Where and What is North East India

States constituting the North East-India
Assam
Arunachal Pradesh
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Manipur
Nagaland
Sikkim
Tripura

Area: 2,55168 sq km
Population: 40 million. Brahmaputra valley land (of Assam) is the most populated, and houses almost half of population of North-East India.

Religion: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity.

Currency: Indian Rupee (INR).

Languages Spoken
Hindi, English, Assamese, Garo, Jaintia, Khasi, Bengali, Mizo, Manipuri, Nagamese, Lepcha, Limboo, Bhutia (Sikkimese), Bhutia (Tibetan), and several other local dialects.

Culture and People
The North-East India is home to varied number of tribal groups (almost 166). Each tribes has their own distinct culture, which gives them a unique cultural identity. Numerous of art forms and festivals of the region are intrinsic part of its rich culture and tradition. Many of festivals like Bihu, Jhum Cultivation, Ke Pemblang, Nongkrem, Durga Puja and Karchi Puja are some of the most important festivals, which are mirror to rich socio-cultural life of North-East India.

Dance forms like Garia, Bizu, Hai Hak and Manipuri are essential part of cultural and religious celebration of North-eastern tribes. Performed in groups, music and dance forms of North-east are fine feast for travelers to watch.

North East India Cuisine
Though North-East India is very rich in its food culture, but it differs vastly from rest of the country in its taste as well as flavours. Each of states have almost same fooding behaviour. Normally, inhabitants of the region are non-vegetarian, and fond of spice. Bamboo Shoots and dishes prepared from Ducks are in vogue in the region.

In some part of North-East India, animals are considered to be good diet. In Nagaland, most of the dogs have fallen prey to local tribes. In Tripura and Assam, fish are the favourite dish. While in Assam, various forms of rice are consumed. Recipes like Assam Laksa Stock, Koat Pitha, Bamboo Shoot Fry, Fish Fried Rice, Grilled Shrimps and Poora Mach are some of the most famous cuisine of North-East India.

Attractions to Ponder
Shrouded by mighty Himalayan hills, the entire North-East region is believed to be one of the most beautiful region in South Asia in terms of fetching immense opportunities of ecotourism. The dense forests lying in foothills of Himalayan hills are stunning in their natural beauty, and are home to many of wildlife parks including Manas National Park and Kaziranga National Park, which are natural World Heritage Site. Besides, numerous of lovely waterfalls and caves are another beautiful attraction of the wonderful land of North-East India.

Activities you can enroll into
Regarded as one of the best geographical regions to enjoy eco adventurous in the entire South Asia, North-East Asia is indeed paradise for nature lovers. Well off natural heritage including line of Himalayan hills, pervasive dense forests, lovely waterfalls and caves let tourist indulge into a number of activities. The best one can pick up while o touring to North-East region is eco adventure activities like Trekking, White Water Rafting, Mountaineering, Wildlife Explorations and Para-Gliding.

Paradise for travelers
Termed aptly as hidden treasure of India, North-East India is one of the most significant region of South-Asia in terms of availability of eco tourism opportunities. As the whole region is abode to majestic Himalayan hills, beautiful valleys and dense forests, the opportunity of nature based tourism is immense. Abundance of eco activities like Trekking, Rafting, Nature Walk, Jungle Exploration and Wildlife Viewing indulge tourists predominantly in discovering the exquisite natural heritage of the region.

Soruce:http://www.north-east-india.com/information/what_where.html

Assamese language has unifying influence: Terang

A Correspondent JORHAT, Jan 13 – Noted litterateur and president-elect of Asam Sahitya Sabha Rongbong Terang has strongly endorsed the unifying influence which Assamese as a medium of expression wields in literary and social circles. It is a sweet language which has been enriched by several sources, including those originating from different tribes and clans, he said. Terang, whose mother tongue is Karbi, writes in Assamese.The retired college teacher was interacting with reporters on the sidelines of the open session at the end of the three-day 13th biennial conference of Jorhat Zilla Sahitya Sabha held at Raidangjuri Nagabat Higher Secondary School in Raidangjuri under Titabor subdivision on Sunday. Kanak Chandra Sharma, the newly-elected vice president of Asam Sahitya Sabha, and Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi, the new general secretary, were felicitated in the open session along with Terang. The new office-bearers of the apex literary body of the State will formally take over charge at its forthcoming session at Dhemaji next month. Reposing his trust in Asam Sahitya Sabha, Terang said that it would strive to bridge the gap between the people of Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley. He called for the extension of literary activities to neighbouring States like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland. “Through the platform of Asam Sahitya Sabha, we can strengthen the age-old ties of unity and brotherhood and end the divisive tendencies in the region,” he maintained. The Padmashree awardee said that he has been overwhelmed by the love and support the people have given him since his election as the chief of Asam Sahitya Sabha. “Though I feel hesitant to sail in the mighty Brahmaputra, the cooperation of the people will guide me in the voyage,” he added rhetorically.On the differences among different linguistic groups and ethnic communities of the State, Terang expressed the hope that they would rally around Asam Sahitya Sabha and unite in bonds of brotherhood. When asked to comment on any possible role for the literary body to resolve insurgency and boundary disputes, the writer termed these as “political issues.” However, as literature has no boundaries, it may play a unifying part, he said. The new Asam Sahitya Sabha president laid the foundation stone of the office of Raidangjuri Sahitya Samaj in a separate function. President of Deori Sahitya Sabha Nripen Deori and former president of Mising Sahitya Sabha Chengaram Morang also addressed the open session. The former stressed the need for cultivating a love for language and literature to preserve identity and build unity. Educationist Sonadhar Rajkhowa, president of the reception committee of the open session, delivered the welcome speech and also read out a message from Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. There was a change of guard as the new office-bearers of Jorhat Zilla Sahitya Sabha took over from their predecessors for the session, 2009-2011. source: assam tribune

Assam, Assamese will survive: Gogoi

Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – The Assamese nationality and the State of Assam will survive in the days to come and nothing can pose threat to their existence, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the State Assembly here today. He was taking part in the debate on the supplementary demand for grant of the Police Department.Gogoi said that there should not be any attempt at harping on corruption in the Police Department. For, this will send a wrong signal to the people. He however, admitted that corruption was there in the Department.Contrary to the allegations of the Opposition, he said that in the counrty, officers of the Assam Police were known as the most efficient ones.Asserting that there was no political interference in the functioning of the Police Department, he said that there was no formal complaint of such interferences. He also apprised the House that the State Government was going to introduce a bill limiting the tenure of the officers and personnel of the Department at a place to two years, going by an order of the Supreme Court of India.The Government is also setting up a police academy to train up the officers and personnel of the Department in a better manner and a committee has been set up to suggest measures to brighten up the image of the Department, he said.Commenting on the manpower shortage in the Department, he said that new police battalions were being set up, but, here, fund crunch was posing problems. The State Government wants that the Central Government should bear 50 per cent of the burden against the salaries of the officers and personnel employed in these battalions for the next ten years, he said.He reiterated that the State Government was keen on modernising the Police Department and much modernisation of the Department had taken place under the present regime. However, in containing terrorism, cooperation of the people is also needed and people should be made security conscious, he said and asserted that confidence of the people in police had been growing these days and more feed back on the movements of the terrorists were now received from the people.He also claimed that during the seven and half-a-year rule of the Congress 1,544 people were killed in terrorist attacks, whereas during the five-year rule of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) 1,535 people were killed. At present, the terrorists are taking recourse to bomb blasts.If things were allowed to go on as they were during the AGP rule, the number of persons killed during the past seven and half-a-year would have stood at around 2,300, he claimed.In all, he said, police recovered 2,550 bombs and grenades during the rule of the present Government, said Gogoi. The Chief Minister reiterated that his Government was determined to deport the aliens and claimed that his party had no vote bank politics as alleged by the Opposition. He announced his readiness to hold a discussion on secret killing in the Assembly and also agreed to the Opposition’s suggestion that such a discussion should cover the entire period since 1991.After the speech of the Chief Minister the demand of the Police Department for a supplementary grant of Rs 1,520. 65 lakh was passed by the House. source: assam tribune