A Rapper's Quest To Save Assam's Forests - Using Hip-Hop To Highlight Coal Mining, Other Depredations

2/25/22, 11:52 PM A rapper's quest to save Assam's forests: Using hip-hop to highlight coal mining, other depredations
HOME LATEST TRENDING ROAD TRANSPORT STATE INDIA WORLD SPORTS HEALTH E
Books Cinema Music Podcast Society Theatre
Home » Art & Culture » A Rapper's Quest To Save...
A rapper's quest to save Assam's forests: Using hip-

hop to highlight coal mining, other ravages
Sanskrita Bharadwaj
23 Feb 2022 2:21 PM
https://www.news9live.com/art-culture/can-hip-hop-save-assams-forests-from-coal-mining-depredations-this-rapper-says-yes-154683 1/11
Devajit Moran
Highlights
■ Devajit Moran is a vocal critic of coal mining at Assam’s Dehing Patkai Elephant
Reserve.
■ Moran is also a hip-hop artist who goes by the moniker Green D.
■ He raps about injustices against the environment, forests and tribal communities.
When Devajit Moran returned to his hometown Digboi in upper Assam, he wasn't
quite sure what he wanted to do in life. With a diploma in plastic processing
technology from CIPET Guwahati, Moran had worked in New Delhi for a while
before moving back home in 2012. Back then, a few of his seniors were involved in
environmental activism and had started to speak out against deforestation in the
region. Moran's seniors encouraged him to join in but he was sceptical: taking up
a job, as he points out, is the norm in society. Despite these doubts, Moran joined
his seniors and became a part of Green Bud Society, an NGO that rescues and cares
for injured or sick wild animals, so that they can be released back to the wild.
A decade has passed since that phase of nervousness in Moran. Today, the 30-
year-old is not only a vocal critic of policies against coal mining at Assam's
Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve – one of India's largest rainforests, he is also a
hip-hop artist who goes by the moniker Green D – rapping about injustices
against the environment, forests and tribal communities. Reflecting on a popular
Assamese slogan–"jati, mati, bheti" meaning "community, land and base",
Moran said these "empty" slogans make no sense if the forests and its wildlife are
endangered due to the greed of a few. "Soon there will be nothing left for the jati,"
he told me over a phone call.
This candid, blunt and outspoken attitude of Moran can be found in his songs. For
instance, in his 2019 song 'Rajniti', he raps about human suffering being used as a
political tool.
"Rajniti maya moh eribore hol/dekhor jonota aji jagibore hol/jati dhormo
nirbhikheke ek hobor hol," he raps, which roughly translates to "It's time to give
up your petty politics/it's time for the people to rise/it's time for communal and
religious bigotry to end."
The song received more than 8,000 views on YouTube and Moran said it was
appreciated by a lot of people. So far, he has recorded nine tracks, out of which,
two have been released as music videos – 'Mafia' and 'Kolahira'.
***
In 'Mafia', the video begins with Moran walking on a street with tall trees on
either side. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the entire video has been
shot inside a dense forest. But Moran raps that none of these forests, especially
the forests around Dehing Patkai National Park would eventually remain due to
excessive cutting of trees and hills. Take the example of Namphai reserve forest,
which is spread over 2,117 hectares, and falls under Upper Dehing rainforest
within Jagun forest range. "So many trees have been cut, that forest is now
barren…" Moran lamented.
Indeed, a verse from 'Mafia' reflects his angst –
Jonghol toi katiso/poisa toi bonaiso
Poisa're lalosot nijoke besiso

Easy money lage pahaar tu katiso
You're cutting down forests to make money
You've sold your soul for greed
For easy money, you are cutting down hills…
Deforestation has affected both animals and local communities, Moran told me.
"It is an elephant corridor and due to deforestation, they are forced to move
towards human habitation. The issue of human-elephant conflict is always
ongoing and there seems to be no respite."
Moran with his crew, the Junglee Gang
***
Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve stretches across 937 square kilometers of

Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts of Upper Assam. The Dehing Patkai
National Park is spread over 234.26 square kilometres inside the reserve. It is
home to 47 species of mammals and reptiles, as well as 310 species of butterfly.
The park and reserve made national headlines in April 2020, after the National
Board for Wildlife granted clearance for a coal mining project in the Saleki
proposed reserve forest, which falls within Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. The
move triggered a public outcry. Those against it launched a virtual protest and
several hashtags trended on Twitter, including #SaveDehingPatkai and
#SaveAmazonOfEast. The efforts of people like Moran bore some semblance of
success when these hashtags were heard outside the peripheries of their region.
Post these protests, in July 2020, the government of Assam ordered an inquiry
into allegations of illegal mining in the state's Digboi forest division. The division
falls within the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. In December 2021, Justice
Brojendra Prasad Katakey report details rampant violations by North Eastern
Coalfields, or NEC, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, which is a Central
government-owned company and the world's largest coal miner. "Local people
think I am crazy or I am loud and they try to make fun of me but the recent
Katakey committee report proved that things are not all right at Dehing Patkai,"
Moran said.
***
'Kolahira', his other popular track, has a similar mood to 'Mafia', but is more
direct about how for years, Assam's rainforests in and around the Dehing Patkai
National Park have been bearing the brunt of coal mining, both illegal and legal.
Apart from the impact on the biodiversity of the ecologically sensitive area, the
tribal communities of the region have suffered due to repeated displacement and
pollution. "I have seen big trucks arrive, load and unload. They have encroached
upon lands to make their industries, they have cut down trees and hills without
any government permission and restriction."
It is to create awareness among people that Moran so vehemently believes in the

power of hip-hop music. The idea, he said, was to use rap as a medium to start a
revolution or talk about the larger issues. "Most hip-hop artists rap to make a
difference in society through their verses," said Moran who has idealised hip-hop
music heavyweights like Eminem and the late Tupac Shakur.
Moran and a few of his friends who also help him with the production of the songs
have established a small studio in Digboi. The production has so far been
"independently"
HOME done with
LATEST TRENDING ROADeveryone chipping
TRANSPORT STATE inINDIA
whatever
WORLDwaySPORTS
they can. The
HEALTH E
editing for instance is done by a friend of Moran's based in Kolkata.
The hip-hop music movement that originated in the United States in the 1970s
has gained momentum in India in the last few years. Moran's group is known as
Junglee gang, although he said that they are not inspired by the famous Indian
rapper Divine's company, Gully Gang. "They grew up in the gullies of Mumbai,
maybe that's why they call themselves the gully gang. We grew up in the forests
of Digboi, so we're the junglee gang."
Sanskrita Bharadwaj is an independent journalist based in Assam
Assam Deforestation rapper Environment
SIMILAR POSTS
Narratives
India
Anti-defection law: It hurts when

shoe starts pinching the wearer
Two-thirds of Congress and MGP MLAs in
Goa had crossed over to BJP in 2019
India
The hijab row is now no longer

about the uniform
At some places, even Muslim teachers were
forced to remove the hijab and burqa
World
Modi calls for sincere dialogue

amid pressure to condemn Russia
The Prime Minister of India also appealed for
immediate de-escalation of the Ukraine
conflict
World
Did Ukraine’s nuclear surrender

make it vulnerable to Russian
invasion?
Belarus and Kazakhstan handed over their
nuclear arsenal to Russia
Uttar Pradesh
Low voter turnout known to help

BJP, but the opposite is also true
Despite conventional wisdom, voter turnout
is not a reliable factor to predict the outcome
of an election
India
Agitating govt staff form a large

chunk of voters
HOME
SP LATEST
wants to cash inTRENDING ROAD TRANSPORT
on govt employees’ STATE INDIA WORLD SPORTS HEALTH E
resentment
Debates
World
US will test New Delhi's resolve to

stay neutral with China card
If China launches a Ukraine-like invasion in
Arunachal Pradesh, India will be hard-
pressed for global support
World
Putin is creating a template for

aggressors, China is watching
If Putin gets away with the war against
Ukraine, China will be convinced to move
into Taiwan
Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 Live
Mayawati-Shah exchange political

civility, nothing more
BSP is BJP’s enemy’s enemy, Shah is just
trying to keep Mayawati in good humour
World
Sanctions a warning to Russia to
not exacerbate situation
A settlement will depend on how both sides

respond to the situation and what outcome
they desire on the Ukraine issue
World
Ukraine crisis far from over, but

Russia understands cost of military
adventure
Russia in all likeliness will try to extract
concessions from the West without risking
an unaffordable war
World
Not taking sides in Russia-Ukraine

crisis
HOMEmost realistic
LATEST choiceROAD TRANSPORT STATE INDIA WORLD SPORTS HEALTH E
TRENDING
India needs its Quad friends to deal with

China, but there can be no Quad Pro Quo
MOST VIEWED
Explained: Why Putin uses WWII to

justify attacks in Ukraine
BCCI constitutes three-member

committee to look into Saha vs journalist
row
'Perfectionist' Conte states commitment

to Spurs after Burnley rant
UP Election 2022: Rahul Gandhi, Dimple

Yadav hit campaign trail; electioneering
ends for phase 5
'No war please': Rublev into Dubai final

with peace plea
Shyam-Jyoti pair wins India's first medal

in Dubai World Archery Para C'ship, bags
silver
VIDEOS
VIDEOS
'You feel like cattle': Robin Uthappa on

IPL auction process
Cricket germinating in Germany: How a

football nation is taking baby steps into
cricket
Exclusive interview with IPL franchise

PBKS co-owner Mohit Burman
More Videos
Search...
Network
State News
Entertainment
Lifestyle
Sports
Others
Follow Us
Contact Us About Us Advertise With Us Privacy & Cookies Notice Complaint Redressal
Copyright ©️2022 News9 Live. All rights reserved

A Rapper's Quest To Save Assam's Forests - Using Hip-Hop To Highlight Coal Mining, Other Depredations

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Rapper's Quest To Save Assam's Forests - Using Hip-Hop To Highlight Coal Mining, Other Depredations

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

2/25/22, 11:52 PM A rapper's quest to save Assam's forests: Using hip-hop to highlight coal mining, other depredations

Books Cinema Music Podcast Society Theatre

Home » Art & Culture » A Rapper's Quest To Save...

A rapper's quest to save Assam's forests: Using hip-

■ Moran is also a hip-hop artist who goes by the moniker Green D.

Indeed, a verse from 'Mafia' reflects his angst –

Jonghol toi katiso/poisa toi bonaiso

Poisa're lalosot nijoke besiso

Easy money lage pahaar tu katiso

You're cutting down forests to make money

You've sold your soul for greed

For easy money, you are cutting down hills…

Moran with his crew, the Junglee Gang

Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve stretches across 937 square kilometers of

It is to create awareness among people that Moran so vehemently believes in the

Sanskrita Bharadwaj is an independent journalist based in Assam

Assam Deforestation rapper Environment

Anti-defection law: It hurts when

The hijab row is now no longer

Modi calls for sincere dialogue

Did Ukraine’s nuclear surrender

Low voter turnout known to help

Agitating govt staff form a large

US will test New Delhi's resolve to

Putin is creating a template for

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 Live

Mayawati-Shah exchange political

A settlement will depend on how both sides

Ukraine crisis far from over, but

Not taking sides in Russia-Ukraine

India needs its Quad friends to deal with

Explained: Why Putin uses WWII to

BCCI constitutes three-member

'Perfectionist' Conte states commitment

UP Election 2022: Rahul Gandhi, Dimple

'No war please': Rublev into Dubai final

Shyam-Jyoti pair wins India's first medal

'You feel like cattle': Robin Uthappa on

Cricket germinating in Germany: How a

Exclusive interview with IPL franchise

You might also like