Identities- Musings on Reasonings and Choices

The Oxford English Dictionary refers identity as the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. There can be vast variations as to how a person perceives or identifies himself as. Identity can be a very complicated matter if we take social norms to considerations. Especially when we take up the case in a vast country like India.

In India, a country where so many myriad communities and sections have sprang up in course of history, has huge differences on the basis of identities. Over the course of history, various ethnic groups and communities have sprung up. Most of the population of this country are descendents of races who migrated from outside. Most of these races have intermingled with each other to such an extent that most identities have merged with one another or have given birth to newer identities as well.

Recognising identities is not an easy fair. If we look into the matter then we find that the rulers who ruled this vast country from time to time have always given much importance to the recognition of identities to stay in power. Recognition of identities has often meant various benefits and privileges to the groups concerned. An example of it can be sited in regards to the prestige and honour received by the Rajputs in the Mughal court. The British were the ones who started to take note of identities on a more concrete basis than any previous power. While conducting surveys, they perhaps made the first real accounts of the various identities that existed in India. Although all this was done for strictly administrative purpose, it surely served the tide of people becoming conscious of their respective identities.

In today’s Indian society, identity is a very important issue. The issues of caste and reservation have made people all the more conscious about their respective identities. The Hindu caste system and the subsequent entry of the Muslims on Indian soil have given rise to various identities that divides the Indian society on a large scale. Now the question arises as to how we should go about in the process of recognising identities in today’s modern world. In the post-independence era, the questions of identities have given rise to various issues and movements. An example of it can be the age old Naga liberation movement which hinges on to the theory of a separate identity from that of the Indian diaspora. The question of reservations is an entire display of the politics of caste identities. The Kashmiri separatist movement is also based on the idea of a separate identity. And then again, when we move down South, we find among the Tamils the idea of rejection of everything North Indian because of their theory of the Dravidian identity.

The ways of reasoning and choice are a part of the argumentative system to arrive at a conclusion. By reasoning we mean to give opinions and reasons to substantiate a point. Reasoning can be a very important tool in the overall process of recognising identities. This society has many divisions. And often it becomes important to ascertain reasons as to why a particular identity should be given to a group. An example of it can be the Gujjar stir in Rajasthan as regards to the demand of SC status by them. Here a set of proper reasoning has to be ascertained so as to come to the conclusion of whether they should be given the SC status or not. A set of reasons regarding their economic and social status can help us in arriving to the point of their status as a Scheduled Tribe.

The use of choice may be another way to come to the basis of an identity. Choice is a way by which the power of decision is vested in the concerned person or group to choose his or their identity. This sense of choice can give us a direction in their thoughts regarding themselves and also as to what has been the cause of their mental makeup regarding the question of their own identities. This is a very intricate way in which we get closer to the subject and learn about their overall socio-political makeup leading to their present choice of identity. An example in this case can be sited of the Tibetans who regard themselves separate from the Chinese who occupy Tibet. Even though the Chinese occupy Tibet and propagate various theories to project Tibet as a part of China. But the Tibetans still hold on to the theory of them as a separate nation and maintain the idea of Tibetan independence.

So we find that reasoning and choice play very important roles in recognition of identities. Identity may be a very complicated issue when we get to the ground realities and issues. But we can always look to various ways to decode identity and arrive at cohesive conclusions to help it deconstruct our socio-political structure.

A Ray of Light for the Darkness

“I wish I could see. I could have painted pictures then.”

This single quote tells us so much about a boy’s aspirations that have got murdered because of the fact that he is a blind. Meet Ram Singh. He is a student of Class VI at the Institution for Blind which is situated at Amar Colony near Lajpat Nagar in New Delhi. He is one of the 140 blind boys who study and reside in the school.

Ram Singh belongs from Rae Bareilly in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Like most boys in the school, he is also from a poor rural background. He is the son of a farmer and has been blind ever since his birth. He has a younger brother back in the village who studies in Class I. “I am so happy that my brother can see,” says Ram Singh with a smile, “He tells me a lot about the colours that make up this world.” The disability surely proves to be hampering his movement to an extent. But then one cannot help but admire the fact that he moves around so effortlessly and also that it may have come after so much effort.

Though he finds English rather difficult, Ram wants to speak the language perfectly like his English teacher. Ram likes mathematics very much. “It is the most interesting game ever made.” says Ram. As he sits with his Braille book open, he tells me that he would like to be a music teacher someday. He loves to play the tabla and is taking lessons in learning the keyboard. Though Ram considers himself as not very good in sports, he like most boys of his age loves cricket and idolises Sachin Tendulkar. I can see the obvious disappointment in his face when I tell him that Tendulkar is not as tall as he thinks him to be.

Ram Singh like the other boys stays in the school hostel which is in the first and second floors of the school. The boys stay in dormitories which hold ten boys each. The boys make their own beds, wash their own clothes and also wash their dishes themselves after every meal. One might think that so many chores are too much for a blind boy of his age. But ask Ram and he surprises you with his answer. “Believe me nobody really likes to do all this things. It gets cumbersome at times,” says Ram, “But then again we cannot forget that we are blind and the world outside is harsh to us. We have to help ourselves to survive in this world.”

Ram tells that before coming to this school, he used to be pestered a lot by the other children in his village. Here in the school, living among boys of his group and the constant support by the teachers has brought in a sea of change in boys like Ram. He has made some of his best friends here. The school is like a home to him. He doesn’t prefer to go back to his village too often as the attitude of the village folks towards the blind is still not very favourable.

Boys like Ram Singh come to this school and achieve the missing pieces of life which their disability steals from them. Even though their world is dark, it is not devoid of dreams. And it is evident in the way these boys talk and carry themselves. And one thing is for sure, Ram Singh and his friends will achieve their dreams no matter what happens. Wishing them all the best in life.

Poet of the Fallen

The first look at her and you can feel her warm smile. This is what I felt when I first met Ms Uddipana Goswami. The first look at this smiling lady in her 30s gave me the impression that she must be a poetic sort of a person. Poet she definitely is. But she is of the kind that we don’t find commonly nowadays. And this I gradually realized as our talks progressed.

Uddipana is one of the most prominent voices from Assam in Delhi. Writer, poet, researcher, journalist, and sociologist- she has many feathers under her cap. She has been one of the most prominent researchers on conflict issues in Assam and the Northeast. She has also been an exponent of Assamese literature on a global plane. Today when we talk of new-age voices from Assam, the name of Uddipana is taken with utmost respect. Very few writers have dared to have taken a stand that is quite different from the staple diet of Assamese pride that we have been fed on. A stand that has gone ahead to expose the loops and holes in the overall fabric of the Assamese pride that has actually resulted in the present chaotic situation in the state. The disintegration of the trust that was once shared among the various communities of the Brahmaputra Valley has been a subject that has highly interested Uddipana. And her writings and research have gone a long way in understanding the causes of that distrust. But what struck me the most was her poetry which deals on an emotional level with the being and its violent surroundings. Today she is pursuing her research at the School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, where she is settled with her husband Suman Chakravarty who is a senior correspondent with CNN IBN news channel.

Uddipana, who hails from Bamunimaidan in Guwahati, comes from a family of academicians. Now writing is something which came to Uddipana quite naturally as her parents are from academic backgrounds and her family had been associated with many literary luminaries of Assam. So it was no surprise when she mentioned that writers like Prafulla Dutta and Benudhar Sarma used to frequent their house in Guwahati and have guided her writing style. “Our family associations with such people benefitted me greatly as they would always guide us in matters of writing style and reading books.” said Uddipana, “This had a great influence on me and my siblings and we religiously got into works of writing and translations.” During school, most of her writings and poems got published in Assamese magazines like Sofura and Mousak. Translating is something Uddipana immensely enjoys and she has done English translations of poems by Hiren Bhatta and Lakshminath Bezbaruah. Apart from these, her academic writings, short stories, poetry and occasional translations have been printed in print as well as online from the USA, the UK, Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh and also in various publications across India.

Uddipana did her schooling from St Mary’s School and then her Higher Secondary from Cotton College. She then went to Delhi University for her graduation in English (Hons.) from Indraprastha College for Women. After that she did her PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) after which she pursued a career in journalism in Delhi for a few years during which she got to work with media houses like Tehelka, India Today and National Geographic before turning to research. And with the starting of her research came the most important phase of her career where she got deeply into issues of sociological relevance and ethnic conflicts in the Northeastern region.

She first joined the Centre for Northeast India, South & Southeast Asia Studies (CENISEAS) in Guwahati which was started under the aegis of Sanjeeb Baruah in 2004. Making this new start was not easy for Uddipana as many thought that she was committing a professional suicide. “What they were paying me here was not even half of what I used to get back in National Geographic. People thought that I had gone mad to have taken this step and come back to Assam.” said Uddipana. But she was firm in her decision and got down to her work with all diligence. Her work was on the “Migration and Assimilation” patterns in Assam. After this she joined the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences in Kolkata where she got the opportunity to work under the likes of intellectuals like Partha Chatterjee. But this was unfortunately cut short by her marriage in 2006 and her eventual relocation to Delhi.

During the course of her research Uddipana got to extensively tour the areas that were hit by violence over the period. These included the troubled Bodoland areas which saw ethnic clashes between the Bodos-Assamese and the Bodos-Adivasis. “My travels during those times exposed me to the horrible realities of ethnic clashes. I got to experience the pain and sufferings that these situations subject innocent people to.” recalls Uddipana. Meeting with various people whether they were victims or were the perpetrators of violence and also meeting up with most leaders of the Bodo insurgency faction, Uddipana gained a more detailed insight into the pattern of ethnic violence that plagues our state even today. She specially recalls the inhuman conditions in which people live in the relief camps. “Relief camps are just only in name. Their conditions are nothing short of a concentration camp.” said Uddipana, “So many people live under a small hut with no basic facilities at all, and it is practically impossible for people sitting comfortably in Guwahati or Delhi to even realize as to the sort of hellish conditions these people are subjected to.”

Uddipana has also worked during the Karbi-Dimasa clashes and the more recent Bodo-Muslim clashes. “What appalls me is the lack of trust and growing alienation among the various communities in the region.” said Uddipana. Over the course of her research and travellings, Uddipana realized that the older generation had more sense than the newer one. “People back then had the sense to sit back and reflect on the problems then just resort to mindless violence in answer.” she said. Uddipana is also critical of the Assamese community in this respect. “As the dominating community of the state, the Assamese people should have given some respect to the hopes and aspirations of the other communities and their cultural affinities,” said Uddipana, “But the result was only negative and events like the Assam Movement and the Nellie massacre further widened the gap between the ethnic communities of the state. Before these incidents, the Assamese were a very outward looking people who were ready to entertain anybody with their hospitality. But these incidents only resulted in the Assamese people becoming more and more intolerant towards others.” One worthy point she makes here is that the Assamese people don’t like the commercial dominance of the Marwaris in the state and foul-mouth them. But they forget that Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Aggarwala was himself of Marwari origin. For her the false Assamese pride has been the cause of our undoing over and over again.

Uddipana is also associated with Muse India, a literary e-journal which acts as a portal to the regional literatures of India. Here she is the Assamese literature editor. With Muse India, she has taken out two important issues- one was about the “Literatures of Assam” and the other was “Insurgency and Assamese Literature.” Uddipana said that taking out both these issues were a challenge for her. The first one, “Literature of Assam” was a concise effort to bring out the vast literature of Assam which included apart from Assamese, literature from other communities like Bodos, Karbis, Misings, Adivasis, etc. Here the main problem she faced was the non-enthusiastic response from many of the people she approached. People were simply not upbeat about the whole venture. She laughs that it might be because of the laid-back attitude of the people of the state. But I could sense that behind the laughter there was a strong resentment to this attitude. “I had approached some of the prominent writers from all the communities but most of them were simply not interested in the venture,” said Uddipana, “I got a rather good response from the Bodo and Adivasi writers who saw it as a good opportunity to showcase their literary strength. Eventually when it got published some people said that I had not represented certain communities of the state. But what am I to do if the people I approach don’t show any response?”

The next issue which was on “Insurgency and Assamese Literature” faced a different problem altogether. The problem here was the absence of such literature. Uddipana attributed this to the fact that not many people are bold enough to come up with such writings in the state. “There is a huge dearth of literature that caters to the insurgency situation in Assam,” said Uddipana, “Not many books have been written on this topic. And the ones which have been done have not been highlighted properly for various reasons.” She said that a fear psychosis prevails among the writers residing in the state partly due to the presence of the militants and also from the state machinery which is highly corrupt and fears exposure of any kind. And maybe because of this the writers who reside outside Assam are more vocal about these issues then the ones residing in the state.

In 2009, Uddipana came out with a book on poetry titled “We called the River Red: Poetry from a Violent Homeland” which was published by Authors Press, Delhi. This book has a total of 25 poems and each poem reflects the gradual realization of the self in terms of maturity and understanding of the surroundings around it. The first poem is on love. The second poem is on the self. The third is on the surroundings and the world we live in. And like this with each poem the level of maturity and its relevance with the society and the surroundings grows. So we have a poem on Goddess Kamakhya which relates on the self’s connection with the divine and there is also a poem on Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha who has had a huge influence on Uddipana’s writing style. The last few poems deal with violence and possess the most matured and bold overtones in them. Thus we have a poem on Nilikesh Gogoi who was an entrepreneur killed by the CISF on the Assam-Nagaland border. There are also poems referring to the ethnic clashes that plague our state even today.

From being a journalist, writer, poet and a researcher; Uddipana Goswami has come a long way. Today as she carries on her research in ethnic reconciliation, she still hopes that the various communities in Assam will leave all their ill feelings and work together for the betterment of the state. And her poems and writings are only a reflection of that hope which still shimmers on like the lonesome star in the night sky. Let’s hope Uddipana’s wishes come true and Assam shines like we all dream of. Here’s wishing her all the best for her future initiatives.

The 'Different' Storyteller

When I was asked to do an interview of Parismita Singh, I had just a fair recollection that a friend of mine had earlier told me that she had recently released a graphic novel. A graphic novel by an Assamese writer sounded quite fancy to me. But it almost immediately slipped out of my mind then. When her name was mentioned to me the second time, I had heard that her graphic novel “The Hotel at the End of the World” (2009) was getting very good reviews among the literary circles. And when I finally met her for the interview, I came to know that it was nominated for the Shakti Bhakt First Book Prize.

Parismita, 30, who is now settled in Delhi and works in the education sector, initially came across as the reserved type in contrast to the boisterous image of writers that I had in mind. But as the talks progressed, I realized that I was talking to someone who was more conscious of her work speaking rather than her herself doing all the talks. As a first-timer novelist, Parismita has really taken a step into the sphere that is less-trodden, not just among the North-eastern, but among the Indian circles as well. Graphic novels as a genre of story-telling are quite a less-explored zone in this country. For Parismita, graphic novels are only a way of expressing a message or a story through words and pictures and not really some out-of-the-world sort of thing as some people may think. “It is just a genre orientation to work with,” said Parismita, “Art is something which I have always liked and I decided to explore it through a graphic novel for my first book.”

Parismita hails from Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur District of Assam, from where she did her initial schooling. She later completed her schooling from Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan. She then went to Delhi University where she did her graduation from the prestigious St. Stephen’s College. The intellectual environment provided by Stephen’s led Parismita to experience different genres, and also led her to explore her artistic capabilities. “Although I always enjoyed writing and art, I was never into the comic book sort. I was never into the Batman or Superman kind of stuff.” says Parismita. It was also during her graduation years that Parismita had her first brush with graphic novels. “Some of my friends were really into graphic novels,” said Parismita, “and their enthusiasm led me to explore this theme in depth.” She fondly remembers her most favorite graphic novel from those times- Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” which she describes as being “class-apart” from the rest. Another graphic novel which she strongly recommends is the series of graphic novels on the Buddha by Japanese graphic novelist Osamu Tezuka.

Her book “The Hotel at the End of the World” tells the story of a hotel in a nowhere land somewhere in the North-east. And the story is taken forward by a group of travelers who have their own stories to take the plot forward. The rather scratchy and angular images of the book which are in Black &White have such cultural connotations to the North-east that the reader keeps getting transformed into the rain-soaked hilly terrains of the North-eastern region that the book implies. But then again, there are no direct references as to where in the world exactly are the events in the book set.

So we have a host of characters who are from different ethnic backgrounds and in some cases, it is rather difficult to make out who they really are. For Parismita, keeping the cultural anonymity of the characters and the location in the book was a requirement. For her, it was integral to the strength of the story that the setting of the story be nameless that they may give away a feeling not just of any place in the north-east but of anywhere in the world. “Many people have been actually intrigued by the setting of the story,” says Parismita, “There have been so many questions asked about the location that my publishers gave me a hard time asking me to give in a locational setting of the story in the book. But thankfully I managed to keep the anonymity intact.”

The story and the treatment given to it give out the impression that the inspirations are myriad. There are numerous references to the North-east in the book. A road to China, a mythical floating island that holds everybody’s attention, cell phone networks getting jammed due to the incessant rains and last but not the least, Japanese soldiers who keep dreaming of the snows on Mt. Echigo are forced to fight a battle in the “land of rain and jungle” are strong references to the North-eastern region. Parismita does agree that the references point out in the right direction, but is yet again puzzled over the demand for authentication of the location. The influences have been many, she informs, and they have been taken rather randomly. This is seen by the strong presence of the Buddhist art that creeps into certain places in the storyline. “I agree that the storyline has many inspirations,” says Parismita, “But this is just another story that I had in mind and decided to give the shape of a graphic novel. I am not doing a reworked version of folktales from the region. So nobody can really point if a certain part of the story has been inspired from a so-and-so legend or folktale.”

“My basis of inspiration for the characterizations has been many. Some of which are from the old stories which our elders narrated to us when we were children.” said Parismita. This was evident as she has dedicated the book to her grandmother Durgamoni Saikia. She further said that the character of the Night Walker whom death sends to gather people’s souls is a familiar figure to the people of the region. Also, Kona and Kuja are Assamese folktale characters whom she modified to suit the storyline. “I once met a lady in Guwahati who told me that the original Kuja is a hunchback and not legless as I had depicted.” she said. “It is true that the names are the same. But that is where all the similarities actually end away.” She says that more inspirations for the characters came up when she saw a man carrying another on his shoulders at the AIIMS crossing in Delhi. That was when she started to conjure up the first images of Kona and Kuja as they appear now in the book.

Although having released her first book as a graphic novel, Parismita finds little difference between a graphic novel and a comic book in terms of graphical treatment. “I could have considered myself as a comic book writer,” said Parismita, “But then comic books are lighter fairs and graphic novels are more intense and serious in their nature and story treatment. Plus, in our country have a strong prejudice towards comic books as being things of amateurish or childish nature. And this also affects the way in which graphic novels are viewed as well.” She further informs us that earlier graphic novel writers had a really hard time selling their stories. “Part of this was the non-enthusiastic attitude of the publishers who saw no market in it. “Some years back, graphic novel writers were struggling to sell to find a publisher for their stories,” she said, “Also if a publisher was found, then the next big hurdle would be to convince book shops in to keeping them for sale. But thankfully now the situation is changing. Plus, I was really lucky to find a supportive publisher like Penguin.” She believes that the attitude towards graphic novels will change totally in a few years time and we will have more graphic novels from Indian authors in the near future. “I just hope the constant linking of a graphic novel to comic books end up.” said Parismita with a sense of desperation in her voice.

If there is one thing that Parismita finds puzzling as well as annoying, is to be slotted. “One review of my book described me as an ‘Assamese graphic novelist.’ I found it rather strange as I had written the book in English.” said Parismita. But here she also added that she would love it if her book is translated into Assamese. “It was my resentment at being slotted that I decided to keep the location of the story as nameless.” said Parismita, “I really didn’t want this book to appear as a story from one particular area of the region. My fun as an author comes when people read the book and make their guesses.” She also said that she will “always be an Assamese.” But still she wouldn’t want the book to be tagged to the Assamese slot because of her regional background. For Parismita, it is more important that people accept the book as any other book ignoring the regional connotations it may give away.

Here’s wishing Parismita Singh all the best with her book and also hoping that we will see more fascinating work from her in the near future.

An RTI for RTI

The Right To Information (RTI) Act is something which has been looked upon as a revolutionary thing in India. This Act was perceived as the ultimate weapon for the people to fight corruption and get accountability from the government. But now it is slowly seen that this Act is also the victim of the nefarious factors that it was made to fight against.

To promote this Act among the common people, the RTI Awards were started to felicitate and recognize the work of activists done in this field. But now more and more complaints have emerged where people are alleging that these awards have become the victims of favoritism. The complaint here is that these awards are given to people who have done no special work which is recognized by people in this field, and is being randomly given away to those who are close to the organizers. This has now put a big question mark on these awards and their authenticity.

Mr. Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist, has put an RTI on these awards questioning various aspects related to them. The RTI was put up to the Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF) which is run by well-known RTI promoter Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, and this organization runs the RTI Awards. The questions that were put up ranged from when and why was the PCRF started, the number of programmes that have been organized by them and the money spent on them, people who have been associated with this organization and the sources of funds of the same, who were nominated for these awards and on what basis, how much money being spent for these awards and in which forms, etc. There was also the question of how much money did actor Aamir Khan take or give to be a part of these awards.

Apart from Mr. Afroz, an activist from Bihar, Mr. Shivprakash, has also alleged that the awards are given away to people who are close to the organizers and have done very little or no work at all in the field of promoting the RTI Act. Here it is to be noted that the person who was nominated from Bihar for the awards is somebody who is unknown to the media as well as the other activists. And this has led to further suspicion against the awards.

Another thing to be noted is that among the organizers of these awards were also a prominent news channel and a well-known newspaper. According to Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, the entire process of organizing to distribution of the awards took a figure of Rs 50 lakhs, out of which 25 lakhs were given away by Narayan Murthy’s Infosys and Rs 25 lakhs by the Tata Foundation. A total of 1,150 nominations were filled from all over India.

But here the big question is that of transparency. And this, according to Mr. Afroz, is what the RTI seeks to achieve. The distribution procedure of the awards and the numerous complaints received after those point out that an ugly joke is being made out of the very Act that seeks to achieve transparency. But for now, the reply to the questions are being awaited.

Voices from the Northeast.

Northeast came alive on the 13th and 14th of October in the nation’s capital Delhi. In a literary meet titled “Voices from the North East”, some new writers from the region came together to highlight the literature that comes from the region’s oral traditions and myths. The event was organised by Jaipur-based literary consultancy Siyahi at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre.

The two day event comprised of readings by some known writers of the North-eastern region and also a performance by the well-known band East India Company. Mita Kapur, who heads Siyahi, said that their organisation has always stressed on highlighting writers from such remote areas of the country and said that the North East has much more to offer than what seems. She saw this event as an opportunity to bring out these voices in front of mainstream India’s arena.

The first day i.e. 13th October, comprised of a reading session by well-known Khasi writer Mr. Kynpham Sing Nonkynrih and the performance by East India Company. Nongkynrih began by reading passages from his poem “Identification Marks” which talked of the various tactics that Khasis adopted while identifying their own breed. His talk comprised of mostly the elements which influence Khasi writings and culture on a whole. He said that the Khasi poetry is called Kathawar because of the oral tradition that has been followed for its preservation. He also delved into the importance that kwai (areca nut) has in their society. Worth recalling is his account as to how the British used to called the Khasis as “red-mouthed monsters” because of their red-stained mouths from eating kwai. Nonkynrih also talked about the matrilineal society of the Khasis which got the audience especially interested because it mostly comprised of mainland Indians.

After the reading session by Nongkynrih, came the performance of the East India Company headed by Angaraag Mahanta (Papon). The band left the audience spellbound with their music which had a blend of various genres from Assamese folk to Rajasthani folk and classical Sufi music. Angaraag’s father, the great Khagen Mahanta, was also present during the show which performed to a packed auditorium. But the best part of the band’s performance was their electronic rendition of Assam’s Bihu. Many from the audience came to the front and broke into Bihu dances that made the entire auditorium come alive. Truly, it was the perfect ending to a beautiful evening!

The next day i.e. 14th October was marked by a panel discussion titled, “Turning Point: New Writings from the North East.” Taking part in this conversion were writers from the North East such as Ms. Mamang Dai, Ms. Bijoya Sawian and Ms. Temsula Ao. The discussion was moderated by well-known author Ms. Namita Gokhale. The talk was mainly centred on the oral traditions and local myths that are influencing the new writings from the region. Most new writers are going back to their traditional roots that are giving a different picture to the readers of the mainland India who have always held stereotyped assumptions about the North East.

The first reading was done by Ms. Mamang Dai, who is a former IAS officer and is presently a journalist with Hindustan Times. She began by reading poems from her book “Legends of Pensam” and went on to talk about the new focus that the writers from the region are turning to which is finding a flavour with the mainstream readers. Dai, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said that one of the biggest inspiration for her book came from the villagers who are abound with myriad folk tales and myths. She said that myths in North East are either held as very sacred or else discarded as total nonsense. But they do help in maintaining the distinct identity and flavour of the community concerned.

The next talk was given by Ms. Bijoya Sawian, who hails from Shillong and is a writer of repute. She began with reading a few passages from her upcoming book “Men in the Shadows” which deals with the wave of intolerance against the non-Khasis in Shillong. She also went on to talk about the matrilineal Khasi society in length. She said that though militancy in Meghalaya is minimal, the cause of problems is more economical than political. It is due to this that an atmosphere of intolerance has emerged against the non-Khasis in Shillong. She also threw light on her religion i.e. the Nyamthrai religion which dwells on the concept of monotheism. She said that it is a religion with very minimal religious rites and rituals and focuses on living a simple and clean life. One more thing that came to front was Shillong’s never-ending obsession with country legend Bob Dylan when Ms. Sawian mentioned that one of her inspirations to write the book was a song by Dylan.

And lastly came Ms. Temsula Ao, who hails from Nagaland and is currently the Dean of the School of Humanities and Education at the North Eastern Hill University at Shillong. Ms. Ao went on to talk about the new way in which old myths and legends are reinterpreted by the new writers to bring out a new flavour in them. This she demonstrated by reading out two poems from her book “Songs of the Other Life.” Her most soulful reading was the poem which dealt with the famous Momola legend of Nagaland. Ms. Ao also spoke on the importance of the English language in writing. She said that writing in English has its advantages of reaching out to a larger audience who understand the language. For her, English has helped in bonding together the various people of the North East. She also said that the reason for writing in this language was because of the Christian religion that the Nagas adopted.

This event definitely was an experience to remember for most people who attended it. For Namita Gokhale, who moderated the second day’s panel talk, it was a usual opportunity to interact with writers from various regions and getting to know intimately the socio-cultural fabric of the North East. For Ms. Bijoya Sawian, it was a great opportunity for writers of the region because it was a platform to reach to the larger Indian audience. She also said that Shillong had become the new launching ground for upcoming writers from the North East because of the presence of the NE Hill University and the various literary meets and discussions that keep happening there. Aruni Kashyap, an upcoming author from Assam and a member of Siyahi, said that such events are a great opportunity to highlight the vast talent that the North East has to offer and break the usual stereotyping of the region.

“Voices from the North East” was surely an event to remember and it is hoped that such meets will continue to happen. The angle of viewing the North East is changing in mainland India and it is hoped that the gap between the region and the mainland will continue to narrow down from such meets.

The Batla House Encounter: Unanswered Questions.

The 19th of September this year was special for the people of the Batla House area and the university of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. It was the first anniversary of the infamous Batla House encounter which took place a year ago in the L-18 building of the area. Delhi Police, in the encounter, shot down two Jamia students, Atif and Sajid in cold blood, claiming they were terrorists. Superintendent of Police (SP) Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life in the encounter. But this encounter left many unanswered questions which left a deep suspicion in the minds of many people.

As one year has passed by, we got to see that people gave mixed reactions to this incident. In Batla House, people were angry and cried foul over the actions of the police and the government. While many others mourned the day for the martyrdom of Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma. Posters praising the bravery of the late SP and the importance of the encounter could be seen in many areas of the city. The Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association and the All India Students Association (AISA) came out with a torchlight rally in Batla House on 18th September to mark the eve of the encounter.

The most noticeable thing about the encounter was the trail of unanswered questions it has left behind. The clean chit given to the Delhi Police by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has further left people fuming. And even the court has not given any definitive judgement to the case. In this scenario, are worth to be noted two RTIs (Right to Information) appeals which were filed last month. Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist, filed two RTIs on the 12th of August seeking information from the NHRC and the authority of Jamia. But the replies to these two RTIs have not been given till date. And it is to be noted here that it is mandatory to give a reply to an RTI in a period of one month even if the reply is no.

One RTI had been directed to the Jamia authority about their stand on the matter of the students who had been arrested in this case. Last year, the ex-Vice-Chancellor of Jamia, Prof. Mushirul Hassan had talked of giving legal aid to the ones who had been arrested in this case. For this purpose a sum of money was collected by the students. But till date there has been no report of any legal aid given by the university. The RTI had questions relating to the number of students arrested in connection to this case and also if Jamia had taken any action against them. It also asked questions relating to the current status of the legal aid that Prof. Hassan had talked of giving. It asked questions like how much money had been spent on it and if not, then what was delaying it?

The second RTI was directed towards the NHRC. Ever since the NHRC had given the clean chit to Delhi Police in the case, its style and methods of workings have been questioned by people. This RTI asked questions which ranged from the Commission’s working patterns in investigating this case to the loopholes that had crept out in the results of their investigations. It had questions as whether the NHRC met witnesses and families of the victims and also whether they examine they examined the place of encounter. It seeked names of the witnesses that were talked to and also the names and designations of those who were members of the team investigating the case. Here again, two very important questions were raised. Firstly, there was no magistrate enquiry in the Batla House Encounter case even though this is mentioned in the NHRC guidelines. Secondly, Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma had reportedly got medical aid in five minutes after he was shot. Then how did he die of excessive bleeding?

Questions like these raise serious doubts about the authenticity of the encounter. Residents of Batla House and the Jamia fraternity swear by the fact that Atif and Sajid were innocent students who became victims of the conspiracy of the police and the government. But what really was the scene can only be speculated till some new findings come out. The questions that are asked are not just relevant in the matter of a cover-up by the police. It is more about the way the minorities in India are treated by the establishment to hide its own failures. It is also about the trust that the students of a university expect from the authorities once they are promised.