IAS Diaries Part 10 - Tezpur Begins

The Phase I of our IAS Professional training course had concluded and we all were going to our respective districts for the next assignment. I still distinctly remember the first day and that first journey to Tezpur (District Sonitpur). From the contemporary concreteness of the capital Guwahati, we were going deep and deep. It was amidst the graceful monsoon that I traveled among the green pastures of paddy on either side. More than often we would see lakes and patches of water. And on top of that, wooden boats simply drifting, with no care for the wind, or anything else too. It was only later that I realized that it was more symbolic than one could imagine. And what you see on the left side, is the legendary Kolia Bhomora Bridge which is more than 3 Kms long and in a way is the gateway into Tezpur. For the first timers, it is the magnanimity of the river that strikes, for others it is the never ending expanse of beauty. 

I joined Deputy Commissioner's Office at Tezpur on 27^th June 2016 and called on Mrs. Laya Madduri, IAS the then DC of Sonitpur.  The first few days are always about knowing the people you are going to work with. On this note were scheduled call on/meetings with several senior officials in the district. These interactions with officers who had lots of experience in their field helped me to understand the nuances of administration in the district. In a way, within a span of few days, I got to know a lot about the district, through these experienced eyes. Oh, I almost forgot to mention why I was already thrilled about my stint in Tezpur even before joining and seeing the place. In my preparation days, I came across a small speech by an IPS officer from Assam which was very impressive. She had done brilliantly in her stint so far. Tales of her courage and bravery were pretty common in Assamese and even National dailies. She is a source of such inspiration for so many people, myself included. She was then serving as SP, Sonitpur. You know what that feeling is like, when you actually meet a person who has been inspiring you for long. For that Tezpur would always remain special to me. 

Going back to the main theme, Tezpur has been one of the most important cultural centers right from the ancient times.  The various historic places present in the district are a testimony to that effect. Some would also say that the place is a archaeological goldmine, something which I realized towards the end of my stint. Looking back, I feel that Tezpur has immense tourism potential in terms of it's natural landscape and historic sites but none has been tapped so far. It has just become a transit location for those enroute Tawang. But surely it much more than a transit. Almost about one-third of it's area is classified as forest cover. Its proximity from the capital and the presence of nearby attractions like the Kanziranga National Park and the Nameri National Park, makes this district a much sought after tourist location. The socio-cultural variations of the demography in the district makes it something like a miniature India. I remember once on an inspection, I came across five different communities in five consecutive houses. Spectacular diversity in all senses. 

In the initial days I tried to understand two important aspects in the district- Education and Health. As far as education is concerned, since it being a majorly agrarian place, the children often go to the fields with their parents especially in the sowing and harvesting seasons as a result of which the drop out rate goes tremendously high during this period.  And the probability or the chances of their return to the schools are very grim. The learning levels are alarmingly low hinting for a mission mode solution especially at the primary levels. On the health front, the major issue is the extremely high rate of Maternal Mortality.  This is especially because of the presence of large numbers of tea tribes in the district. Various research done show that they are highly anemic because of a certain type of salty tea that they consume.  Apart from that the reach of our medical institutions is not satisfactory in such rural areas. Various initiatives taken under NRHM seems promising and we all are looking forward. 

I remember, as my first day in Tezpur came to an end, I sat in the balcony of my room in the Circuit House overlooking the mighty expanse of Brahmaputra. The waters were hardly 15 m from where I sat. To be frank, when you see Brahmaputra for the first time, you ponder over the nomenclature that why it is referred as a RIVER when clearly it also touches the horizon like the sea. Goosebumps. It was difficult getting sleep for some days as I was not used to so much of water around me, not kidding. In the coming days, after realizing the role river plays in the lives of people here, the fear turns softly into respect. Nothing but respect. 

Talking of that first day, I also went on a walkathon and almost covered the entire city on foot mostly to understand what kind a place it was. A small city with almost all major facilities at near distances. The calmness, peace and the clean air comes as a sweet surprise for someone who has spent time in Delhi. Tezpur was also adjudged as the least polluted city also. With all these facts in minds, as a walked back to Circuit House that day, a debate had silently started in my subconscious, Small city versus the Metro debate. And it did not take much time to find the right answer.

P.S. To read to the last post in this series, CLICK HERE