Audio and Video albums (for example ‘Jahnavi’ and ‘Sangita’). A ‘B high’ Grade Artist of All India Radio Guwahati and Mumbai, she is a regular artist of Doordarshan Kendra Guwahati, Programme Production Centre, DDK, Guwahati, North-East Television and all other private TV Channels of Assam. As a playback singer she has rendered her voice for several Asomiya films that includes ‘Natun Dinar Babe’ by Nurul Haque, ‘Son Pokhili’ by Nurul Haque and Amar Bordoloi, ‘Eti Koli Duti Paat’ by Nayan Moni Baruah, ‘Prem Protisruti’ by Pokhila Kalita, ‘Seuji Dharani Dhuniya’ by Rajib Bhattacharjee, ‘Jyotiprasad’ by Charu Kamal Hazarika, Nip Baruah’s ‘Meghor Mukhor Rode’ among others. She has also sung in many documentary films, TV serials, Telefilms, VCD films etc. As for stage shows she has performed through the entire expanse of the state. Outside the state, she has performed in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Shillong, Tripura, Manipur and Dhaka, among others. As regards awards, she informs this writer that apart from the EMPA Award way back in 1988, she has also won the ‘Best Presentation Award’ in the popular Asomiya Musical TV serial ‘Geetimalika’ (that was broadcast in Guwahati Doordarshan) in the year 2000. In 2002 she won the ‘Best Singer Award’ in the Assam Sports and Cultural Festival.
Discussion veers of towards the National Games, where she had sung the theme song ‘Rongmon Rongmon’ and which has turned out to be a chartbuster. In fact Sangita baideo says that this song has become so popular that post- National Games wherever she has gone to perform the audience has always demanded of her to sing the song. The moment she starts humming the song, the audience too starts to sing it. She admits that when she was singing this song she had not the slightest idea that this song would turn out to be so massively popular. As a matter of fact this song was originally a part of the album ‘Swagotom Rashtriyo Krira 2005’ which was brought out to create awareness and generate enthusiasm amongst the people of the state regarding the 33rd edition of the National Games that was supposed to be held in Guwahati in 2005. the songs having were composed by the likes of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Dr. Mamoni Raysam Goswami and Dr. Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi. She had also performed in the Cultural programmes in the Games Village precints from 7th to 10th February, 2007. In this context Sangita baideo tells an interesting story: “A couple of months before the National Games, one evening, I got a call from Power Minister and Chairman of Reception Committee of the National Games, Mr. Pradyut Bordoloi. He wanted to know if I could within these two months, prepare a group of my own and prepare at least one popular song in each of the twenty-five languages of the 33 participating states. So that those states could be welcomed with a popular number from their own home states. Of course research and the preparations were all my own responsibility. That was undoubtedly a big challenge, for the songs had to be not only popular, but ones which would endear to the participants (for they were all young men and women), but the meaning also needed to be one which would suit the occasion, besides the pronunciation too needed to be correct. And that was a daunting task especially with respect to the Southern Languages, which seem quite identical and tongue-twisting to people who aren’t familiar with the languages. Nonetheless, we managed to compile and learn ourselves (to the utmost perfection possible). I had formed a team of my own in which I included Ajanta Das and my regular accompanying musicians. For the purpose of collecting lists of songs of the different languages, we made extensive use of the internet, I also received unequivocql support from all quarters that I approached—that was the best part about it. When the time arrived to perform before the participants from different states, the response was so overwhelming, that I fail to express them through words: it was simply and truly touching. Those young boys and girls were having the fun of their lives. They would demand me to sing this hit number and that hit number: as though I were an expert on all vernacular languages (laughs). They didn’t even go up to have their meals. They would just sit and enjoy or else dance and jump about, as though it wasn’t a National Games they had come to attend rather some big party. It was truly, an experience of a lifetime. In fact many of the young girls enjoyed it so much that they had some traditional delicacies of their home states brought in (because during those days, there was continually somebody or other coming in from the different states into Asom) and gifted me. It was so touching.... Realising that I cannot take much more of her time, I hurry off to the last few queries I have in mind, and without which this interview would probably be incomplete. Of all of her songs, which happen to be closest to her heart?I enquire. "Well", she replies, "each of my songs are dear to me, but some of those which are closest to my heart include 'Jaay Bahir Sure', 'Nokhe Maati Lekhi', 'Mitha Mitha Moromor', 'Sou Kopou Pahi Sinu Kenekoi', 'Nasoni Botahe', and of course 'Rongmon Rongmon''
After about fifteen years in this field, what is her opinion about the current trend of singers who are seen to be cropping up in multitudes, as also on the present state of affairs in the musical scenario-which has developed into an era of remixes. and what is her advice to budding singers? To this, she simply replies that there can be no substitute to hard work, dedication, what she terms 'saadhona'--and of course a dash of good luck. However, in her opinion, the most important prerequisite for any person to be a singer is to be in possession of talent, which is God-gifted. For sans talent, the others are meaningless. However, the problem today is that people crave for overnight success. To be able to sing properly, a classical base is absolutely essential; for it is the classical base which ensures longevity to the singer, for only constant and rigorous practice enables the singer to maintain the quality of his voice. Neither children nor their parents are concerned with all this: it is often seen that after attending a few days of music classes, parents send their children to perform on stage, often to the accompaniment of Glamorous outfits. In fact glamour has now come to dominate the musical scenario. Through flashy dresses many singers try to draw attention towards themselves. This, she believes doesn't augur well for music. But then this is the state of affairs right now. She is personally not in favour of remixes, for she belives that the exalted heights Lata-ji and Asha-ji has carried cannot possibly be emulated by anyone else, try as they might. Thus, to sing their songs, when their original records are available, is meaningless. On top of that most wannabe singers in the hope of being noticed by singing remixes end up distorting the original songs. She consider, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and Lata Mangeshkar as her favourite singers. She also loves listening to the renditions of the doyens of the world of music, viz. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Runa Laila, Mehdi Hasan, besides the recitals of Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. She also is a big fan of Pakistani artists.
Apart from her professional work she is also involved in several socio-cultural organisations like 'Aradhana'rendering service to people of interior regions as well as under priviledged children. As an artist, she goes regularly to interior regions to entertain the people, and she charges not a farthing for that. In this manner she has performed numerous such shows not only in interior areas but also in Central Jail, amongst invalid children and so on. She has also been intimately involved in Ashadeep and North East Network.
It is already quite late, and what with the ULFA raising day and bomb blasts around, I know that my folks back home would be a worried lot, for hers was my last assignment of the day. But then the interaction with this graceful lady (who is sweetness personified) has been so inspiring that the couple odd hours virtually flew by, as yours truly sit, enraptured by the lady's reminiscences,as she traversed her journey down memory lane, expressed in words which were but sweeter than honey.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Interesting Insights
The cherub of a hundred birds welcome you as you step into the lush green campus, popularly known as IAS officers' colony… in the City's Jayanagar area. For half a moment, I forget myself. For it is not everyday that you get to enjoy such delightful voices, the concrete jungle that the City is fast transforming into. Yet, reminds an inner voice, it is not everyday that you get the opportunity to interview a top-notch officer in the administration. So I hasten to my destination; this time, yours truly's ramblings take her to Mr. Rajiv Bora, Commissioner, Home Department, Government of Asom.
The son of Tea Executive Tarun Chandra Bora and Rajlaxmi Bora, Mr. Bora's early years were spent in the beautiful tea gardens. Surrounded by the lush green of the tea bushes, swaying to the beats of the maadol, life in those days was a simple affair. However, lack of proper educational facilities in the tea garden areas saw him packed off to a boarding school St. Andrews at Darjeeling after which, he was shifted over to Mao College, Ajmer from where he completed his schooling. Shifting base to the National Capital, Mr. Bora did his B.A. in Economics from Sri Ram College of Commerce followed up by a Masters in the same discipline from the Delhi School of Economics. After completing his Masters, he worked as a research Assistant in the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. For 6 months, he also taught at the Sri Ram College of Commerce, his alma mater. However, interest in the Services soon led him to the IAS Entrance Examinations. In 1985, he cracked through the tough IAS Entrance Exams, in the very first attempt, securing eighth rank in the All-India level.
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It was his zeal to serve his roots that had inspired Mr. Rajiv Bora to take up the Services as a career. Having spent the greater part of the formative phase of his life outside the state, Mr. Bora now wanted to return to Assam and render his services to his home state. It is however significant that with such a brilliant academic career behind him he could have easily got a job in any top-notch organization in India, or even abroad .Yet he chose to serve his country, and that too his home state, which albeit one of the most beautiful has also been one plagued by maladies of a myriad hues... .IAS for Mr. Rajiv Bora is thus much more than just a job: it is a fulfillment of a dream, a commitment towards his vibrant state, and its diverse peoples… He joined the Services in 1985 and his first posting was at Hailakandi as the Sub-Divisional Officer (S.D.O.), Civil. Since then , he has served in various capacities: from being Deputy Secretary, Finance to Secretary, Industries Department to being Deputy Commissioner of the districts of Darrang and Barpeta to Secretary, Finance to Commissioner Finance and then to (the present) Commissioner, Home Department, it has been an interesting twenty-two years in service. Of the many diverse experiences during this period, some of the most memorable include-- his stint as the Secretary, Finance during the Financial Crisis of the late Nineties (1998-2000). The Financial Crisis had been one of the worst economic crises the state has ever faced. "Still" Mr. Bora says, "We not only managed to tide over the crises but also succeeded in gathering financial support from the Asian Development Bank", in which he had played a crucial role. Mr.Bora was also involved in the Fiscal Reforms Programme besides assuming the post of Chairman of the Second State Finance Commission. Other memorable experiences include his stints as Deputy Commissioner in the districts of Darrang and Barpeta. The former was at the height of the counter-insurgency operations: Darrang along with Nalbari was the very hotbed of insurgency. Presence of several insurgent outfits, especially in those regions made matters only worse... Casualties were on the rise and hardly a week went by without a major occurrence. "We could hardly catch a wink during those days", Mr.Bora remisces, "yet we managed to eventually bring the situation under considerable control". The other experience was as the DC in Barpeta, where the administration was able to contain the after-effects of the ill-fated Babri Masjid demolition (in 1992). Demography of the district had made it highly vulnerable to the divisive forces. There were reports of damage to religious places of worship at various places. It was a tentative situation-- a slight spark could set off a massive fire-- and the administration was on tenterhooks. However, he sums up with satisfaction; the administration was successful in containing the turmoil and in preventing outbreak of any major trouble. "Of course", he adds "this would not have been possible but for active cooperation from members of the different sections of the society, especially the two religious communities".
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In between, Mr. Bora also completed his MS in Finance under ANM University, Texas, USA. This was in 1996-97, and it was funded by a World Bank Fellowship. A few years later, he was awarded a Masters in Political Science and another in International and Area Studies under the University of California, Berkeley. Speaking about his experiences in the United States, Mr.Bora says, "Actually, being a part of the American educational system in particular and the American way of life in general
has been a revelation in many ways. Their integrity, zeal for life, independence of spirit, straight forwardness, their inquisitiveness and above all their professionalism--it is incredible. Their education system is especially wonderful; it lays emphasis on practical over theoretical knowledge and encourages students to be self-dependent, thereby laying solid foundations in the students (the future of any society)". "Besides", he continues, "There is a tremendous amount of research taking place in the Universities there, and the sheer range of topics of research is overwhelming. You will not believe it but there is research going on the Bodo language in the Department of Linguistics in the University of California, Berkeley, not to speak of other kinds of research on different aspects of Assamese culture and other cultures of the North East. In many cases, people researching here need to go over to Berkeley or contact the people out there to collect requisite information/resource material". Among other things, the American spirit of charity and their tremendous respect for other cultures are also remarkable. Besides, unlike the popular assumption, the Americans are a very family-/community -oriented lot, he adds.
Elaborating on the American educational system, Mr. Bora says thus--"Education in America is an enjoyable experience. The rote system of learning that is the norm in India is practically unheard of out there. Besides, classroom teaching there is more about discussions/interaction rather than the teacher lecturing and the students taking down notes. At all levels, students are encouraged to challenge the established body of knowledge--it might include works of the greatest masters in the discipline. In a nutshell, education is research-oriented: students do all the research work and the teacher is simply the facilitator. Another significant feature of the American education system is the virtual absence of textbooks". To which Mrs. Jonali Bora, his better half adds that right from the primary level, students are encouraged to form their own opinions through observation, understanding and analysis; parents are not expected to help their wards in their homework. Mrs. Bora, who had worked as a Teaching Assistant in ANM University, Texas for sometime(before they had to return to India) says that the marking system there is the opposite of what we have here. Instead of starting from 0 and adding marks with each question, the markings start from 100 and the teacher deducts marks accordingly, so that the student is made aware of his flaws/shortcomings. Thus, there is no scope for any arbitrariness in the marking scheme.
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There is a slight detour in the conversation as tea arrives…discussion veers towards his family. Herself an alumnus from Cotton College, Mrs. Jonali Bora is a lecturer of English at the City's K.R.B. College. Speaking about his wife, Mr. Rajiv Bora says that she has been more of a friend in the truest sense--providing rock-solid support to him at each and every step. (This warm camaraderie was apparent even during the interview)Mr. and Mrs. Bora are proud parents to young Aditya, a fifth grader in Delhi Public School and little Aparna who studies in Excel Kindergarten. Not surprisingly, Aditya too dreams of being an IAS officer like his father when he grows up, rendering (selfless) service towards his state.
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Tea over, we return to the discussion. On being queried about the vexed insurgency problem (which has been probably the biggest obstacle in the way of Assam's development along with floods), Mr. Bora in his slow steady manner speaks thus-- "Ours is a heterogeneous society, unlike most other countries of the world. This heterogeneity is itself a big challenge to the nation's integrity. Over this, external influences like lack of infrastructure, geographical isolation (of the North East from the rest of the country), difficult terrain, the high propensity of floods, lack of proper/adequate employment opportunities contribute towards the slackened pace of development which generate a general sentiment of deprivation amongst the people...(which is but natural)". Along with this, there has also been the problem of political marginalization/identity crisis of certain sections of society, which has added to the disgruntlement already brewing in the people. In fact, Mr. Bora opines, it is because different sections consider themselves marginalized that they take to various means to voice their protest, armed conflict being one of them--which aims especially at achieving certain political ends... Yet, Mr.Bora is optimistic that a day will definitely come, when all these youths would come back to the mainstream and put an end to this orgy of violence. "For", he says, "we are in a transitory phase. Once economic upliftment sets in, these aggrieved people will be satisfied, and will cease to have complaints against the State. In such a case, the insurgent outfits too will be isolated from mainstream of the particular community's consciousness--thereby losing their stronghold over the masses". That will make it easier for the State to tackle the matter. Violence can never be a solution to any problem--rather it creates newer problems. . Tourism and horticulture are areas where there is tremendous scope for development. With expanding economy, the demand and scope for youths being misguided is reduced drastically. He adds that things have started to look up a bit in recent times. The government has formulated various policies in this regard. Packages for different sections of society (especially the economically backward/weaker ones) have been allotted. Besides talks are on with various insurgent outfits, with several of them declaring ceasefire in recent times which is a very healthy development. Besides the civil society has a very important part to play in this: the different communities should be able to reconcile their differences through discussion. Also there should be an alliance between civil society n the State since they go together: one cannot solve the problem sans the other. This is true not only for insurgency, but for all round development of the society.
* * *
Compared to other parts of the country, Assam has produced far lesser number of IAS officers despite there being no dearth of talent. Especially in the last 15years or so, the scene has been particularly dismal. Queried by this writer, Mr. Bora opines that the educational scenario today lacks any kind of competitive environment, which is so essential for deriving the best out of a student. There seems a general complacency, which, he believes does not augur well for the educational scenario. Besides people, still prefer the (more) popular options like Medical and Engineering. With the IT boom, a host of other employment opportunities has flooded the market in recent times. All this has contributed to a chunk of the students veering in directions other than the ones leading to the IAS. Also, Mr.Bora feels that most people here treat the IAS to be some kind of a gamble. Therefore, the kind of (half-hearted) preparation that goes in does not bring them success. The education system (especially the syllabus) too, he believes is not geared towards the IAS Entrance Examinations; quite unlike states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where the syllabi is IAS-oriented. In addition, students here do not have the right kind of guidance nor do they know how to go about. Still Mr. Bora does not believe that interest towards IAS has shown signs of lessening among the student fraternity...
On the kind of preparation that goes into cracking these prestigious examinations, Mr. Bora has this to say--firstly, the student must decide beforehand(in fact much earlier) that they want to appear the IAS Examinations--and prepare themselves accordingly. At the same time, the student needs to be careful in choosing the Optional subjects; he/she should know which subjects suit him/her the most. In addition, most students make the mistake of skipping some topics during preparations. Since there is no shortcut to success, it is imperative upon the student to cover the entire syllabus. Also, group discussions (by forming Study Groups with like-minded people) are of immense help--for it clarifies the student's conceptions and broadens his horizons of knowledge. Such study groups helps one develops a sense of confidence. As for coaching institutes (which is so much in vogue today), he does not believe that coaching is compulsory. If one has clear conceptions and confidence in oneself, one can probably do without coaching. (It is worth mentioning that Mr. Bora had cracked the exams without coaching).Also an IAS aspirant needs to have a strong base of General Knowledge for that one needs to be well-read. What matters ultimately is hard work and a strong and clear conception of the basics, wide range of knowledge and confidence in ones ability.
The chill wintry air pricks you hard as you step out of the warmth of the Bora household. The birds have long fallen silent. However, I can hear a voice chirruping delightfully within --enriched that it is with a wonderful evening of interesting insights.
Stuti Goswami
The son of Tea Executive Tarun Chandra Bora and Rajlaxmi Bora, Mr. Bora's early years were spent in the beautiful tea gardens. Surrounded by the lush green of the tea bushes, swaying to the beats of the maadol, life in those days was a simple affair. However, lack of proper educational facilities in the tea garden areas saw him packed off to a boarding school St. Andrews at Darjeeling after which, he was shifted over to Mao College, Ajmer from where he completed his schooling. Shifting base to the National Capital, Mr. Bora did his B.A. in Economics from Sri Ram College of Commerce followed up by a Masters in the same discipline from the Delhi School of Economics. After completing his Masters, he worked as a research Assistant in the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. For 6 months, he also taught at the Sri Ram College of Commerce, his alma mater. However, interest in the Services soon led him to the IAS Entrance Examinations. In 1985, he cracked through the tough IAS Entrance Exams, in the very first attempt, securing eighth rank in the All-India level.
* * *
It was his zeal to serve his roots that had inspired Mr. Rajiv Bora to take up the Services as a career. Having spent the greater part of the formative phase of his life outside the state, Mr. Bora now wanted to return to Assam and render his services to his home state. It is however significant that with such a brilliant academic career behind him he could have easily got a job in any top-notch organization in India, or even abroad .Yet he chose to serve his country, and that too his home state, which albeit one of the most beautiful has also been one plagued by maladies of a myriad hues... .IAS for Mr. Rajiv Bora is thus much more than just a job: it is a fulfillment of a dream, a commitment towards his vibrant state, and its diverse peoples… He joined the Services in 1985 and his first posting was at Hailakandi as the Sub-Divisional Officer (S.D.O.), Civil. Since then , he has served in various capacities: from being Deputy Secretary, Finance to Secretary, Industries Department to being Deputy Commissioner of the districts of Darrang and Barpeta to Secretary, Finance to Commissioner Finance and then to (the present) Commissioner, Home Department, it has been an interesting twenty-two years in service. Of the many diverse experiences during this period, some of the most memorable include-- his stint as the Secretary, Finance during the Financial Crisis of the late Nineties (1998-2000). The Financial Crisis had been one of the worst economic crises the state has ever faced. "Still" Mr. Bora says, "We not only managed to tide over the crises but also succeeded in gathering financial support from the Asian Development Bank", in which he had played a crucial role. Mr.Bora was also involved in the Fiscal Reforms Programme besides assuming the post of Chairman of the Second State Finance Commission. Other memorable experiences include his stints as Deputy Commissioner in the districts of Darrang and Barpeta. The former was at the height of the counter-insurgency operations: Darrang along with Nalbari was the very hotbed of insurgency. Presence of several insurgent outfits, especially in those regions made matters only worse... Casualties were on the rise and hardly a week went by without a major occurrence. "We could hardly catch a wink during those days", Mr.Bora remisces, "yet we managed to eventually bring the situation under considerable control". The other experience was as the DC in Barpeta, where the administration was able to contain the after-effects of the ill-fated Babri Masjid demolition (in 1992). Demography of the district had made it highly vulnerable to the divisive forces. There were reports of damage to religious places of worship at various places. It was a tentative situation-- a slight spark could set off a massive fire-- and the administration was on tenterhooks. However, he sums up with satisfaction; the administration was successful in containing the turmoil and in preventing outbreak of any major trouble. "Of course", he adds "this would not have been possible but for active cooperation from members of the different sections of the society, especially the two religious communities".
* * *
In between, Mr. Bora also completed his MS in Finance under ANM University, Texas, USA. This was in 1996-97, and it was funded by a World Bank Fellowship. A few years later, he was awarded a Masters in Political Science and another in International and Area Studies under the University of California, Berkeley. Speaking about his experiences in the United States, Mr.Bora says, "Actually, being a part of the American educational system in particular and the American way of life in general
has been a revelation in many ways. Their integrity, zeal for life, independence of spirit, straight forwardness, their inquisitiveness and above all their professionalism--it is incredible. Their education system is especially wonderful; it lays emphasis on practical over theoretical knowledge and encourages students to be self-dependent, thereby laying solid foundations in the students (the future of any society)". "Besides", he continues, "There is a tremendous amount of research taking place in the Universities there, and the sheer range of topics of research is overwhelming. You will not believe it but there is research going on the Bodo language in the Department of Linguistics in the University of California, Berkeley, not to speak of other kinds of research on different aspects of Assamese culture and other cultures of the North East. In many cases, people researching here need to go over to Berkeley or contact the people out there to collect requisite information/resource material". Among other things, the American spirit of charity and their tremendous respect for other cultures are also remarkable. Besides, unlike the popular assumption, the Americans are a very family-/community -oriented lot, he adds.
Elaborating on the American educational system, Mr. Bora says thus--"Education in America is an enjoyable experience. The rote system of learning that is the norm in India is practically unheard of out there. Besides, classroom teaching there is more about discussions/interaction rather than the teacher lecturing and the students taking down notes. At all levels, students are encouraged to challenge the established body of knowledge--it might include works of the greatest masters in the discipline. In a nutshell, education is research-oriented: students do all the research work and the teacher is simply the facilitator. Another significant feature of the American education system is the virtual absence of textbooks". To which Mrs. Jonali Bora, his better half adds that right from the primary level, students are encouraged to form their own opinions through observation, understanding and analysis; parents are not expected to help their wards in their homework. Mrs. Bora, who had worked as a Teaching Assistant in ANM University, Texas for sometime(before they had to return to India) says that the marking system there is the opposite of what we have here. Instead of starting from 0 and adding marks with each question, the markings start from 100 and the teacher deducts marks accordingly, so that the student is made aware of his flaws/shortcomings. Thus, there is no scope for any arbitrariness in the marking scheme.
* * *
There is a slight detour in the conversation as tea arrives…discussion veers towards his family. Herself an alumnus from Cotton College, Mrs. Jonali Bora is a lecturer of English at the City's K.R.B. College. Speaking about his wife, Mr. Rajiv Bora says that she has been more of a friend in the truest sense--providing rock-solid support to him at each and every step. (This warm camaraderie was apparent even during the interview)Mr. and Mrs. Bora are proud parents to young Aditya, a fifth grader in Delhi Public School and little Aparna who studies in Excel Kindergarten. Not surprisingly, Aditya too dreams of being an IAS officer like his father when he grows up, rendering (selfless) service towards his state.
* * *
Tea over, we return to the discussion. On being queried about the vexed insurgency problem (which has been probably the biggest obstacle in the way of Assam's development along with floods), Mr. Bora in his slow steady manner speaks thus-- "Ours is a heterogeneous society, unlike most other countries of the world. This heterogeneity is itself a big challenge to the nation's integrity. Over this, external influences like lack of infrastructure, geographical isolation (of the North East from the rest of the country), difficult terrain, the high propensity of floods, lack of proper/adequate employment opportunities contribute towards the slackened pace of development which generate a general sentiment of deprivation amongst the people...(which is but natural)". Along with this, there has also been the problem of political marginalization/identity crisis of certain sections of society, which has added to the disgruntlement already brewing in the people. In fact, Mr. Bora opines, it is because different sections consider themselves marginalized that they take to various means to voice their protest, armed conflict being one of them--which aims especially at achieving certain political ends... Yet, Mr.Bora is optimistic that a day will definitely come, when all these youths would come back to the mainstream and put an end to this orgy of violence. "For", he says, "we are in a transitory phase. Once economic upliftment sets in, these aggrieved people will be satisfied, and will cease to have complaints against the State. In such a case, the insurgent outfits too will be isolated from mainstream of the particular community's consciousness--thereby losing their stronghold over the masses". That will make it easier for the State to tackle the matter. Violence can never be a solution to any problem--rather it creates newer problems. . Tourism and horticulture are areas where there is tremendous scope for development. With expanding economy, the demand and scope for youths being misguided is reduced drastically. He adds that things have started to look up a bit in recent times. The government has formulated various policies in this regard. Packages for different sections of society (especially the economically backward/weaker ones) have been allotted. Besides talks are on with various insurgent outfits, with several of them declaring ceasefire in recent times which is a very healthy development. Besides the civil society has a very important part to play in this: the different communities should be able to reconcile their differences through discussion. Also there should be an alliance between civil society n the State since they go together: one cannot solve the problem sans the other. This is true not only for insurgency, but for all round development of the society.
* * *
Compared to other parts of the country, Assam has produced far lesser number of IAS officers despite there being no dearth of talent. Especially in the last 15years or so, the scene has been particularly dismal. Queried by this writer, Mr. Bora opines that the educational scenario today lacks any kind of competitive environment, which is so essential for deriving the best out of a student. There seems a general complacency, which, he believes does not augur well for the educational scenario. Besides people, still prefer the (more) popular options like Medical and Engineering. With the IT boom, a host of other employment opportunities has flooded the market in recent times. All this has contributed to a chunk of the students veering in directions other than the ones leading to the IAS. Also, Mr.Bora feels that most people here treat the IAS to be some kind of a gamble. Therefore, the kind of (half-hearted) preparation that goes in does not bring them success. The education system (especially the syllabus) too, he believes is not geared towards the IAS Entrance Examinations; quite unlike states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where the syllabi is IAS-oriented. In addition, students here do not have the right kind of guidance nor do they know how to go about. Still Mr. Bora does not believe that interest towards IAS has shown signs of lessening among the student fraternity...
On the kind of preparation that goes into cracking these prestigious examinations, Mr. Bora has this to say--firstly, the student must decide beforehand(in fact much earlier) that they want to appear the IAS Examinations--and prepare themselves accordingly. At the same time, the student needs to be careful in choosing the Optional subjects; he/she should know which subjects suit him/her the most. In addition, most students make the mistake of skipping some topics during preparations. Since there is no shortcut to success, it is imperative upon the student to cover the entire syllabus. Also, group discussions (by forming Study Groups with like-minded people) are of immense help--for it clarifies the student's conceptions and broadens his horizons of knowledge. Such study groups helps one develops a sense of confidence. As for coaching institutes (which is so much in vogue today), he does not believe that coaching is compulsory. If one has clear conceptions and confidence in oneself, one can probably do without coaching. (It is worth mentioning that Mr. Bora had cracked the exams without coaching).Also an IAS aspirant needs to have a strong base of General Knowledge for that one needs to be well-read. What matters ultimately is hard work and a strong and clear conception of the basics, wide range of knowledge and confidence in ones ability.
The chill wintry air pricks you hard as you step out of the warmth of the Bora household. The birds have long fallen silent. However, I can hear a voice chirruping delightfully within --enriched that it is with a wonderful evening of interesting insights.
Stuti Goswami
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