The white, huge foams of the monstrous Brahmaputra and the Subansiri come surging each year. With a rage, the waters wash away villages, homes and hopes of the riverain people. This is an annual ritual for Majuli — world’s biggest river island. Caught between the fury and favours of the mighty Brahmaputra, Majuli, the shimmering mass, has been quietly witnessing the massive erosions every year. Huge chunks have been eaten up by the river constricting the land and the hopes of its inhabitants. Majuli has gradually been eroded away by the Brahmaputra in its reach from Dihingmukh to Dhansirimukh since the great earthquake of 1950. The then 1,245 sqkm Island has shrunk to some 880 sqkm by the turn of the millennium. Extensive erosion started in lower Majuli since the mid-1960s. The inhabitants are appalled to see the century-old story repeat each year while the island has remained mute spectator to man’s struggle for survival against the fury of nature. Survivors they are! More than 1.5 lakh excellent survivors. Floods they’ve learned to live with. But the loss of land — which infused in them the very life blood — has made survival difficult. People find it difficult to deal with the question: Will Majuli survive? They seem to cringe at the very thought. Everything seems uncertain. People have constantly been changing homes. When the river comes closer they move to another place. A fear psychosis has gripped the people for this insecurity. But then they still prefer to stay on the river banks. Life may be difficult here but farming is much easier. No fertilizers, no pesticides. Just the warmth of the land, sun and the river. The mighty river plays the dual role for Majuli — it’s donor and it’s tormentor. And there flows the Subansiri — her sands may not yield gold dust any more — but in her warm lap grows the dreams of future. When the rivers ebb they bring along hope. Life goes on at its own pace. The rhythm do not stray. Amidst the flood fury they prepare for the tithis of the great Vaishnavite saints Sankardev and Madhavdev. The month of Bhada in the Assamese calendar see the satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) and namghars come alive with the rhythm of daba (drum) and taal (cymbals). For the people here education goes beyond the three ‘R’s. Along with some 600 schools, the 20 satras that dot the river island preserve the colourful tapestry of Assamese culture. Here meets the sublime with the serene, the ethereal beauty with silence. It is a colourful tapestry like the colour and designs woven by the Mising women in their loom. Come winter and Majuli turns into a dreamland. The swaying of fluffy kohuas, the vast expanse of golden-yellow mustard fields, the romance of the sunsets, the chirruping choruses and fluttering of wings of the migratory birds, the tranquil note of the Oinitam — suddenly there is no better place than Majuli to live in. This summer it was not the rains that played havoc in Majuli. The jolt came when Majuli’s name was dropped from the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The UNESCO session at Christchurch, New Zealand concluded in July without Majuli being even listed for discussion. However, Majuli’s plight had over the years attracted activists of various NGOs to fight the menace. Notable among them, the AVARD-NE under the watchful eyes of Sanjoy Ghose managed to win hearts of the people with their development work. But then, Sanjoy Ghose’s activities earned him the wrath of the ULFA. He was abducted by the banned outfit never to return. With him long died the movement he spearheaded. AVARD-NE took up planting of saplings along the banks of the Brahmaputra to stop the river from swallowing more land. It is, however, interesting to note what Ghose once wrote about the ULFA and their campaign against felling of trees when recounting his Majuli days. He wrote: “Last month, a simple poster made its appearance in the bazaars: trees are valuable, don’t cut trees, protect and preserve the environment. A simple, almost rhetorical plea. But the red and yellow poster was prefaced by the symbol of a rising sun, and signed, United Liberation Front... That simple poster has had moral authority enough to stop the felling. The forest department and the police together could never have achieved this impact.” The MIPADC (Majuli Island Protection and Development Council), an NGO, founded in 1996, tried to focus the plight of the river island in various national and international forums. With the recommendation of Union Human Resource Development Ministry, MIPADC sent an initial nomination paper for the purpose of securing World Heritage Site recognition to Majuli. But the initiation failed to the utter disappointment of the Assamese people. Erosion in Majuli is the greatest threat to its existence. No doubt, the loss of this land will mark the extinction of the way of life — people who create heritage status failed to realize this. Despite all the odds — the land seem to invite regular visitors. There is a constant flow of tourists every year to this river island — to experience the way of life of the people under the bluish haze of winter. More to this — tourists are turning out to be good samaritans. ‘Preserver Majuli’ — an NGO was formed recently with two French citizens — travel writer Nadine Deltech who was in Majuli to do research for her book, Dancer Monks of the Island and Mathias Coulange. Coulange’s dream is to see Satriya dance in world stage. With his endeavour Satriya’s French rendezvous has also been fixed. Preserver Majuli has grown in strength evincing there is still hope at the end of the road.

ON MAJULI ACTION PLAN, Dilip K. Medhi
A convention of the 22 Satras, Village Councils, NGOs and the local government will be held to form a team as major stakeholders besides others.
Majuli receives more than 1,000,000 domestic tourists and more than 500 overseas tourists every year and a token tax would be collected from them. The Satras will begin to raise fund for the action plan through hosting of cultural functions in the island and outside, particularly in the different Metros of the mainland India. Moreover publicity will be conducted through Internet, broachers and booklets. Problems and opportunities of all these tourists and supporting infrastructure as shown become the problems and needs of the heritage conservation.
All indigenous vocations like silk, particularly the golden silk, textiles, mask making, pottery industry and gold ornaments will be made more attractive to the tourists.
The heritage culture tourism concept is going to upgrade the Satriya cultural heritage of Majuli, to educate the local people and Bhakats (devotees), to preserve and document the culture of the traditional ritual songs, dances, dramas and to preserve the customs and the indigenous lifestyle, and to protect the potential natural resources.
Living religious establishment and associated arts as tourism attractions
Step 1. – Review draft mission statement
Mission statement
Continuity of education
To implement the entry fee to Majuli
Establishment of potential resources
Development strategy
Improvement and promotion of arts and culture
Role of cultural heritage (religious practices, e.g. Drama, music, dance, literature)
Step 2. – Identify flagship action in each of the four model areas
Model 1 – Fiscal management
Principle: contribution from the Satras, NGOs, local government to the conservation programme
Action area:
Fund raising activities together with the annual activities ? short term
Establishment of the locally managed heritage fund
Model 2 – Investment
Principle:
Short term: user pays as principle
Long term: infrastructure standard
Action area
Short term:
Improvement of existing guest houses
Improvement of transportation
Improve local indigenous craft product
Long term
Model 3 – Employment
Principle: community education
Action area: improve vocational skill
Model 4 – Consensus building - not yet
Step 3. – Model the flow
Step 4. – Model relationship between stakeholders and actors
Identify stakeholders according to the 3 cathegories:
Tangible, eg. Arts, cratfs
Intangible: eg. Satras
Environmental heritage

THE MODEL IS A PROCESS TO BE BUILT IN

M A J U L I

Majuli: Island in the Sun
Majuli, the largest river island in the world, is a civil sub-division of Jorhat District. It is located 20 km. off Jorhat town (Asom, India). It is a pollution free fresh water island. Total area of the island was 1250 sq.km., now it is about 650 sq.km.Its length from east to west is about 90 km. & width from north to south is avg. 16 km. Majuli is a natural & cultural heritage site. With water bodies covering most of the areas , Majuli attracts plenty of birds both local & migratory. About 25—26 Satras are remaining now in Majuli of which the Satras of Kamalabari, Auniati & Garmur are worth mentioning. These Satras are propagating the religious ideology of great Assamese medieval Vaisnavite Saint Sankardeva & Madhavdeva, preaching Satria culture.

The Satras :The Vaishnava Satras were founded by Sankardeva, the father of Assamese culture. The historic and auspicious 'Manikanchan Sanjog' was the first Satra in Majuli. Subsequently 65 satras grew which propagated the ethnic and sociocultural ideals. At present there are only 22 Satras in Majuli and rest have been shifted to other safer places due to flood and erosion. These Satras are the treasure house of 'Borgeet', Matiakhara, Jumora dance, Chali dance, Noyua dance, Nande Vringee, Sutradhar, Ozapali, Apsara dance, Satria Krishna dance, Dasavater dance etc. which were contributed by Shri Sankardeva.

Majuli is the world’s biggest riverine island and a principal place of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavites of Assam since the Ahom days. There are several Satras of Vaishnava religious creed. Of these holy seats, Auniati, Daksinpath, Garamur and Kamlabari are the four most prominent. What is of special importance is its satra establishment, consisting of separate structures, built for different purposes.

Save the World Island - Majuli

Save the World Island - Majuli