Rekha Khanal

“Assam’s climate is best for pickle and juice. We’ve got the best acidic soil. We can create many food businesses. But why aren’t we able to make a good market with lemon juice yet? We should understand that our land is our asset, our climate, our river, and our resources are all our assets. And we must strive to boost our economy with these assets,” says Manorom Gogoi in conversation with The Mileage.

Manoram Gogoi is a well-known senior journalist based in Guwahati, Assam. He has a long and illustrious career in journalism and has contributed significantly to the field in the region.

He started his career as a journalist in the late 1980s, working for local newspapers and magazines. He soon gained a reputation for his insightful reporting and an in-depth analysis of the issues facing the state of Assam. He was particularly known for his coverage of political and social issues, and he quickly became a trusted voice in the region.  Over the years, Manorom Gogoi worked for several newspapers and media houses in the region. Some of the publications he worked with include Budhbaar, Axomiya pratidin, Din pratidin, and DY365. His work has been widely acclaimed and he has received several awards and accolades for his contributions to journalism.

Throughout his career, Manorom Gogoi has covered a wide range of topics and issues. He has reported on politics, current affairs, social issues, and more. Some of his most notable work has been on the subject of insurgency and conflict in the state of Assam. He has also written extensively on the subject of human rights abuses and other social issues facing the region.

“If we look at Assam from the 80s, there has been a continuous movement of various kinds and disputes. What I want to specify is, in all these movements and agitations, we never took any economic agenda out of it. We did not intend to see that we can create a sustainable economic situation with our indigenous products and markets in the state. This thing bothered me since I started journalism. Even to this day, we can say that to run a state, we need the help of Central Government. But if we look back, each state from the Northeast was a self-sustaining state. I’ve highlighted this in various meetings, seminars, and organisations, but I didn’t find anyone taking an interest in this subject.  So, instead of lecturing and requesting, I thought to start something on my own. To give tools to my ideas. It was in 2016 that I started visiting every nook and hook of the state to learn how to make an entire market of indigenous items and products,” Mr Gogoi further shares.

After serving as a journalist for decades, he became an entrepreneur with his ethnic cuisine restaurant “Tholgiri.” Tholgiri, which is special in many ways, also sets an example of how the Assam state is self-sufficient in terms of food and can flourish in the local and international markets.

This restaurant cum store is everything to learn about Assam’s rich culture. The place is decorated with musical instruments, ethnic garments, and ornaments to give out a sublime ambience. One can also buy them. Apart from the Assamese thali, one can relish the sweetness of different pithas, larus and various assamese traditional snacks.

The food is served in such an ethnic way that it will leave you reminiscing about your village.

Assam’s local cuisine is a blend of flavors and spices that are unique to the region. One of the many challenges faced by the local cuisine of Assam is the lack of exposure and promotion on the global stage. While Indian cuisine has gained a lot of popularity around the world, the local cuisine of Assam is relatively unknown outside the region.

However, there is growing interest in local and regional cuisine around the world, and this presents an opportunity for Assam to promote its unique cuisine to a global audience. And in view of this, Mr Gogoi is also leading with his restaurant to spread the message.

Mr Gogoi explains, “If we glimpse at our daily lives, every product that we use, from toothpaste to lotion to soaps to foods, every product is outsourced from foreign companies. Almost all the finished products come from outside the state. I ponder why we can’t make our products when we have the manpower and the resources in hand. What lacking is the start and awareness and proper planning by the government in this matter.”

Mr Gogoi has also asked the government and people in positions to develop a marketing strategy that promotes the cuisine to a global audience. This can be done by partnering with international food bloggers, influencers, and food writers to promote the cuisine on social media and other online platforms. Additionally, the state government can work with tour operators and travel agencies to promote culinary tourism in the state, which would allow visitors to experience the local cuisine firsthand.

In addition to this, there is also a need to invest in infrastructure and facilities that support the local cuisine industry. This could include the establishment of food processing and packaging units, as well as training programs for chefs and culinary experts. By investing in the industry, Assam can not only promote its cuisine on the global stage but also create job opportunities and boost the local economy.

Despite its potential for economic growth, Assam has faced several challenges in recent years, including low levels of industrialization, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to finance.

There is also a need to focus on the development of key industries that are critical to the state’s economy. For example, Assam is known for its tea industry, which has a significant impact on the state’s economy. By investing in the tea industry, the state government can create job opportunities, boost exports, and generate revenue for the state.

In the further conversation, Mr Manorom suggests a few practices that we need to understand. First and foremost, the people of Assam should understand that it is possible to live with indigenous products and to create a market out of them. Secondly, we have to create the infrastructure to build the products. We need R&D to develop machines that can assist our products to produce mass production. Thirdly, we have to capture all the local markets. As soon as we don’t capture 70% of local markets, we shouldn’t emphasize on exporting it. The local market is the main market. After that comes the regional and international market.

Assam’s cuisine is still relatively unknown in the world market, although it has been gaining popularity in recent years. While Assam tea has gained global recognition, the majority of the Assamese cuisine remains undiscovered by the global market.

One of the reasons for this could be the lack of promotion and marketing of Assamese cuisine in the global market. Unlike some other Indian cuisines, such as Punjabi or South Indian cuisine, Assamese cuisine has not yet made a significant impact on the global food scene. Moreover, the lack of infrastructure and facilities, such as food processing units and transportation networks, makes it difficult for Assamese food products to reach international markets.   

Mr Gogoi further explains that before the invasion of the British, we had everything sourced from the state itself except for the salt. Before the British, there was absolute control of the local market and products, the Ahom Kings and their disciples would sit on the banks of the river to guard the intruders. They used to strictly watch and not allow any foreigners so that their resources are not exploited by anyone.

With the right promotion and marketing strategies, along with the development of infrastructure and facilities, Assam’s cuisine can tap into the growing demand for healthy and sustainable food products and contribute to the state’s economic growth and cultural identity.

The Assam government should also emphasize the restaurant business of ethnic cuisine to gain economic growth. Restaurant businesses are important contributors to the economy, providing employment and generating revenue for the state. By promoting the restaurant business of ethnic cuisine, the government can create new opportunities for entrepreneurs and boost the state’s economy.

Secondly, Assam has a rich and diverse culinary tradition that is closely tied to the state’s cultural heritage. By emphasizing the restaurant business of ethnic cuisine, the government can help preserve and promote this cultural heritage, ensuring that it is passed down to future generations.

Assamese cuisine is also healthy for its use of locally sourced and organic ingredients, which can provide health benefits to consumers. By emphasizing the restaurant business of ethnic cuisine, the government can promote healthy eating habits and contribute to the overall well-being of the population. Also, for restaurants that use locally sourced and organic ingredients, the government can contribute to the state’s environmental sustainability efforts.

With all these observations and introspection, Mr. Manorom Gogoi had started this initiative, that is, “Tholgiri”. It must not have been easy to bring every local item under one roof; to juggle from village to village to collect items, to make people understand. In Tholgiri, one can see everything from varieties of pulses to snacks to oils to spices to cosmetics garnered from rural areas of Assam. Gogoi’s career was committed to objectivity and truth when he was in journalism. Now with his initiative ‘Tholgiri’, and by emphasizing the restaurant business of ethnic cuisine, he hopes the Assam government shall contribute to economic growth, cultural preservation, tourism potential, health benefits, and environmental sustainability so that it would be a win-win situation for both the state and its people.