Easterine Kire: In Conversation with Babli Mallick

Nagaland Tribal Life

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Abstract : Standing at the crux of a situation when globalization and media imperialism has laid a strong impact on Indian ‘political unconscious of the mass’, the myth of nation-state as championed by the first prime minister of independent India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, came to a halt. With the influx of a capitalist media or mass culture, the so called traditional notions of ‘culture’- got a severe jolt. The term “culture” has so long been associated with that organic metaphor which inspires self – tillage or the ploughing & harrowing of self by the use of what the ages have transmitted to us from the works of gifted minds. All cultural activities that include all sorts of aesthetic production have been extended to the level of reproducing those generalized precepts which will help in determining the space occupied by man in the history of an individual struggle against the tyranny of circumstances or the dictates of Nemesis. But now with the advent of new aesthetics that lays bare the fact that all artistic experiences and meanings are explicable in terms of determining social structures and mechanism and that all aesthetic reproductions should be instrumental in uncovering the anomalies hidden in those structures. All these changingperceptions of certain myths with specific reference to the culture and nation-state have necessitated an attempt to revisit them in a bid reassert their relevance. With the onslaught of market economy the myth of nation- state representing democratic liberalism have evolved a new myth of ‘peoples’ participation’, ‘de- nationalization’ giving freehand to private sectors. Media discourses as a result either borders on cultural dominance, appropriation & imposition or to ultra violent assertion of Indianness rather Hindu patriarchy. In the context of this transition from nation-state to people’s democracy, the novels of EsterineKire would be analyzed in order to secure an alternative perspective of this syndrome. If we go back to the history of India’s freedom struggle and the immediate aftermath of Independent India riddled with political, economic and social crisis and doldrums, it was dire need of the time to unite all secessionist forces that refused to come under the rule of newly formed Indian Government. And the kind of nationalist impulse as propagated by the myth of Nation State was meant to work as a uniting force and suppressing the anti- India jingoism.

AUTHORSPRESS, 2018

When the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, PB Acharya said, ‘the people of India know more about America than the Northeast’ (PTI) he did not sound very inaccurate in stating so. But the irony is that these ministers only come forward to highlight Northeast either in terms of tourism or as ‘disturbed area’ to be checked by the alphabets of AFSPA. Therefore, apart from Kaziranga’s rhinos or ‘exotic’ tribal dance, Northeast India is often identified as face of insurgency to many. The serene mountains on one side and the culture of guns and drugs on other- the two very different faces of Northeast India play a perplexed role. The colonial term ‘Northeast’ under which the eight states are bundled up have 475 distinct ethnic groups, 400 languages/dialects and also 57 active militant groups, numerous Divisions of Indian Army. So, the umbrella term ‘Northeast’ can never represent the diverse identities of communities, cultures, problems and results in creating a homogenous entity. Besides, Northeast shares 99.5% border with the foreign countries and only 0.5% with India, making itself a victim of crippled foreign policies and porous border – a heaven for cheap drugs, illegal immigrants and enemy countries. Naturally, the north-eastern people who inhabit the periphery with the border realities are constantly negotiating with the pluralities of many nations within a Nation. The geographical space, marginalization, lack of empathy and endemic violence make this region a troubled territory. But beyond this homogenous identity of being a ‘valley of violence’, Northeast India is more than a beautiful tourist destination. Thus this study challenges the essentialist and hegemonic discourses that have been instrumental in stereotyping Northeast even after the 69 years of Independence. It seeks a humanistic approach to focus on myriad truth/s emanating in different forms from this region by probing into the key problems as follows - i. The geographical location, history of Northeast India and the reason behind ‘different’ appearances and cultures of the North-eastern people. ii. What does ‘Chinky’ mean and how the North-eastern People become a victim of their ‘different’ look and the utter incognizant of their fellow countrymen. iii. Why have the histories, cultures as well as the literatures of Northeast India been often perceived as a homogenous entity, bereft of its geographical, political, religious and cultural heterogeneity? iv. The Changes- is there any possibility towards a new dawn?

Ijellh, 2019

Oral narratives play a crucial role in every indigenous culture to maintain its customs, rituals, beliefs, traditions, way of living and way of being. By textualizing “orality”(Ong 1)in their writings, the writers from indigenous community attempt to retrieve oral narratives and discuss the manner in which oral narratives shape the psyche and life of people of indigenous cultures. In a culture, cultural mythology by means of “orality” constructs its archetypal hero who bears the value, morality and indigenous knowledge of his culture. Easterine Kire, the firstNaga Writer of Northeast India,in her novel When the River Sleeps (2014) shows how the story of the heart-stone initiates the hero’s journey or “monomyth” (Campbell 4). She divulgesthe Angami culture of Nagaland by revealinga “world where the boundaries between magic and reality fall away, makes friend and agree to live as one” (Balantrapu). Kire shows how the IJELLHVolume 7, Issue 2, February 20191375myth of the sleeping river appearsin Vilie’s collective unconsciousness and turns into “personalized myth” (Campbell34) as the stone appears inhis dream and triggers a “call to adventure” (Campbell34). The paper also projectshow thehero and the hero’s journey or “monomyth” areused by Kire as archetypes.

A dexterous author, a fearless journalist and a passionate Researcher, Uddipana Goswami from Assam has marked her place in the field of literature. Starting her career as a journalist with tehelka.com and India Today, she has worked in diverse fields including sociological research and teaching. Her noted works starting from We Called the River Red: Poetry from a Violent Homeland (2009), Green Tin Trunk (2014), Conflict and Reconciliation: The Politics of Ethnicity in Assam (2013) to Where We Come from, Where We Go: Tales from the Seven Sisters (2015) make her stand as writer with a distinct authority. Here Babli Mallick is in conversation with Uddipana Goswami. • Babli : Tell us what inspired you to come to the literary field?

The Northeast Today, 2016

Dai is a poet and novelist writing in English. She was correspondent the Hindustan Times, the Telegraph and The Sentinel newspapers and former President, Arunachal Pradesh Union of working journalists. She also worked with World Wide Fund for nature in the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspots programme. Her writings range from the wonderful poetry book- River Poems (2004), Midsummer: Survival Lyrics (2014), the fictions The Black Hill (2014), The Legends of Pensam (2006), Stupid Cupid (2008) to the Children’s book Hambreelsai’s Loom (2014), Once Upon a Moon Time (2003). She received the Verrier Elwin Award for her non-fictional book Arunachal Pradesh: The Hidden Land in 2003. In 2011 she was honoured with Padma Shri. She was also former Member, Sahitya Akademi & Sangeet Natak Akademi. She lives now in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Here Babli Mallick is in conversation with Mamang Dai.

Nagaland is a vibrant hill state located at the fag end of North Eastern region of India. Surrounded by Myanmar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur from various sides, Nagaland is world famous for its rare tribal ethnicity, natural opulence and cultural grandeur. The state remained less explored for a very long time and perhaps due to this reason we do not have much written account of its history. Though few authors have attempted to inscribe Naga history quite prolifically in recent decades but the cultural exuberance of Nagaland is such that still a lot is left to be known. It is unfortunate, however, that the serenity and tranquility not only of Nagaland but of entire North East region of India is being disrupted by the antisocial elements, political radicals, military forces, and lopsided policies of the government. Forced disappearance, military atrocities, rape, seduction, and violence in many other forms have not only stolen the peace and security of its people but also stirred their hearts in such a way that they tend to lament over the state and fate of their land-Nagaland. Easterine Kire Iralu, a poet and novelist of Nagaland is well known for her Naga consciousness. Through her writings, Iralu does the same thing for Nagaland which Irom Sharmila does for Manipur through her social and political activities. Her first volume of poetry Kelhoukevira (1982) confirms Iralu as one of the leading poets of Nagaland. Love for Nagaland, its land, people and culture tend to be the perennial themes of her poems. But, what attracts our prime attention in her poetry is the note of melancholy at the loss of real 'Nagaland' and a heart-searing lament over the dead soldiers of Indo-Naga conflict. Hence, a longing for Naga liberation, its political autonomy, ethnic solidarity and peace has been found to be ceaselessly irrigating the words of her verses. The present article seeks to identify this Naga consciousness in the poetry of Easterine Kire Iralu by highlighting the significance of freedom for a state torn between cultural mutation and political factions. It also endeavours to discuss the poet's experiences of having born as a Naga in India.

An intense sense of awareness of the cultural loss and recovery that came with the negotiation with ‘other’ cultures is a recurrent feature of theliteratures of the seven north-eastern states”(Misra xiii). The quest for identity also plays apivotal role in shaping the literature of north-east as literature tends to give voice to those who remainin the periphery.“The sense of being denied fair representation in the great Indian civilizational discourse or even in the nationalist discourse, has deeply affected the emerging literati of many of the regions of north-east India in the post-Independence era” (Misra xviii). Literature helps in reconstructing identity andrepresenting the voice that has been silenced throughout times. For a region marred by decades of violence, its literature is a medium of telling stories to the world. In the yarn of such a region, one often finds anger, fear and pain but also endurance, restraint and hope inextricably woven. Nagaland is one such landthat tries to highlight its socio-politicalscenario in front of the mainstream and thus trying to reasserting its identity and reconstructing cultural formation. The emerging Naga writers try to focus on the areas like:the importance of oral tradition,identity politics, cultural dynamics, political influence,the struggle of the Nagas during Naga insurgencyand so forth.Writerslike Temsula Ao and Easterine Iralu (Kire) try to portray the identity crisis of the Nagas. They do notonly try to write down the political strife but also the struggle of the common Naga people who are trapped between the underground and the military. During the years of turmoil who suffered most were the common Naga village dwellers. “The writing of these authors emanate from a land of turmoil and they depict the

An intense sense of awareness of the cultural loss and recovery that came with the negotiation with ‘other’ cultures is a recurrent feature of the literatures of the seven north-eastern states” (Misra xiii). The quest for identity also plays a pivotal role in shaping the literature of northeast as literature tends to give voice to those who remain in the periphery. “The sense of being denied fair representation in the great Indian civilizational discourse or even in the nationalist discourse, has deeply affected the emerging literati of many of the regions of north-east India in the post-Independence era” (Misra xviii). Literature helps in reconstructing identity and representing the voice that has been silenced throughout times. For a region marred by decades of violence, its literature is a medium of telling stories to the world. In the yarn of such a region, one often finds anger, fear and pain but also endurance, restraint and hope inextricably woven. Nagaland is one such land that tries to highlight its socio-political scenario in front of the mainstream and thus trying to reasserting its identity and reconstructing cultural formation. The emerging Naga writers try to focus on the areas like: the importance of oral tradition, identity politics, cultural dynamics, political influence, the struggle of the Nagas during Naga insurgency and so forth. Writers like Temsula Ao and Easterine Iralu (Kire) try to portray the identity crisis of the Nagas. They do not only try to write down the political strife but also the struggle of the common Naga people who are trapped between the underground and the military. During the years of turmoil who suffered most were the common Naga village dwellers. “The writing of these authors emanate from a land of turmoil and they depict the anxiety of ‘otherness’, the necessity of the separatist tendency, the subsequent evasion of the Naga nationalism and the emergence of a ‘new literature” (Ahmed 20)