Waiting for the Dust to Settle

https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/shop/fiction/waiting-for-the-dust-to-settle/

 

Reading Literature from India’s Northeast as Peace Literature

Muse India: a literary journal - Issue 92 (Jul-Aug 2020)

The projection of the Northeastern region as a “conflict zone” is deeply planted in the minds of most Indians that it has become quite difficult to imagine otherwise. Besides this, there is also the other image that captivates their imagination – an exotic place – almost mystical to them that they like to imagine it, as a ‘land lost in time’! An ordinary scene and everyday mundane situation doesn’t seem to permeate the minds of many. Whenever I get opportunities, especially to address young minds, I have stated categorically that unless we imagine the region beyond the images of “conflict” and “exotic”, one would not see the real Northeast. It is this twin effect that has unfortunately done more damage to the image of the region. Somehow, despite several pleas against such projections, nothing substantial has changed. It is this much obsessed issue of conflict in the region that becomes “newsworthy” to the “mainstream” media.

Moreover, it is with the same breath that even literature originating from the region has been branded as “conflict literature”, as if the writer from the Northeast does not know how to write any other subject or genre. Yes, they do write about their own experiences of conflict and violence because many have gone through some terrible times in the recent past. But the same is also true of many other writers from different regions in the country or the world. We live in a broken world with broken people, so what more can we expect than to read and write about the lived reality. It is time, however, that we move beyond the boxes that define and limit creativity. I would like to suggest that we re-imagine the region through literature, and hereby, propose to redefine the writings from the region as “peace literature” because many of these works are so much about hope and the desire to move on from the broken realities of the present.

The idea of peace literature, as Antony Adolf argues, should “evoke empathy” upon realising the complexities and actualities of life, while at the same time possess universal appeal (13). Niall Munro also postulates, “A literature of peace must challenge. However recent the conflict, it must insist on its role in the safeguarding of memory and commemoration and it must highlight the need for citizens to acknowledge personal responsibility for their actions” (2016).

A glance at the writings from the Northeast will draw the reader to the rich imagination that is fed by a long tradition of storytelling. Within the larger themes, a close reading would also enable one to see the complexities of social and political realities, whereby the reader could also empathize with the narratives that are brought alive. Just as social and political peace is desired within the context of conflict or violence, the literature of peace offers hope of a better future without antagonism.

This idea can be traced in Easterine Kire’s Bitter Wormwood (2011) which gives a historical account of the Naga political struggle over the last six decades. Tracing the life of a person named Mose (short for Moselie) from his birth in 1937 to his fatal death in 2007; the novel gives us a glimpse of what it meant to live through one of the longest conflicts in modern history. But the author neither indulges in self-pitying nor laments the plight her people are forced to undergo. Instead of the much-hyped Indo-Naga conflict, forgiveness is the underlying theme of the novel. It focuses on healing to the political abrasions caused by enmity and looks forward to the future with hope and peace.

As a believer in her Christian doctrine of forgiveness, Easterine Kire firmly holds that it is this virtue that can only lead the way forward in the relationship between Indians and Nagas. This perspective should appeal more to the Nagas who are largely Christian and forgiveness is an essential virtue to reach God. In one of the poignant moments in the narrative, she demonstrates this principle when Mose’s grandson and his friend (grandson of a retired Indian army officer who was posted in Nagaland in the turbulent periods) learn about each other better and discover a more humane way to end misunderstanding. They thereby see life beyond conflict. Talking about how this change of perspective came along, she states:

As a believer in her Christian doctrine of forgiveness, Easterine Kire firmly holds that it is this virtue that can only lead the way forward in the relationship between Indians and Nagas. This perspective should appeal more to the Nagas who are largely Christian and forgiveness is an essential virtue to reach God. In one of the poignant moments in the narrative, she demonstrates this principle when Mose’s grandson and his friend (grandson of a retired Indian army officer who was posted in Nagaland in the turbulent periods) learn about each other better and discover a more humane way to end misunderstanding. They thereby see life beyond conflict. Talking about how this change of perspective came along, she states:

I began to understand very clearly that the problems did not lie in laws and government policies alone, but the problems of the Northeast, and all human problems for that matter, had their origins in human sources. Thereby, the solutions could come only through human solutions. I know many say this is an idealist view to take, but the fact that the laws of the land have been made by humans at some stage in history and therefore, can be undone by humans. I have addressed this in my book, Bitter Wormwood where the grandson of the protagonist and his best friend, who is the grandson of an Indian soldier, discuss the concept of deconstructing history to rescue the present. Their friendship demonstrates that when people come together, they learn to understand each other, and this human understanding can be the biggest stepping stone to a future without conflict. [emphasis added] (2014).

This concept of “deconstructing history to rescue the present” is an apt idea to understand that the conflict of the past should not continue to dictate the present as well as a vision of the future. Unfortunately, this has been a difficult step to tread upon. What is more daunting is the fact that the prolonged projection of conflict in the region has resulted in the internalization of a victimhood mindset in the people. Easterine deals with this issue when she aserts, “The trouble with us Nagas is that we have allowed the conflict to define us for too long. It has overtaken our lives so much that we have been colonized by it and its demands on us” (236). This truth is also applicable to the other communities of the region – that there is a sense of being colonised by a conflict mentality. Perhaps, to some extent, the fact of having lived through conflicting times has made many to be defined by conflict. But allowing conflict to define our lives is also to let the past have a grip on us to a point of crippling our present. The way to overcome this is to let go of the bitterness of the past by adopting the attitude of forgiveness to heal the souls of the people.

Added to that is the metaphor of “bitter wormwood” in the novel, which has also been adopted for the title of the book. The herb which has long been traditionally valued for its medicinal components and also believed by the people to keep bad spirits away, stands for the possibility of healing the wounds of the past. Perhaps, the novel appeals to the larger Indian population to understand the people of the Northeast and its multiple problems. Often, the rest of the country sits back at a safe distance and comment on the happenings in the Northeast, but that does not really help build relationships. But a mutual understanding and honest effort to connect, like the two friends in the novel, would do a good deal in respecting each other’s culture and past. This is the challenge for the reader, which Munro talks about. Easterine’s novel is an example of peace literature as it plays the “role in the safeguarding of memory and commemoration and it must highlight the need for citizens to acknowledge personal responsibility for their actions”. The action required here being that of a step to heal the wounds of the past through forgiveness.

We see this form of writing emerging from other states of the Northeast. Mention may be made of Malsawmi Jacob's Zorami – A Redemption Song (2015) which also talks of healing from the trauma of the past. The Mizos too, like the Nagas, have undergone tremendous sufferings in the 1950s and 60s which led to the rise of the MNF (Mizo National Front) who took arms against India. Just as the protagonist of the novel needed inner healing to let her move forward, the people too required a spiritual healing through forgiveness to see healing in the land.

There is power in stories – the power to let the still clear voice emerge to speak what has not been uttered by the maddening crowd. Far more than what politicians or bureaucrats blabber about peace in the chaos around us, it is the voice of the writers who speak sense. The political peace will continue to remain an illusion for the Nagas as long as a spirit of forgiveness is not given primary focus. This is true of not just peace with the larger Indian state or the neighbouring people groups but also within their own fold which has been marred by factional conflicts. The Forum for Reconciliation (FNR) initiated in 2008 by well-intended Naga public leaders is driven by the need for reconciliation among different warring groups through forgiveness for the sake of the future.

I think it is this truth expressed through literary works that needs consideration for peace and hope to be perceivable. In these times of uncertainty, it is the voice of the writers that speaks volume loud and clear, as Easterine Kire mentions.

There is power in stories – the power to let the still clear voice emerge to speak what has not been uttered by the maddening crowd. Far more than what politicians or bureaucrats blabber about peace in the chaos around us, it is the voice of the writers who speak sense. The political peace will continue to remain an illusion for the Nagas as long as a spirit of forgiveness is not given primary focus. This is true of not just peace with the larger Indian state or the neighbouring people groups but also within their own fold which has been marred by factional conflicts. The Forum for Reconciliation (FNR) initiated in 2008 by well-intended Naga public leaders is driven by the need for reconciliation among different warring groups through forgiveness for the sake of the future.

I think it is this truth expressed through literary works that needs consideration for peace and hope to be perceivable. In these times of uncertainty, it is the voice of the writers that speaks volume loud and clear, as Easterine Kire mentions.

I believe that stories are powerful

they have the power to transform lives

the magic to work peace.

It is so important that they be told

in any possible way, even in ways that we have not thought of before

as pictures, as gestures, as dance, as song

in any way they can be told

reborn, breathing life in new shapes

so that they can work their transforming magic. (“Barcelona Dreamtime”)

Works Cited (For details please see www.museindia.com)

Popular Music Subculture and the Northeast Youth

https://cafedissensus.com/2020/03/21/popular-music-subculture-and-the-northeast-youth/
Café Dissensus on March 21, 2020

“Goin’ where the wind blows”

John Ruskin once said, “Tell me what you like, and I’ll tell you what you are”. Often, this truth is also expressed about the taste of other things in life, like fashion or music. Sometimes, somehow, there is also a regional or generational similarity in the choices made. And the youth from the Northeast of India share a craze for western flavoured popular music, particularly of the Rock and alternative genre. The emergence of Hornbill Fest, NH7 Weekender Shillong, Ziro Fest, etc. is a manifestation of the popularity of this subculture in the region. This is an everyday reality that is expressed by the youth wherever they find themselves in. Duncan McDuie-Ra in his book Northeast Migrants in Delhi: Race, Refuge and Retail (2012) narrates how the Northeasterners found new hubs even in metro cities like Delhi where distinct flavours of food, fashion and music find expression.

Back in the 1990s when I was in Shillong, there was a craze for popular music, mostly of the rock music. Collections of ‘Yearbook’ – compilation of the best songs of the year – and RSJ (Rock Street Journal) were sought after hobbies of the youth. The 90s was also the heydays of ‘Rock’ music in India. Thanks to the popularization of foreign satellite televisions those days, especially MTV, the culture had far reaching effect. The era saw the launch of the popular RSJ and GIR (Great Indian Rock) concerts which are still affecting the youth today as almost strongly as when they were newly launched. And Shillong was a rock music capital of the country, not far behind other metros like Mumbai and Bangalore in hosting international bands. The region with Shillong as the locus of music, particularly western, attracted international popular bands like Smokie, Bryan Adams, Air Supply, Firehouse, MLTR, and the Christian rock band Petra, to name a few, entertained the fans. Music is certainly a great unifier!

Most people from other parts of India often ask me how it is that most young people from Northeast know how to play at least one musical instrument, especially guitar, apart from singing mellifluously. I don’t really have an answer for that but music is pretty much ingrained in the culture. Perhaps, musics flow in our veins! Reuben Mashangvah, the well-known Naga folk-guru once interestingly put it this way:

Since we were kids, we get hooked to the sound of guitar. We used to work in jhum fields and earn money to buy guitars that came from Burma. But then no one could play the guitar. There was no one to teach us. What we would do was we listened to the radio and discovered the keys and chords for ourselves (David Buhril, “North East India: India’s Rock Hub” in North East Sun, December 15, 2006, p. 21).

Perhaps, that explains a bit! What Reuben said is very much a shared experience of the growing up youth of the region. And undeniably, there is the influence of the western style of music and technology. Writing for RSJ while talking about the music scene in the region, Randeep Kaur says, “The North Eastern region of India is undoubtedly the home to some of the most incredibly talented musicians – it houses some of the best of metal, electronic, folk, fusion, pop and jazz musicians in the country” (“Continuity & Community”, RSJ, March 17, 2018).

I remember, growing up in the countryside and listening to the favorite ‘western music’ played on different radio stations, AIR Shillong, AIR Kohima, and AIR Imphal, as something to look forward to during the day. Though cassettes were available, it wasn’t quite affordable for us to buy all of them in the market. Picking up a nice collection of it was all we could do at a time. And radio could provide us the desired variety. And what’s more, it used to be aired when it suited us best, time-wise. The lazy afternoon normally turned into a lively one the moment the clock struck the time for western music. We could really resonate with the Carpenters when they sang, “When I as young I listen to the radio/ Waiting for my favorite song” (“Yesterday Once More”). It was not just the listening but like Reuben Mashangvah we would try out best to strum our treasured guitars like the ones we’d heard in the radio and cassettes. Not everyone possessed guitars, but if one in the friend circle got it, it was like everyone’s property. We would strum the chords and play it “till our fingers bleed” to rhyme with Bryan Adams’ “best days of my life” (“Summer of ‘69”).

“Life in the Fast Lane”

The advancement of technology and the enlarging communication systems have certainly contributed a lot to the development of a ‘global market’. The world we live in is transforming at a very quick pace: it’s ‘life in the fast lane’. And the Northeast is not left far behind in the ‘rat race’. The ‘images’ that get circulated in the internet have far-widening effect on the youth. The long hair, tattoos, body piercing, etc. have rapidly transformed the ‘lifestyle’ of the youth. The ‘easy going’ nature of the young people has paved the way for the modernized western lifestyle to seep into the ‘open’ culture of the tribes of Northeast.

On hindsight, however, globalization as a policy to permeate the economies of the rest of the world is largely American in nature, given the fact that the western culture is dominated by American values. Being home to “most of the products that dominates daily life around our globe”, America has benefited from its ‘soft power’ as much as it has been strengthened through her ‘hard power’ – military might (Shashi Tharoor, “Can India be a World Leader?” in Reference Yearbook 2005, p. 98). This ‘soft power’ is even more powerful than the ‘hard power’. It does not cause casualties like the ‘hard power’ but seeps into the lives of people and slowly dominates their everyday life. And, of course, this is very relevant in today’s world. America has learned it well that it doesn’t need to use its ‘hard power’ to dominate the world; its ‘soft power’ works in its favor. There was a time when the idea of a nation was limited to territorial terms. In today’s global network society when every corner of the world is “interconnected by nodes”, the peripheries are deterritorialized (Manuel Castells, The Rise of the Network Society, 2000, p. 501).

And, of course, one cannot also ignore the commercial or the money aspect of it: “Cultural forms like popular music always relate to money and power” (Johan Fonnas, “Moving Rock: Youth and Pop in late Modernity” in Popular Music Vol. 9 No. 3, October, 1990, p. 292). The emergence of pop/icon and the craze after rock bands can be looked upon as ‘symbols’ that attract the attention of people. A popular music genre is always sought after. And from generation to generation the popularity of music changes. From the jazz to rock ‘n’ roll to rock to reggae to pop to rap to hip-hop to technologically-influenced music of dance remixes and trance genre changes too with the strategy of the market. This is more so since the late 1990s up till now and these are mainly manipulated according to the taste of the consumer. And then, there is the ‘selling’ factor of the product. The fact that rock music sells in the Northeast is already a reason for the international mediators or sponsors to eye that region. And this has been further quickened by the emergence of transnational media and network systems.

‘Enter the Fusion Music’: Resurgence of tradition?

For a long time now, however, music as a career has never been encouraged by the older generation/parents for moral as well as economic reasons. The moral reason is closely tied to the kind of images that the popular icons have displayed – rebellion, sex, drugs, etc. – thereby painting a picture in the minds of the parents that ‘rock’ culture is destructive and hence to be discarded. But the second reason, that is, economic viability, has bigger implications. The largely agrarian society has not quite seen music as a sustainable career option, let alone the high cost of investment that is usually required. But lately, these hurdles have been crossed as many youths from the region have made successful music careers, both locally as well as internationally. It is not a surprise that most schools in the Delhi NCR have people from the Northeast as music teachers/instructors, particularly the western music.

Even in the states of the region, of late, there has been a big push to promote music as an industry. An example can be taken of the Nagaland state government’s initiative to launch the Special Task Force for Music (STFM) in 2005 to promote the music industry. Since then there has been a visible and steady growth of the industry in the state. But this also brings to fore the need for a political will backed by a well-planned commercial strategy to enable a conducive growth of music in the region. The fact that the now famous Hornbill Festival continues to draw publicity and host grand music fest is because it is a state-sponsored annual event under STEM.

On the same note, there is also a kind of resurgence among the Nagas to pick up their long-ignored musical tradition. With a legacy of a vibrant oral tradition where music has a quintessential role to play, the Naga musicians have experimented and reinvented their own musical root. In course of time, there is development of a fusion music genre. By and large, this genre has mystified music lovers. The success of Tetseo Sisters, Abiogenesis, The Purple Fusion, just to name a few, has strengthened this newfound interest. Perhaps, this is also a conscious choice for many music lovers because the fusion music has greater affinity with the folk. This new indigenous identity injected to music shows some promising future in the social relevance of musical art. There is now a rise in the youth music bands that blend their acquired knowledge of the western music and the freshly discovered music of their own and make a different genre of music that is yet to be discovered by the world. We see this slowly penetrating the church music too. For the Nagas, being largely Christian, the church holds an important place in shaping the mindset of the people. There is a clear visible rise of interest in ethnomusicology and it incorporates the church music sphere too. And for a good reason, the fusion music is the one which is likely to sustain.