NELit review

POST script 3
FEBRUARY 26, 2012

SEVEN SISTERS

Small state, big hearts

E flew from Delhi to Calcutta over Bangladesh and into Mizoram in a small plane that navigated its way through the clouds between large mountains and finally landed in a small airport the Lengpui airport, 32 km from the Mizoram capital Aizawl. Lengpui reminded me of other smaller airports I had seen, boutique airports, in the numerous islands of Thailand or the Maldives. Except that Mizoram is no island, it is a highland state the word Mizo in fact means highlander and Lengpui would not have been built so small if the Mizos could find a larger area of flat ground to build an airport in. In fact, apart from the size of their airport and indeed, the size of their state, there is nothing small about the Mizos, neither in their hearts nor in their history. The story of the formation of the state of Mizoram has been one of a long struggle against a huge dose of neglect and repression, and the immediate provocation was a large scale famine or mautam caused by bamboo flowering in the 1950s and 1960s to which the state government till 1987, Mizoram was a part of Assam as well as the government of India were largely apathetic. So the Mizo National Front (MNF) began its long insurgent battle for the rights of the Mizo people, in the course of which the social fabric of Mizo life was totally changed by village regrouping schemes undertaken by the unsympathetic government, and a large number of people were killed in military repression and aerial bombings one of the darkest chapters in the history of post-colonial India. We got a glimpse of what Mizo community life must have been once upon a time when we visited Reiek, the model Mizo village constructed by the government as a tourist attraction. When we went there, an 80 km drive from Aizawl, we were the only tourists that day. I was glad because it gave us the opportunity to soak in the peace of the environment, a peace that had once been so cruelly shattered amidst bombs and gunfire. It has been a while now of course since the gunfire has fallen silent, and a peace accord was signed between the rebels and the government. This accord proved to be one of the most successful peace initiatives, one that has worked in such a big way and lasted for so long. Today, the state of Mizoram has many claims to fame, not the least of which is with regard to its human resources Mizoram has one of the largest numbers of literate people in India. But literate or not, the people of Mizoram also have very big hearts. They are very hospitable and friendly, and so long as you respect their individuality, they are always willing to welcome you into their midst. Take for instance, our friend Pu Sailo, director of information and public relations of Mizoram, who invited us to the state and provided us with every form of hospitality we could wish for. Or consider his colleagues, Tetei and Mina, who have become such good friends, and who also helped plan our trip and showed us around Aizawl, giving us the insights which a first-timer like me could nev-

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Illustration: Amrith Basumatary

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er otherwise have acquired. With them we went bargaining at the many markets of Aizawl with their variety of foreign goods, or sight-seeing in the late evening night falls very early in Mizoram, and the city shuts down pretty early too to the view point from where you could see the lights twinkling in the chain of hills that make up the city. Walking around the city, sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the early evening, we could feel how fresh the air was and experience the thrill of walking on the undulating hilly streets. However, whenever travelling in a car, I couldnt help but scramble to hold on to whatever I could get a hold of, because the curves are too sharp and the roads so steep that I felt it was a wonder gravity didnt taken its toll on our vehicle and send it, with us in its belly, sliding downhill, off the cliff and into the deep gorges below. In the city itself, just opposite the street vendor from where I bought so many additions to my DVD collection of Korean movies, I saw the Assam Rifles headquarters. On the boundary wall was inscribed Assam Rifles: Friends of the Hill People. Mizoram is one of the few states of the Northeast where the paramilitary force can now perhaps claim to be friendly. However, I did also remember the atrocities being committed by the same force in the neighbouring states, for instance in Assam and Manipur, where the Armed Forces Special Pow-

ers Act 1958 has given it sweeping powers to kill at will, and it exercises that power indiscriminately killing civilians as well unarmed or arrested insurgents. In Manipur, the same force actually claims to be the custodian of the people. The Mizos have experienced their share of state and military repression, and today, if they are a proud people, it is because they have fought for every right they now enjoy. Indeed, the Mizoram government website proudly proclaims on its homepage: Mizoram is our homeland It is not given or gotten as a gift It is not acquired by privilege Or potential contracts It is not bought with gold or held by the force No, it is made with us the sweat of the brow It is the historic creation And the collective enterprise of a people Bodily, spiritual and moral Over a span of generations. Unlike many other states of the Northeast where there are constant complaints about outsiders illegal migrants from neighbouring countries and non-locals from other parts of India coming in to usurp the economic activities and livelihood options of the people of the state, the voices of discontent in Mizoram are relatively muted. For one, many of the illegal migrants to Mizoram come from nearby Burma, and they are ethnically allied to the Mizo tribes. Although there are sporadic complaints of anti-social activities and criminal conduct by these migrants, opposition to them is yet to reach the fever pitch anti-migrant oppositions have assumed in Assam or Manipur, where even ethnic cleansing exercises have been known to have occurred. The

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ELITE politics, even among a tribal society in conflict, needs to be focused upon, especially in the context of the security concerns of a democracy
number of migrants who come from elsewhere in India is somewhat checked by the Inner Line Permit system, although in many cases this system has proved to exist in name alone. But what I found most admirable about the Mizos is the fierce pride with which they guard their language anybody who does business in Mizoram has of necessity to learn the Mizo language. Their second option is to be able to communicate with the Mizos in English. Those who cannot communicate in English, have to be at least familiar with that pidgin form of Hindi which is so prevalent in most parts of the Northeast and is entirely different from the Hindi spoken in Northern India. Since I did not know much Mizo beyond a few basic words, I unleashed my Northeastern Hindi wherever English wouldnt work, and tried to pick up a few phrases from the book my new found friend nay soul sister Thari gave me. Chiangnu she called me, which means something akin to a soul sister in Mizo and Pu Ruata explained to me that it was a privilege to be accepted into the close knit Mizo community so intimately. I was touched.

Commandant John and his wife Thari, and Pu Ruata and his family all made us feel extremely welcome, and in the dry state of Mizoram, we could never leave their places till we had drunk all the alcohol they offered us, or we would be offending their hospitality. And every time we met them, we would have to shake off their generous offer to spend the rest of our visit with them. We had to move on as we had decided to go see Champhai, a few kilometres from the Burma border. Unfortunately, our trip there was a disaster, with the roads being in a sad state due to continuous heavy rains and by the time we reached the Champhai tourist lodge, we were too exhausted to go any further to the border. The lodge itself was lovely but the rains prevented us from exploring the area around. Exhausting as it was, the highlight of the journey back and forth remained for us the two plain meals of boiled rice, green leaves, bamboo shoots and excellent pork something Mizoram produces in plenty at a small homely roadside hotel our driver introduced us to. When we left Mizoram, we brought back with us a lot of bamboo shoots and smoked pork. I am crazy about the pork from that place; it is as fresh and tasty as pork from the Northeast where it is the staple of many communities can get. Little wonder that,because from what I hear, many Mizos love their pigs so much they feed them cod liver oil to keep them healthy. We also brought back so many lovely memories with us, but what we did leave behind was a prayer that the rest of the Northeast should also experience the peace that Mizoram has earned for itself. (Source: Muse India, Issue 25) T

u What does literature mean to you? Do you think it has any relevance in our day-to-day lives? According to you, does it have anything to do with all that is happening around us? t Literature as they say is an imitation of life and an expression of what is experienced and witnessed in our day to day lives. As such, it offers a reflection of life or a picture of life as one among us has understood it. It also provides a lesson for those who are willing to learn. u How close is your relation with literature in general, and with literature of the Northeast in particular? t As a student of history I have been particularly interested in literature that displays strong historical links, even if they are creative works of fiction. Although this is a personal preference, I also believe it is important to ground our creations in reality. The literature of the Northeast is particularly fertile in this aspect, probably because of our many social and political trials. Two out of five among my own books are biographical while two others were recollections on events that took place in Mizoram.

Founder member of Mizoram Peoples Conference, JV Hluna has authored five books in Mizo and English: Education and Missionaries in Mizoram, Church and Political Upheavals in Mizoram, Khandaih harhna, Zoram Walsh Missionary te chanchin, Zawlkhawpui Senmei chan Ni and Brig T Sailo chanchin. He tells Sanjana Baruah that it is important to ground literary creations in reality and Northeast abounds in such writings

u What future do you see for literature from the Northeast? t The great increase in the volume of works published from the Northeast in itself is evidence of its growth and development. Literature from the Northeast is also being increasingly read by a wider audience. More and more people are now interested in learning more about the relatively unknown region and looking at what this unique region has produced. With the emergence of younger and more talented writers, literature from the Northeast will soon find a place of pride, especially if more books are translated to reach a wider audience. Also, we have to offer opportunities for comparative study. u Name one book that had a lasting impact on you. In what way? t The Bible. Whenever I read it, I found new teachings for life, for the individual as well for the nation. u What book would you recommend for our readers and why? t I would recommend the Bible. It is a good literary text. It also has historical importance and moreover, the book contains moral teachings.

Luingamla
There she is! Clothed in naked simplicity Lovely isnt she, in her smile? A spirited girl they say Born of the mystic mountain Pure with kindly thoughts Full of life she would sing and dance to the lusty green fields like the skylark Heaven and earth be intertwined she would freely roam. -Then Rumours were heard a wicked war is waged on these colourful people. Soon followed dark browns in olive green Marched into her land. To steal the peace that nature has bestowed. -In that terrified silence She was robbed and shame Her dignity taken, Was left with this lonely will to die And in that solitary hour She snapped off her life, And in silence shed traced back into the deep. -Yonder over there lies her grave with an epitaph here lies a story writ in tears Tis all that I know of her. -But why is this salty dew in my eyes at this hour??

ipen

Dance of an Insomniac
I danced like a dream In your utter silence. Then came forth your words, like the summer rains And drenched my soul. I am speaking of those nights when, I turned an insomniac; Slumber suffocated In the dream- dewed eyes. My nights burned like incense, Fragrant and tantalising: In a trance, your words kept pouring And filled my mind to the rim. Winter it was, and foggy was my mindscape; You came with a dream, my eyes once knitted. Ive stolen some moments from those nightsThey lay in a corner Smelling of incense ashes.

BOOK ABLE
Announcement: Postdoctoral fellowships
Project: The Temple and The Museum: Considering the Place of Art and Religion in India Project supporters: Partnergroup of School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kunsthistorisches Institute - Max Planck Institute What is it: Multi-year project studying places and meanings of art in India Duration: 6 months Eligibility: PhD in History, Art History, Archaeology or related subjects and linguistic skills What to submit: Bio, two samples of short essays (3000-6000 words), and a 1000 word outline of applicant's plan for research to be undertaken Deadline: 10 March 2012 Contact for application: kavising@gmail.com

LABIBA ALAM GUWAHATI, ASSAM

*Luingamla is one of the many Naga girls who was molested and raped by the Indian army unable to cope with the trauma she committed suicide. To know more about human rights violation in the Naga Hills you may read "Nagaland file by Nandita Haksar and Luingam luithui.
M JAJO UKHRUL, MANIPUR

Announcement: Panel discussion

LABIBA ALAM GUWAHATI
Theme: Theory or/and Practice: A Sociological Dilemma Organiser: South Asian University and SAARC Venue: FSI Hall, Akbar Bhawan, Chanakya Puri, New Delhi Speakers: Avijit Pathak (JNU) and Amites Mukhopadhyay (AUD) Date: 29 February 2012 Time: 2.00pm

Illustration: Amrith Basumatary