I was surprised. Why would anyone only go in the river when the current is so fast it can upturn a boat?
Bimal took out a piece of paan (betel leaf), applied some chun (limestone paste) on it, and wrapped it around a piece of tamul (areca nut). Tamul is addictive and well-known for its narcotic effects. However, people across Northeast India rely on the stimulant to stay awake during long hours at work. In Assamese society, tamul-paan holds great cultural significance and is offered to people as a sign of respect. I had one already in my mouth.
“For logwood,” Bimal explained. With a mouthful of tamul, he added, “You will see everything today.”
WHEN WATER IS MONEY
Ratan owns a homemade wooden boat equipped with an engine. He rides the Subansiri’s fast currents to catch the tree logs that float downriver during heavy rains, then sells them. The steady flow of cash allows him to look after his family of six.
Ratan stands in opposition to the very masculine idea of loggers in North America. He is a short man with a smile always stuck on his face. Catching logs for almost a decade, he knows the river like the back of his hand. He tells me the monsoon season, which lasts from May to September, is his most productive because the high, fast-flowing water carries more logs than the rest of the year. That’s why more water becomes more money for logwood catchers, as Bimal told me earlier.
Bimal’s livelihood as a buffalo milk seller also depends on the seasonal changes of the river. Monsoon rains water the grasses that nourish his livestock. With their bellies full, buffalos produce the most milk during this season.
Ratan and Bimal are just two of a large number of people living downstream of SLHEP who are dependent on the river’s flows for their livelihoods. They, like most downstream residents, belong to one of several socio-economically marginalized groups, which the Indian government designates as Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes.
