As we arrived at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the enthusiastic
tone and spirited knowledge of Jay, the Winnipeg Waterways tour guide brought alive glimpses of Manitoba's rich history, the life and struggles of its great indigenous leader, the founding father of Manitoba, Louis Riel, the history and challenges of the indigenous peoples, the French, Métis and multicultural influences here, the diverse cuisines and festivals celebrated, the severity of Winnipeg winters and the sweet relief of the summer months that unfreeze these rivers...
The boat cruised along as my thoughts
drifted onto many directions settling gently on one that indulged in my childhood visits to Manabhoom, in the eastern most part of India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh where deta (my father, Ranjit Kumar Borooah) was head of an engineering project for the company he worked for. Manabhoom was a tiny township that had people working there, away from their families and there for work. I had witnessed deta transform Manabhoom into an inclusive, dynamic community with activities that nurtured mental health and a sense of belonging to assuage feelings of loneliness that workers often felt being far away from home. I remember him (and his team) building the "horbo dhormo naamghor", an all-faith prayer room where people practicing different belief systems could go and find their quiet space, then an auditorium to screen movies and other spaces that were built with locally available, environmentally sustainable materials. These structures blended into the environment in an aesthetic and visually pleasing manner. Some of these were makeshift but perfectly functional. Nothing stuck out or looked odd. A beautiful township in the middle of a remote nowhere...
The indigenous peoples in the villages surrounding Manabhoom were regularly consulted and included in activities there. Deta had dialogues with them, heard their concerns about how their children had to walk miles to get to a school and other socially persistent matters and he helped and supported them in best ways possible, connecting them to much needed resources. When the first movie was screened in the makeshift auditorium, indigenous peoples from nearby villages were invited for the screening. As the movie started, there was a huge commotion where the villagers rushed outside holding their lives dearly together...they had never seen a movie before, or anything projected on a screen ever. In those days, there was no exposure to media of any kind in that remote part of the world (except maybe an occasional community radio). Slowly and steadily, as things settled, they came back and enjoyed the movie screenings, other events and mostly, the friendships built with people in Manabhoom. To this day, so many years after deta has passed, I have heard that his photo still finds place in the sacred spaces of the homes of the indigenous villagers as the man who had listened, loved, included and befriended them.
My thoughts drifted back to the present as the boat stopped at its destination. Something about Winnipeg, with its quaint gift shops, locally roasted coffee places, the artistry of its Exchange district, the history of its labour movement, its social challenges and the various indigenous resource and support centres, the indigenous markets and bistros, its quieter pace, the multicultural population that call Winnipeg home...all of it brought alive Manabhoom for me. Miles apart yet woven together...inclusion, leadership, pride, challenges, acceptance.
Aerial view of the Canadian Prairies
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