A Slice of Life at Basar, Arunachal Pradesh, India

A Slice of Life at Basar, Arunachal Pradesh, India

It was a totally different world. Far from the ceaseless cacophony of the cities where life moves in a fast forward mode. Where families huddle around dinner tables with eyes riveted on the small screens of their smartphones oblivious to those around and wired to the virtual world. Living with the Galo tribe at Basar, Arunachal Pradesh, India opened the windows to another world, far removed from the one in which we lived.

Galo Tribe – A Strong Knit Community

Here the entire family or almost the entire village huddled cozily around the fireplace in a traditional Galo village, called Sago, nestled high up in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh not far from Basar, the district headquarters of the newly formed Basar district.

The feeling of family and community is deeply entrenched in the Galo tribe and bonds run strong. The participative nature of the people in community activities like festivals are heartening and leaves a lump in the throat.

The fireplace is, of course, the fulcrum on which the activities in a Galo home revolves. We can never forget the night we spent at the Sago village when the chill air was warmed by the energetic and soulful singing of the villagers. The songs and the conversation around the fire left a lasting impression on our minds.

Galos – Connected With Nature

It is really commendable that the Galo tribe has preserved many of its traditions and rituals while at the same time embracing contemporary values.

Though traditional hunters, today, the Galo tribe no longer hunt. The hunting weapons and trophies now adorn the walls of their houses or serve as talismans, and are dusted and brought out for use during ceremonial dances that take place during festivals.

They are traditional rice farmers who live a simple but enchanting life. Their lives seem seamlessly integrated with the environment, whether it is their bamboo homes or their traditional wine Poka being drunk in bamboo stems.

Most religions originated when Man started worshipping nature, animals, and birds out of gratitude or fear. The Galos too are nature worshippers and worship the forces of nature. Their primary deities are the Sun and the Moon whom they revere under the Donyi-Polo religion.

Galos – Music Is A Way of Life

The Galo tribe may reside in a remote part of India, but they are very well connected and one interesting connection happens to be the influence of Hindi films and music.

Most if not all of the people we met were fans of Bollywood music and were ready to reel off some evergreen hits at the drop of a hat.

Music seemed to be the rhythm of their lives as we found the women workers in the fields not only singing traditional Galo songs but also some lilting Bollywood melodies.

Galo Tribe – Where The Wisdom of The Elders Still Prevails

The respect that the younger generations hold for their elders can be seen in their eyes. As we visited the different villages in and around Basar, we met many elderly people who shared their stories with us.

What we saw in the eyes of these people was something that most of us chase for our entire lives, a sense of contentment and being at peace with the world.

This was so soothing, especially if one thinks about the pointless rat race that we all seem to be running today.

Galos – Making Strides And Yet Rooted In Tradition

What is truly remarkable is that the Galos have made remarkable progress and many of them are bureaucrats and administrators. Many of the younger generations are UPSC aspirants, yet they all seem deeply rooted and attached to their indigenous culture and traditions.

At the house of Merkel Doke, who himself is a priest and a veritable oracle when it comes to the knowledge of the ancient Galo traditions, we met his daughters who have done their Masters, yet were comfortable with the traditions and customs.

Galos – Developing A Role Model For The World To Emulate

In the frantic rush for so-called development, the world is destroying many of the age-old practices across disciplines. Be it cutting trees to make way for shopping malls or the indiscriminate use of plastic, the world is destroying itself in the name of modernization and urbanization. The crying need of the hour is to achieve a balance between the traditional and the compulsions of modern life.

The Galos of Basar, Arunachal Pradesh have emerged as role models here. They have embraced elements of contemporary lifestyles while still retaining their cultural identity and traditions.

The people of Basar, Arunachal Pradesh are showing how to say no to Plastics by organizing festivals like BASCON which is plastic free and an environment-friendly festival. Children are being taught keep the environment clean and plastic free.

Environment-friendly fishing practices are being encouraged. The youth are being encouraged to spend time productively and also participate in outdoor sports.

There is so much to learn from the way the Galos live in Basar, Arunachal Pradesh and if we were to emulate at least some of the practices we could make our villages, towns, cities, and countries a better place to live!

Have you been to Northeast part of India? Do visit Basr Arunachal Pradesh in India.

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