It began with a new camera, a retirement present from the author's wife. The Kameng area in Arunachal Pradesh, familiar to the author's family for over six decades, and the Monpa people provided the perfect subjects to indulge his interest in photography. Over time, the idea of a book firmed up, and the photographs coalesced into what was envisioned as a sensitive, not necessarily comprehensive, look at the Monpa way of life and their land, Monyul. The intent was not to be ethnographic or academic, but to portray the rapidly changing world of the Monpas. A meditative travelog in images that transforms into a thoughtful exploration, the book captures the lives of the people and the region. The author's personal stories, interspersed throughout the book, tell of the Monpas' hospitality and warmth, providing insight into the everyday lives of a spiritual community.
Monpas: Buddhists of the High Himalayas, Vinay Sheel Oberoi, Roli Books, Hardcover, 192 Pages, $55.00
Vinay Sheel Oberoi was a former civil servant who served as Secretary, Higher Education, in the Government of India and as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris. Educated at The Doon School, Dehradun, he graduated from St. Stephen's College and then obtained a postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics. Soon after, in 1979, he joined the Indian Administrative Service and was assigned to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. His field postings in Assam were in proximity to the Manas National Park and the Brahmaputra river; and in Meghalaya, in the verdant Khasi hills. In the late nineties, he made several visits to Siang valley in Arunachal Pradesh, and produced In The Forest Hangs A Bridge (1999), a film about the Adi tribe working together to build a traditional cane-and-bamboo bridge. The film went on to win the National Award for the best documentary film of the year. His affinity for the North-East of India and its people remained undiminished throughout his life. He passed away in April 2020 after signing off on Monpas, a tribute to the people of the region.
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