Mei Ramew festival to kick start from November 3
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 24 2015 : The Guinness Book of World Records will view the event which is to be held in Meghalaya from November 3-7, 2015 as the largest gathering of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the world.

But that's not its only unique selling point (USP).

These IPs from 52 countries will also be visiting 41 villages in Meghalaya and will be hosted by people there.

This is India's first Indigenous Terra Madre, which is creating a network of tribes around the idea of food, Slow Food in particular.

In Meghalaya, the International Terra Madre will be called the International Mei-Ramew (meaning Mother Earth in Khasi).

Slow Food festivals have been held in the last five years in beside the Mawphlang Sacred Grove by the North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) .

Supported by the Government of Meghalaya and organised by the Indigenous Partnership (Rome) and NESFAS in collaboration with Slow Food International, this year's event aims to bring together indigenous peoples from around the world, presenting them with opportunities to share their knowledge about food, nutrition and agrobiodiversity.

Slow Food, an eco-gastronomic organisation started by the legendary Carlo Petrini in Rome in the 1980s, was originally a reaction to low-quality, mass-produced fast food.

Over the past few decades, however, it has grown into a revolution.

With tens of thousands of members, the movement aspires to encourage people to demand food that is "good, clean, fair." Promoting bio-diversity and upholding tradition, Slow Food works at the grass-roots level, with indigenous farmers, pastoralists, hunter-gatherers, and fisherfolk, connecting them with scientists, chefs and policy makers.

While it sounds fairly prosaic the series of pow-wows that are scheduled to be held at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) are creative and interesting thanks to Petrini's clever, and undeniably alluring, vision of a "revolution of joy." Discussing their very serious campaigns against hunger, farmer suicides and vanishing tribes, he talks of how the crisis cannot be overcome with sadness but by a spirit of hope and optimism.

Hence, Shillong's five-day gathering will highlight exotic meals, ingredients and produce, showcasing recipes that have been cradled through centuries by tribes, from Amazonian Indians to Native Americans.

In a bid to appeal to contemporary diners, these flavours will also be teased and tweaked into modern dishes by hip celebrity chefs.

Chairman of NESFAS and international Councilor of Slow Food International, Phrang Roy, talks of why hosting this festival is a matter of pride for India, and the North East in particular.

"We are keenly aware that many people do not know about the unique aspects of this part of the world.

For example, the centre of origin of all the citrus fruit in the world is Garo Hills in the Balpakkram area.

Every orange or lemon that you find in the South Pacific and Latin America originally comes from Garo Land," he says, adding, "At Indigenous Partnership, we listen and watch the grass-root peoples, who in turn for generations have been watching and listening to nature and earth, thus forming their beliefs and knowledge system" .

Talking about how the habitats of the world's tribes also usually coincide "with the most biodiversity-rich areas," he explains why the partnership is important.

"It listens to voices of those who have been marginalised� These are not simply stories and products that are at the verge of extinction but a question of whose values gain precedence over others in an increasingly globalised world" .

Stating that neither modern science nor traditional knowledge can solve these problems alone, he says the partnership creates a platform "where we aim to merge the two for a progressive future" .

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