The Eastern Himalayas
The Eastern Himalayas are an area which boasts of incredible biodiversity-where high mountains and coastal lines, criss-crossed by rivers and flanked by forests, lie harmoniously at a very close distance. It is home of a more than hundred tribal and ethnic groups whose culture, customs and crafts are unique in many ways. The natural wealth of the region and the simplicity of the peace-loving local communities had attracted many outsiders through the centuries making it an ethnic hotspot or a melting pot of a multi-cultural juxtaposition. Because of its richness the region has been exploited intensively though the local people have seldom benefited.
Transitions
Still many people of the Eastern Himalayas live a very simple and challenging life. In some remote areas television, radio and newspapers are seldom. Running fresh water and permanent electricity supply are luxury and the nearest medical facilities are far away. India is a boosting economy nowadays and the generated revenue is starting to trickle down to these areas. Slowly progress is paving the way to the “modern world”. Kerosin or -even better- bio-gas are substituting cow dung and firewood. Generators and solar panels are illumitating the nights. The challenge is to organize the development in a way that allows the local people a sustainable livelihood in harmony with their natural surroundings. It is the transition from agriculture to service, from the first to the tertiary sector. And from far-away nobodies to responsible citizens.
