Snapshots in sepia: Part V

"Beware of dumdings, they are tiny but can really give you a very nasty itch," cautioned our jeep driver when we got down for lunch at a small wayside shack the next day. Lunch would mean rice, dal and desi chicken curry (broiler chicken is looked down upon here!), all pepped up by the famous chilly, bhoot jolokia. For a change, the rains had let up and the bright blue sky dazzled behind white wispy clouds. We were on our way to Tuting, the last destination on this leg of the journey. From there we had decided to go down to Along and follow the road to Mehchuka. Tuting is also the last roadhead on that route and if you are keen to visit Singa, a village some 80 km away from Tuting and home to the famed musk deer, you have to walk your way to it.

I've grown up with stories about the jungles along the eastern border of India. As our Sumo negotiated the mountain terrain, I now got to see them in their monsoon splendour. These jungles are home to exotic flora and fauna, a few of which are endemic to this part of the world. Apart from the view of an exquisite landscape, the road trip itself offers practical lessons on the lives of the local people, their habits, the things they use, for example, the wonderful bamboo baskets and the unique bamboo umbrella. On the whole, the journey can be educating as well as entertaining and will easily make you forget the little glitches and discomforts that are integral to a trip to most parts of Arunachal.

Tuting is one of the remotest towns in India (try Googling it and see what that yields!). The town has no electricty (the only turbine conked off and was yet to be repaired back then).

Most non-tribals are government officials who see their carrer in Tuting as punishment posting and find the merest excuse of seeking transfer. Even the Arunachalis that one meets at the BDO office are quite disillusioned and want to get back to their home terrain at the slightest pretext. "It's great to come for a short trip here but try staying for more than

a week and you're likely to lose your mind," was the sentiment echoed by most of the non-tribal residents whom we met here. The only accommodation available for tourists is the PWD inspection bungalow, for which a written permission from the PWD department / BDO office at Tuting is a must.

This being the election season in Arunachal, getting transport was extremely difficult, as most Sumos that are the lifeline of Arunachal's

transport system, were being pulled out and used for election campaign. We got panicky as we came to know that the next available Sumo would not leave before a week. Not knowing how to get out of the place, we began trying all possible modes of transport -- from supply trucks to helicopters. During one such frantic hunt we met a kind soul, who moved by our plight not only gave us a lift down to Yinkiong, but also offered his home for the night stay. Speak of Indian hospitality!