My visit to Assam

I was working with Institute of Petroleum Exploration (=IPE) , ONGC at DehraDun after September 1969 when I joined the Training and Documentation Division of IPE as Scientific Officer (Documentation); Being out of exploration activities, there was no chance to visit Assam.Fortunately, I got a new friend in Janak Raj Sharma who was working with very important Department of Human Resources Study Group ( Headed by Mr. Dhir) with other members- K.G.Gupta, Mr. Chawla and Shukla etc. JR was with me doing computer training organised by ISI in Delhi in 1970 . JR was very resourceful person in Tel Bhavan. I casually mentioned to him some times that I wish to visit Assam as it would not be possible now for me to visit that place as I have no relevant assignment to go  there. During my exploration job, I was fortunate to work for different kind of exploration methods like Gravity & Magnetic (=GM), Electrical , Seismic etc, and visit very different kinds of places in North, West and South etc but missed eastern part of India.
It was in 1971, that JR managed to get an assignment for me from his Department.They used to conduct a competitive Examination for Probationary Officers for ONGC at different centres in India. He got me the assignment to conduct and coordinate the examination at Nazira Centre in Assam. Great opportunity for me. Went through Calcutta  to Jorhat by air for the first time. It was great experience to travel by air for the first time. It was very small plane flying at very low altitudes with all kinds of turbulence. Also an opportunity to revisit Calcutta after a long time.
I got Nazira by road. Mr. AP Ghosh was the Manager at Nazira and he provided me all the best facilities to get me from Jorhat, guest house and rest of the things. The great opportunity was to go around with a restriction to Nagaland. Lot of rains, shorter day than DehraDun was not unexpected experience but to witness the green tea gardens and the beautiful topography of valleys and hills with dense forests with betel nut  (supari ) trees and meeting the people of entirely different culture, girls with beautiful dresses of silk and bright colours..It was an exciting and unforgettable experience. It gave me an impression as I was not in India but in some other country ( so different from the rest of the country). Almost each house is made of bamboos with a fish pond and a small rice field, so self sufficient to live with their own resources. For the first time, I tasted the green fermented supari- so intoxicating..
Thanks to my friend JR Sharma to arrange this visit and Shri AP Ghosh to make my visit to Assam so meaningful by providing all the appropriate facilities.