TAWANG (ARUNACHAL PRADESH): Near the India border with China and Bhutan, in the village of Lumpu in Zemithang area in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, local resident Nawang Chotta feels at peace. After a year’s absence, the black-necked crane or ‘Trung-Trung Karmo’ as local Monpa Buddhists call it is back at its winter retreat in the valley. The bird is revered by the one lakh-strong community as an embodiment of the sixth Dalai Lama, but is at the centre of unrest brewing over a hydroelectric project nearby.
“The moment I spotted the cranes I prayed: let our village host the harbingers of peace and good harvest forever,” Chotta said.
“The moment I spotted the cranes I prayed: let our village host the harbingers of peace and good harvest forever,” Chotta said.