Fried Eye

Today is Janmashtami, and it is believed that Lord Krishna was born on this day. Lord Krishna is one of the most special Gods in Hindu mythology. The time when it is believed that Lord Krishna lived was the time when India was at the peak of science and technology. Philosophy was also at the peak at this time. Srimad Bhagwat Geeta which is perhaps the greatest treatise ever written in the philosophy of life was also written at that time. Janmashtami gives us an opportunity to remind us of that philosophy which we tend to forget in our busy lifestyle. Janmashtami is also significant that it replenishes our faith in the good.

Lord Krishna is also associated with Dance and Music. There are many folk music based on Lord Krishna. Some of Indian Classical Dance forms are entirely based on Lord Krishna and his stories. So, at this time India is culturally very active.

Hope you all enjoy this time.

Wishing you all a Happy Janmashtami,

Pramathesh Borkotoky,

Exec. Editor,
Fried Eye

Connect with me pramathesh@friedeye.com.

As were discussing about the Editorial, for this issue, we got to know that we don’t know what does Independence Day mean to us. Although, some of us had some memories about the celebration of Independence Day, it seemed to us like ages since we last celebrated Independence Day. Sankhya complained that she never got to celebrate Independence Day the way it should be done. Since the time she remembers, the day has been called Bandh and people stay indoors to avoid any problems. As a child I remember, how we used to love this day, we had to go to school without any books and sweets were distributed to us. The first half of the day went with the celebrations and the second half went discussing the games and celebrations. But, sadly many organizations call a Bandh on this day for the last 20 years. The older generation complains that we don’t value our independece, but how could we value something we haven’t experienced.

The celebrations have only become a kind of noise. We would enjoy them only when we really get that Freedom and mark my words, we will treasure it more than anyone ever dreamt of.

Hoping for a better future,

Signing Off,

Pramathesh Borkotoky

Exec. Editor,
Fried Eye

Mail me at pramathesh@friedeye.com

Today is friendship day, and the internet is flooded with friendship day messages. I have been lucky with friends and I have many friends who are ready to do anything I request and so I also reciprocate those feelings, even Fried Eye is also possible for those friends only. They have supported me in good and bad times. However, if you ask me about my best friend then without any doubt I would say that it is my Ma. Everybody loves his/her mother and many would agree that their mother is their best friend. Everyday, when I come back to home I talk with her about my day. The things I liked, and the things I hated. She listens to all that and we try to analyse the day and whatever I am today is due to those sessions I had over the years. Most of the time she is my Ma, but at that moment of the day she is my friend, my best friend.

So, to my Ma and to all my friends who made my life beautiful:

Happy Friendship Day!

Signing off

Pramathesh Borkotoky

Exec. Editor,
Fried Eye

Since childhood, I have been fascinated with various currency symbols that other countries have. The $, €, £, ฿, and various other symbols. I wished if India also had some symbol like that which is unique to us. It looks really cool. The Govt. of India today announced the new symbol of Rupee. The new symbol is a blend of the Devanagari ‘र’ and the Roman capital ‘R’ without the stem. The parallel lines at the top(with white space between them) make an allusion to the tricolor Indian flag. I think the new design really rocks. Thoroughly Indian, thoroughly international. The new design really reflects the mindset of India of today, who believes that we can be international even by being Indian. It has overcome the colonial phase when there was a belief that being westernised is being international. I hope that the new Rupee symbol will help us reach new horizons.

Signing Off

Pramathesh Borkotoky

Talent is generally considered to be an innate, personal gift possessed by relatively few people. In essence, someone with talent has an aptitude to do certain things. Every person is born talented in some way or the other. If we had to measure talent by any means then it has to be the amount of humility the person has. Fried Eye has brought me into contact with various kinds of people and my personal experience says that, the more the person is talented the more he is humble and wise. Another thing that I noticed among the more talented people is the daring quality to follow their mind. Whatever happens, they just follow their own mind. Perhaps, this quality makes them so talented otherwise talent gets wasted.

Whatever it is, we just appreciate who dare to follow their mind.

Cheers!

Pramathesh Borkotoky
Executive Editor,
Fried Eye

The media persons can be very cheeky at times. Recently, a news came in NEWSLIVE, that the World Cup fever has strangely not yet caught the people of Assam unlike most parts of the world. The reason was simple, long hours of load-shedding. As the mercury is rising the amount of load-shedding also rises. Well, it was a very effective way of presenting a news.

Electricity is the primary foundation for progress of any state. The Govt. should try to focus on providing uninterrupted electricity. Everything is dependent on electricity. During load-sheddings, people sit idly and laziness creeps in or if they do some other work, things become messy and their is a low level of concentration effecting their efficiency. So,in order to progress we need electricity and govt. should provide it to us. It is our right.

The ongoing 72 Hour Assam Bandh has paralyzed the life in Assam. Bandh- A word meaning closed is now a part of the English Dictionary due to its widespread use in the name of protest by various organizations involved politically by someway or the other. Though Supreme Court has banned bandh and had made bandhs illegal, it is not followed or enforced by Government when a bandh is called in any state or the whole nation. Bandh is termed peaceful if there had not been any violence but has left common man suffering from its ill effects. It is being said that Bandhs and Rains in Assam cannot be predicted easily. They often come at a very short notice. Bandh disrupts normal life and affects millions of people. Most of us are self employed who earn their wages on daily basis. Very few people in society have permanent job who can absorb the shock of One day’s “Bandha”. Even professionals are paid on hourly & daily basis these days. They are not employed, rather hired. Think about the people on street e.g. Auto Rikshaw Driver, Rikshaw Puller, Tea Vendor, Cigarette vendor etc, the list is endless. They have to go literally without any earning on the day of Bandha. They too have family members & dependents to feed. In fact in today’s date we are struggling to survive. The age has come that we have to buy even water to drink.

Bandh is a destructive way to protest. I think people who like to protest shall try some creative ways to protest. If you are not so creative, search the internet and you will find lots of creative ideas. Government should also enforce the law and adhere to Supreme Court ruling at any cost. Everyone should be educated on the loss of time and money to the nation and to the public as a result when a bandh is called for. It’s usually lack of knowledge which leads people to do such acts.

Hoping that Bandh Culture ends soon enough.

Signing Off

Pramathesh Borkotoky
Executive Editor,
Fried Eye

Write to us editor@friedeye.com

I was talking to a friend when he mentioned that in New Zealand, May month is celebrated as the Music Month. It is a promotion run by NZ Music Commission every may with other organization. Music for New Zealand is like expression of their culture, and Music Month is the epitome of this. New Zealand’s music is influenced by the Indigenous Māori and immigrants from the Pacific region, though New Zealand’s musical origins lie predominantly in British colonial history, with contributions from Europe and America. As the nation has grown and established its own culture, local artists have mixed these styles with local influences to create music that is uniquely New Zealand in style. The overall goal of Music Month is to grow awareness of homegrown music. It is like a national Jam Session happening in various parts of the country during the month of May.

The whole idea sounded very fascinating to me, as India is one country that can boast about it’s variety in culture. If we can also have a music month, it would be great for our country. This will enhance the musical thinking in our country which will solve many problems that we have as a result. If you happen to be present in a gig, you must know that how relaxing it feels after it. We release all our inhibitions and enjoy the show with a great lot of people and nothing can be a better stress buster than this in my opinion.

Ending with a hopeful note that someone would read this and make this happen.

Pramathesh Borkotoky

Executive Editor
Fried Eye

mail me editor@friedeye.com

Job Satisfaction. We often talk about it. Sometimes we say, we have it but most of the times we don’t have it. In the interview for my first job, I was asked a question about the reason for doing the job. They said, “You might not get a job satisfaction in this job. We are telling you straight. Do you still want to do this job?” I replied, “Job satisfaction is a lame excuse for people who don’t want to work.” That was an interview answer and they are only meant to be politically correct. I did not believe it then. For the first few months, I was always unsatisfied with my job, but when the work pressure started to build, I never had the time to think about anything else. Job satisfaction vanished in thin air. Over time I learned some time management (still way to go) and started pursuing my hobbies as well and today I am fully satisfied with whatever I do.

I remember an old showpiece in my home which was there to inspire us to work,

Happy May Day.

-Pramathesh Borkotoky

mail me editor@friedeye.com

I have always cursed my school for having exams during the Bihu time. Rongali Bihu comes once in a year and we always had our Annual Exams at that time. We missed the fun at Bihu tolis, but we developed different ways of having fun during Bihu. It’s the special supplement by various newspapers which kept us involved. The Bihu Special Supplements is not just for the pleasure of reading but has been providing a unique platform to express the fun, love, affection, cultural heritage and kept the spirit alive for togetherness by various writers and other creative artists. In April 2002, The Assam Tribune started a Bihu Supplement called SPRING sonata. The specialty of this supplement is to focus on various art forms of Assam. Apart from the creative writing, which is of very quality, it also focuses on visual art, fashion designing and various other art forms related to Bihu. SPRING sonata has been a complete package for many reader enthusiast including me.

With time the idea of fun has been enhanced. Now, I enjoy the song of Kuli (Cuckoo) and Keteki(Brainfever bird). I enjoy the cool breeze. I enjoy the Spring as a whole. I enjoy the various delicacies that I get to eat during Bihu. I enjoy the Hussori, especially the Hussori by the young kids some of whom are very talented and some others are equally naughty. The Hussori by elders also have a charm in itself. It fills the whole enviroment with a positive energy giving a good start to the new year. All these make me Rongali (Colourful) like the Rongali Bihu. With these feeling, I wish you all a Happy Rongali Bihu.

Pramathesh Borkotoky

Mail me at editor@friedeye.com

“The monsoon winds had whispered her arrival like a coming storm. Some welcomed the rain, but others feared a raging flood…”
(King Chulalongkorn in Anna and the King)

Dear Readers,

Bordoisila is back. Swirling around the mountains, fleeting through plains and hills, she has announced her annual homecoming with a medley of rain, hail and a dip in the soaring temperatures. As the majestic prima force steps in announcing the monsoons and the near advent of spring, the world gets ready to welcome another new year. “April”, wrote Eliot, “is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain.” I often remember these lines when I mull over Bordoisila’s story. I like to envisage her as a wandering lady in desperate longing for a lost warmth and security- one that is accorded only by the knowing caresses of a loving mother. April, after all, is the season for homecoming for most wanderers in our day-to-day lives especially as students enjoy a much struggled for annual break and work-a-holics take a much deliberated upon Bihu vacation back to native lands. It is a happy season of reunions and relaxation. I wonder why then does the celebrated lady of the Winds brings with her such a heavy deluge of tears as she journeys back to the comforting world of her genesis. The force inherent do not make these seem like tears of joy and merriment. Did she feel April to be a cruel month too as she decided to run back to her maternal abode? What emotions of memory and desire accumulate in her grieving heart that she turns blind in her mad rush sparing no sign or soul that dare stand in her way? How many homes has she broken down or torn apart in her stormy urge to be back home? How many women can never go back home because Bordoisila renders them homeless? That however is just me musing as I watch the daily news about the havocs caused by the sudden burst of weather changes. For, despite all the devastation, she remains the regenerative force that stirs out the “dull roots” back into a new life . She remains a cleansing elemental spirit who ushers in the end of aridity and the impending birth of colour, gaiety and abundance. She was and still remains the source for creative impulses. After all which muse can boast of inspiring the largest collection of literature and songs on the monsoon from our region but her ?

As the lovely and energetic Bordoisila sweeps in with a gusto into our lives bringing with her the joys and fears of the monsoon, I welcome you to another issue of Fried Eye. This issue Noshin questions our conceptions of home and the slum through a eye-opening take on street children in Through the Lens. Visit the ancient city of Tezpur with Ajatashatru as he takes his wife on another vacation in SeeNew and find out Shyam Benegal’s take on the role of media in the changing face of cinema today with Noyonjyoti in our MovieDesk interview.
Last but not the least, as you browse through these pages and more, let me wish you a peace-filled Easter week and a laughter-laced April first on behalf of the entire team at Fried Eye.

Warmly,
Myra B

Dear Readers,

Welcome to another edition of Fried Eye. Today, let me share with you an enriching experience I recently had.

Whoever believes that regional theatre reaches out to a limited audience owing to its regional markers of language and cultural rituals needs to rethink the idea of regional theatre. I for sure did when I took myself to Shri Ram Center on 3rd of March, 2010 to watch a ticketed “Manipuri” play: Mirel Masingkha (The Will of Soul). You must be wondering as to why I put Manipuri in quotes. Read On.

Dedicated to Irom Chanu Sharmila, Mirel Masingkha is based on the lady’s campaign against terrorism in the year 2000. Sharmila had undertaken a fast unto death and for this was accused of attempting to commit suicide. The play focuses on the sheer violence and inhumane conditions that spread its tentacles over the land of Manipur – the many headed monster that Sharmila had undertaken her campaign against and how Sharmila fought for recognition of the same. The charges against Sharmila are strong but so is her spirit which refuses to see defeat. The play pays tribute to this unrelenting Spirit the Mirel of Irom Chanu Sharmila.

So far, the content and the socio-historical concerns seem distinctively Manipuri given the contemporary political theme of the play.What however makes Mirel Masingkha stand out from the numerous plays made on the socio-political situation of Manipur is its powerful and sensitive use of the language of mime. Yes the sixty-minute long play is executed through the language of the body: through gestures, movements, expressions and dance. Accompanied by gripping sound and light effects, the play fused local performing styles of Manipur with International mime. Through their vivid portrayal of characters, the differently-abled artistes on stage makes one realise how speech and hearing are indeed not indispensable to the art of acting. I watched spell-bound as scenes of atrocity, despair and human courage ebbed and flowed in front of my eyes for the hour.

This play was in contention for the 2010 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and bagged director Dr. Yumnam Sadananda Singh the awards for the Best Original Script as well as the Best Sound Design. Herein I must add that two other plays from the North East were also in competition for the final awards namely the Assamese play Guti Phoolor Gamusa directed by Bidyawati Phukan and the Garo play A-Chik A-Song directed by Pabitra Rabha. I wasn’t fortunate enough to watch these performed live and have only been following their press reviews. But I thank my friends who coaxed me into accompanying them for Dr. Singh’s play. The sheer vivid impact it left on me will surely stay for a long time.

Well, this issue of FE however is not about theatre or mime. It is about a different kind of play and playing – the play with words and the sheer variety playing with language can offer to those who are adventurous enough to let the games take them in. Bibhuti Borkotoky shares his memorable experience of being posted in a remote area. Young Kavya plays with rhyme, structure and form in herbeautiful ode to the nation and its heros in the Children’s section. Pramathesh takes us through a crime noir in first person while he pays his compliments to a beautiful lady through 55 Fiction. Share Noyon’s excitement at catching breakfast with Amir Khan on the star’s birthday and bite into the crispness of Lord Mani’s delectable survey in Random Take. As you move from one section to another, experience the delicate emotions of Jumi and Aien, as the young poets delve into different shades of life. Besides, do not forget to sneak-peak into our regular columns.

Happy Reading!

Myra B
(editor)

P.S. If you have any queries and suggestions regarding the content of FE, if you wish to contribute to its pages or if you would like to respond to any of the articles published, please feel free to write in to me at myra.b@friedeye.com.

Dear Readers,

At the very outset let me take the pleasure of wishing all of you a bright, peace-filled, cheery and safe Holi on behalf of the FE team. Colours are a delightful way of expressing a myriad of sensations – of the body, mind and the spirit. They speak in their own tones about life as we see it around us, about dreams that we weave within our own little worlds. They paint a synaesthetic world splashing a bucketful of meaning into experiences ungraspable by the written word. For most of us colours are a metaphor for freedom, for liberation and jubilation. They are a medium of sensual and artistic licence. That is why we associate vibrancy and energy with a multi-hued canvass- literal or otherwise.However, one must keep in mind that too much colour can also blind. Often we are swayed by the glitzy illusions of colourful dreams and desires and that leads to pitfalls we see a little too late.

When Ghalib sahab took over the editorial last issue, he spoke eloquently and at length about the various shades that love alone takes across time and space albeit in his own andaaz. I watched a play the other day that explored over the soft and pastel tones of music.Such greens and lilacs and lemons and blues! I walked back home musing over the vivid colours used on the sets and how they frequently changed meaning as the play progressed. Alas, I was soon shaken out of my reverie by a colour-filled water balloon that found an unsuspecting target on my back. I cannot complain too much about that though. It was a time of the year when everyone was in the spirit of colours and it was that one day when the playful and the reserved were both out on the streets celebrating a feat never seen before. Yes Holi fervour was back with a bang already, triggered by Tendulkar’s historic double century. Every kid and every kid at heart rejoiced over the fantastic innings that evening. Some donned the colours of the Tricolor, others simply doused each other in colours of celebration. Such is the prominence of colours in our day-to-day lives. We either use them with much deliberation and craftsmanship- as do artists, poets and play makers. Or we use them spontaneously- like the world did to mark Tendulkar’s achievement. And colours come in various avatars.Not for no reason do we politely term certain offensive pieces of vocabulary that spontaneously slip out on crowded streets and during juvenile brawls as “colourful language”, for instance.

This issue celebrates the metaphoric colours of life in their simple monochromes as well as in their arty casuistry. Sangeeta takes us through a reunion with nature after a brush with the rains. Mani Padma weaves in the fruity colours of coquetry and passion in her mischievous story in 55 Fiction. She explores more subtle and graver shades of desire, dreams, real and the illusionary in Random Take. Pramathesh explores how the business of manufacturing holi colours have become a means of altering perceptions about life and living for the inmates of Tihar jail. No celebration of Holi is complete without a glance at the intoxicating elements that build up the atmosphere of the festival- including the most literal of intoxicants: alcohol. Mani takes up the challenge of exploring the fuzzy pigments that go into making of one of the most-consumed commercially packaged liquor available in the Indian market.

Hope you have a colourful time browsing through these pages and more!

With warm regards,
Myra B
Editor
(on behalf of the Fried Eye team)

In the name of His Majesty Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Emperor of Hind, the Light of the World, the Pride of the Faith.

Tasleem! Nacheez ko Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib kehtay hai. You all have always known me as an indulgent and whimsical poet. But trust me when I say this that I have experienced a lot of changes in my outlook, my lifestyle, my overall personality. My indulgences are quite well known in Sahib-e-Alam’s realm. I have stopped buying expensive Angrezi sharaab from the British cantonment at Meerut and instead make mocktails at home. I’m also following a healthy diet and have almost given up on non-vegetarian food.

Also, I regularly go for morning and evening walks with Begum or Kalloo Miyaan to Yamuna ghat. The regular drinking parties at the Fort have been taken over by the daily lawn-tennis matches. In fact, spectators are of the view that Sahib-e-Alam and I make a rocking doubles pair. Thanks to modern information that I’m more aware about this world now.

The other day, Kalloo Miyaan, my attendant, found a young man asking for my address at Mir Sahib’s book store in Ballimaran. Kalloo Miyaan showed him into my haveli at Gulli Qasim Jaan. The gentleman introduced himself as Pramathesh—Executive Editor of an English ezine, Fried Eye.

I have been struggling to make both ends meet for a long time, without much avail. People here are always biased against me. No one complains about Ustad Ibrahim Zauq. Or Ustad Bedil? Why? Is my shayari inferior to theirs? I even thought about leaving Delhi for good and seek employment in the court of Nawab Nasiruddin Haidar in Lucknow. But there is a lot of enmity between Delhi and Lucknow, and the Lucknavi people don’t allow Delhiwallas to practice verse in their city. But Pramathesh reposed his faith in me and asked me to handle editorial responsibilities for the February 15 edition. It was an honour I couldn’t refuse. So here I’m, your guest editor for this edition.

Ishq par zor nahin hai yeh woh aatish Ghalib, ki lagaye na lage aur bujhaye na bane. In this issue, FE offers love on your platter. Our star writer Manipadma talks about love in a different way in ‘Another love story’, while Wise Bachelor has a chance encounter with Layla and Majnu in a Delhi restaurant and uncovers some startling facts about iconic relationships. Get to know why TV viewing is harmful for children from Srajan, a schoolboy himself. Pavithra Selvam will tell you how not to transform into a ‘momster’ on Facebook, while Hashan will make you fall in love with the tulip with his story. Noyon’s compilation of 14 most loved romantic tales on celluloid will surely give you goosebumps, while Misscellany this time will literally make you feel a lot with your ‘eyes wide shut’. And Wise Bachelor this time answers your love-related queries in his own unique way.

FE introduces a new section from this edition—The Pursuit of Good Money by Parashar Borkotoky. With this column, you will learn about investments and returns and good financial planning, and hopefully, your spending habits will change for the better.

I have been reading the past issues of this magazine voraciously, and have developed an immense liking for it. The articles are quite interesting and I especially like the ‘poetry’ section. It has given a platform to many up-coming shuwar who have the talent but not enough exposure. I know how difficult it is to publish your work; it took me almost a lifetime to publish my first diwan. After reading Just Once Again, you would agree with me when I say rekhtay ke tum hi ustad nahin ho Ghalib, kehtay hai naye zamane mein koi Jumi B bhi hai.

But there are certain things that I miss in this ezine. I feel there should be a section on music, too. I have always been an aashiq of good music, and Nawab Jaan’s kotha is the only place where I get to hear quality music. I would love to read about music in the pages of FE. Also, my begum complains that she wants to read cooking recipes here.

Hazaaron khwahishein aisi ki har khwahish pe dum nikle…bahut nikle mere armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle…I wish FE had more pages! It would be fun to read more of it. But for that, we will need more writers. I have heard that FE is looking for new writers. So, if anyone is interested, kindly contact the editors.

I wish FE all luck. I hope someday it will have a national presence.

Hain aur bhi duniya mein magazines bahut acchay

Kehtay hai FE ka hai andaz-e-bayaan aur…

Mohabbat,

Mirza Ghalib
Guest Editor,
Fried Eye

Dear Readers,

Welcome back to yet another issue of FriedEye. February brings to all of us a new season, a new dimension. In keeping with the mood of the season. meet AxomiMatters, an organization which has taken on itself the onus of creating a new educated and informed Assam. The sleepy sun has finally consented to occasionally rear its head amidst the foggy skies and the time seems just right for a visit to the Scotland of the East. Keeping in tune with the mood of the season, Ajatashatru takes us on a bike ride through Shillong, the capital city of the abode of the clouds, Meghalaya. While your spirits of adventure are still up, take a stroll into the heart of Kenduguri, Assam to experience an enthralling Bhauna with Pramathesh in Through the Lens.

As the season lazily changes colours, it is also time for gradually making space in the wardrobe for a sunnier season ahead; which of course means it’s time to check out the latest trends “in” and “out”. However, obsessive adherence to style mantras can be hazardous and in her article, FriedGuest Sabrina warns one and all of following fashion blindly. What perhaps would be more engaging in this season of transition, is to glance inwards and try and clear the cobwebs gathering in the wardrobe of the heart. The Children’s Section of this issue features young Sandeep’s attempt at illustrating Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant- a story that focuses on just such a spring-cleaning.

But cleaning can get murky too. Find out how in the regular section of 55 Fiction as Mani dabbles with the genre of crime noir. Let Noyon ‘s exclusive with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan bring to you a new insight into the Star of the Millenium’s life . And last but not the least, may the Wise Bachelor and Miss Cellany continue to regale you with their antidotes and anecdotes on the many faces of society in change.

With warm regards,
Myra B
Editor
(on behalf of the Fried Eye team)

Dear Readers,

Its Lohri time in the capital and its neighboring areas. The bonfires lit in every nook and corner of the city is a welcoming sight in the cold chilly January night. Families and friends gather around the bonfires offering worship to the fire god and to make merry. The atmosphere reminds me of my own childhood experience of spending every Uruka in front of bhela ghors and mejis religiously repeating “agni prajwalitang bande” after the elders. It was so much fun smoking sweet potatos in the embers of the meji while the women of the household busied themselves “purifying” kitchen utensils by the holy fire. As I sit writing this note reminiscing about kumol saul, tekeli pitha, til pitha and narikol larus fresh from my granny’s kitchen back home, my Gujarati neighbor’s children squabble over who gets to fly the biggest kite this Uttarayan. Looking up at the gloomy skies I wonder if the kids will be able to celebrate Makar Sankranti the way their cousins back in Gujarat are doing.

It is amazing how different parts of the country unites in celebrating the harvest season in their own traditional ways be it through Pongal in Tamil Nadu or the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh. This year the celebration of Makar Sankranti coincides with the celebration of the highly mystical Torgya, the annual monastic festival of the majestic Galden Namgyal Lhatse (Tawang Monastery) in Arunachal Pradesh. Newspapers-global, local and national are running coverages of these festivals with full gusto enthusiastically quoting estimate number of tourists to each of these celebrations and the profits the tourism industry will be likely to be making. Several commercialized attractions like guided tours of historic sites in the respective states and haats selling indigenous wares have been put up to turn the auspicious festivals into profitable ones for both the visitor and the host. Amidst the fun fare, one event escapes the glare of the floodlights, namely, the annual Naga New Year Festival held at Nawng Yang village this year, thanks to the ban imposed on foreigners from attending it. The only people who are allowed to freely partake of the event are the “genuine” Naga people from both sides of the border.

That brings back a startling reminder about the communal and ethnic clashes that infest the worlds we live in doesn’t it? The poetry featured in this issue raises this very issue that still gnaws at the heart of our nation even as we get geared to celebrate our sixty-first year of being a Republic in just a matter of another eleven days. Our Guest writer Uddipana ‘s prose poetry forces one to rethink our own identity and thereby our contribution in creating a nightmarish world. The world gets murkier in Mani’s story in Random Take. Nishibonya’s fiction, featured in the Children’s Section , too deals with living in a grey world though it ends with a positive note. Besides, not everything that looks sinister is necessarily so reminds Mani in 55 Fiction.

On a brighter note, journey through the mesmerising city of Agartala with Ajatashatru and explore the Bhogali Mela as Pramathesh fills your platter with delicacies of a different recipe. As a special Makar Sankranti gift, Noyon brings to you the Movie Desk’s tete-a-tete with Bollywood star Salman Khan. While you are at it, do not forget to drop by our regular columns Wise Bachelor and Miss cellany.

With warm regards,
Myra B
Editor
(on behalf of the Fried Eye team)

When a new dawn breaks, hope rains dewdrops on little blades of grass

The wet earth basks in the golden warmth ready for a new beginning.

Owing to this dawn our fragile dreams past, present and future,

We step out into the unknown; knowing just our beliefs and convictions…

Dear Readers,

It is New Year time- time for reflections on the year gone by, time for some resolutions and, of course, time for new beginnings. The year gone by has been a memorable one for us at Bamboo Lounge and January 2010 begins with new hopes- the most auspicious being Fried Eye which begins its journey today.

At the very outset let me introduce Fried Eye to you. Fried Eye is an experimental e-venture by a bunch of youngsters from the Northeast who believe in the region’s unique and complex multi-cultural identity. As the name itself suggests, what we say or see is not new but we believe we need newer perspectives to the mundane and the everyday.More importantly, we need to accommodate the ways in which the youth of today likes to see things around them. And that is precisely what we hope this magazine will allow space for. We hope that the magazine emerges as a compendium of insights from all fields of life.

It is with great pleasure that we offer before you the inaugural issue of FriedEye. In this maiden issue, revisit Guwahati with Ajatasatru . Get acquainted with green technology through environmental developer Gerard Pde and relive the experiences of filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky’s journey as he reminisces the making of as the River flows… .Tanmoy evokes the spirit of Fried Eye in his poem while Jumi’s verse evokes the experience of a regeneration. In the Children’s Section we feature Sneha, a talented young writer from Carmel School, Jorhat. Hashan shares his New Year experience with us in Random Take while Mani Padma urges us to stop and reflect about the plight of the less fortunate around us through her thoughtful piece in 55 Fiction. In addition, we bring to you the first pages from the new diary of a young lady who has granted us access to her inner world on conditions of anonymity. Besides, do not forget to sneak peak into the column of the Wise Bachelor who is determined to help mankind with ready answers to any query his readers may have.

As you journey through the eclectic palette of Fried Eye we hope every page that greets you emerges a treat for the eye and the mind. Happy Reading !

With warm regards,

Myra B
Editor
(on behalf of the Fried Eye team)