Threatened Island

Majuli is situated in the middle of the Brahmaputra, India's most tempestuous river. Less than twenty-five kilometers from Jorhat as the crow flies, the distance takes over three hours to cover, with three bus rides and two ferry rides to get there. Majuli has the unique distinction of being the largest fresh water inhabited River Island in the world. Its present land area is about 880 sq. km. This nature-gifted island of Majuli is formed due to the Hydro-Geo-Tectonic forces at work in that region. It can very well be called the largest riverine delta system in the world and has distinctive physiographical characteristics.

This fertile island is rich in flora and fauna, agricultural production, Pisciculture and is a breeding place for different aquatic animals like the endangered river Dolphin (Shishu) or Platinista Gangetica, Brahmini duck and Cranes of different varieties apart from its riverine natural beauty. Washed every year by the clean river water of upper Brahmaputra, Majuli is one of the most pollution free areas in the world and with a pleasing climate, the Majuli island comprising of the surrounding rivers and numerous wetlands inside, is an UNDECLARED BIRD SANCTUARY of native and migratory nature.

Far from the hue and cry of modern day city life, in a purely peaceful surrounding of nature in a zero industry zone, with an unparalleled spiritual ambience, Majuli is homeland to 1.60 Lakhs people, mostly belonging to backward and tribal communities. All these communities live in perfect harmony with nature, by practicing their own traditional lifestyles. The islanders are very much devoted to art and culture. Handicrafts, Handloom, Boat making, Cane and Bamboocraft thrived here traditionally. World famous MIRIZIM and KINGKHAP BALICHORI are some of the famous items of the looms of Majuli. Mask making in the Satras, and pottery making by Kumar people as their livelihood is still going on in the old traditional way of Harappan age and marketed in the old Barter system up till now.

Majuli for the past five centuries has been the cultural capital of Assam. The main depositories of cultural and spiritual heritage are the satras- which are just like gurukuls (hermitages) of yore. Here upto 400 celibates stay for life preserving spiritual and cultural heritage, renouncing worldly desires. From the time of the great Vaishnavite Renaissance of 14th and 15th century AD, under Srimanta Sankardeva, Srimanta Madhab Deva and other saints this island became the seat of Vaishnavite religion, art and culture. The famous Satriya Nritya (Dance) and Ankiya Bhawna (Traditional Drama) created by Sankardeva are now internationally acclaimed and nationally honoured. Majuli is equally famous for Tribal Folk Culture and Heritage. It is said to be the cradle of Missing and Deori cultures. The services of the Satras and the Satradhikars (Chief Abbot) to the Assamese as well as Indian society have been acknowledged by then British Viceroy of India Lord Chelmsford (1920) and the Rotary volunteer E.F. Muller from South Africa (1996) in their reports.

Being separated from the mainland by the mighty Brahmaputra, the silent island of Majuli still houses a galaxy of hermitages of India’s golden past and there still exist 22 nos. of such hermitages, which are very meaningfully called SATRAS (the home of the honest). These Satras have been developing and imparting the knowledge of spiritual realization, art and culture apart from being the centre of learning from the time of Sankardeva. The old antiquities and manuscripts, coins, copper plates, wood carvings, carved wooden images of the God and Goddesses which are jealously protected in each satra, are described as articles of great Archeological value by the Archeological Survey of India which inspected Majuli island during December 1998 for recommending it as a WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

With all this above Majuli has been considered as a unique tourist spot and thousands of foreigners have already visited the island in the past few years.

But nature has probably willed some other way! The island which was over 1250 sq.km in the 1950s got reduced to 850 sq.km now due to continuous erosion of banks by river Brahmaputra, wiping out scores of villages and displacing thousands of people. Large-scale human miseries take place, which has now become the concern of the Human Rights Commission. Over and above the heritage of the people of Majuli, the civilization they nurtured for the last five centuries is about to be buried. Burial of this civilization will be a loss to the entire humanity. Therefore, a global approach to this problem of erosion has become inevitable to save this largest River Island of the World as well as its Glowing cultural heritage.

Already governmental and non-governmental organizations have been trying to save the island and focus this problem to the world communities. Majuli Island Protection and Development Council (MIPADC), an NGO has already filed a Nomination Paper to the UNESCO HQ at France for declaring Majuli island as a world heritage site and the same is presently under consideration of Govt. of India. But presently the condition has become so urgent that an instant step from the UNESCO’s side has become necessary.