There are three main race of Rufous Woodpecker in India, the above is of eastern Himalaya, then there is western Himalaya and south Travancore, all differing in level of colorations. I saw this bird on the outskirts of Shillong-Umsning is about an hour, from there catch an auto get down when you think is the right place to walk around (it is quite a picturesque surrounding, but i preferred denser part), though there is a nature park nearby there isn’t anything there (i met Hep who took me around the park...plz visit photo blog. Way to wish is ‘Kumno’, Hep means middle-he has younger and older siblings!). You will see narrow path crossing into forest follow it as far as you think is safe. I so much like the silence of this place that i was back again next day. People are quite friendly, unintrusive types “So there a guy taking pictures of the trees so what big deal i have my work to do”. Don’t forget to carry some grub in pocket, you will be spending few hours wandering the place and there aren’t any restaurants or anything of that sort, frankly there aren’t many people around. I learned it the hard way so was quite prepared next day and carried baked rice balls (it seems to be a Khasi delicacy...it tastes almost like mouthful of puttu, and looks like Mangalorean sannas. I also liked a sweet cooked in plantain leaf, jaggery and rice i thought...it tasted almost like the prasadam in Kerala temple, though dry and firm. Liked that one so much that i was eating it all the time!. Isn't it funny that we always a framework with us, but i am very cautious not to be prejudiced). Rufous woodpecker has all the traits of woodpecker except that its beaks are slightly curved and weak that is mostly used for catching ants as also breaking their nest, though it doesn’t prefer deep forest i did find this one similar to forest like surrounding, they prefer to feed on lower part of trees and could be seen on ground (very rare for a woodpecker). But its association with ferocious tree ants is what makes it special. They form large part of its diet, and as it encounters these ants quite often the bird smell of formic acid. Very strangely this woodpecker choose to make its nest inside the dwelling of these ferocious ants, that are thick hard black ball shaped structure that could be as big as two feet sometimes. The ant doesn’t seem to mind the bird, nor eat its egg (translucent yellow) or fledgling. The reason for this is not very clear but some refer to it as symbiotic relation as the bird doesn’t feed on the ants during roosting and also prevents other birds from feeding on the ants. It is amazing feat that what is food to each other is prevented by an interim truce. So any learning for us nice humans? Just shut up and stop looking for learnings!
The Great Khasis
Khasi is an offshoot of Mon-Khmer language, an Austro-Asiatic family (Mon of Burma and Khmer of Cambodia are known for kingdoms they created). The other language that comes under this family in India is Munda and allied languages like Santhal, Kol. That Khasi is language midway between Mon-Khmer and Munda is an indication of historical link between their speakers. It is interesting that Khasi forms an isolated Austric island in midst of languages such as Bengali, Assamese, Garo and Lalung and has not only retained its identity but is thriving. It is nothing short of miracle since Khasi doesn’t have its own script (according to legend an indigenous script was lost in flood, and that Khasi who was swimming with the script swallowed it!. Interesting!!), therefore surviving on oral traditions from ance
stors. Much through the 18th century Bengali was adopted but after the arrival of missionaries English became the permanent script (Thomas Jones) with New Testament being made available in English script. This blogger has this interesting incident to relate: In Shillong one morning i bought what i thought was a local English newspaper and settled down to read with a delicious cup of coffee “geez now what has happened to English” i thought “words do float but this is crazy. My god what’s happening to me!!”. It was a Khasi newspaper.
U Morkha Joseph is considered one of the earliest Khasi modern poets when in 1891 he published U Sir Lapalang- Khasi elegy, it had about 51 verses and he sought to combine Khasi with rules of English poetry. Here are translation of few lines
The day since first you saw the light
Until the piercing yesternight
Oh! Son i clasped you in my breast
But now I’m lonesome and no rest
Other contributors to modern Khasi literature include U Horma Rai Deingboh, U Jeebon Roy, U Rabon Singh, U Sib Charan Roy Jaid Dkhar. U Soso Tham’s Ki Khasi Poetry is given a place of eminence. Few of his translated poems
On pastoral life
And every day they move about
In the land of flowers and bee;
On the heights of pastoral grounds
A varied tune they play
On peasant women working for their livelihood
What more is there to be desired
on the whole wide world
than to get glimpses
on their divine way of life.
They are cheerful, and full of laughter
though they labour so hard
their name will live forever
in their own native land.
For thee (through all ages), they draw their life
and sleep in peace of mind
in their smoke stained huts, as if
in stately palace.
And this one my favourite poem of the lot, i loved the usage ‘joy-giving fern’ ‘twilight-darling of gods’ quite charming...
On the poet’s achievements of fame after death
(U phlang jyrngam)
In silence by the gentle streams
a joy-giving fern
remains green for a while
to send out its fragrance when faded
Tell me, oh, twilight-darling of the gods
And ye too, clouds of various hues,
Oh! tell me, where is that star
that first lighten up the sky?
Contemporary poets include Firmly Star Lyngdoh (i like that name!), Wahlang, Sondar Majaw, Jotsingh Kharwanlang, Paul Lyngdoh (also a young cabinet minister in the State).
These lines of Desmond Kharmawphlang (i am not taking all-some glimpses- since there is copyright issue...by the way my definition of copyright is when the poet/writer is living, you need their permission. It doesn’t apply to dead, since i believe only a creator has the right over created not any publisher) from the poem Last night i Dreamed
Last night i dreamed that i
was a sperm swimming in the
womb of folklore.
When a poem starts like that it has to be exceptional. The poem ends with these lines
In another lifetime, i would dream
of becoming a sperm in
the womb of poetry
Desmond Khramawphlang is strongly suggested. Tyrchiang is another poem i liked (“i whose roots draw deep from books to prop up my tribal bones”)
