Literary confluence: North Eastern trends and streams
- Awakening consciousness -

By:- B S Rajkumar *

18-19 August, 2009 proved two unforgettable days for the writers of the north east. The Department of English, West Bengal State university joined hands with the Sahitya Akademi, Kolkata Regional Office to organize a two day seminar on "Literary Confluence: North Eastern Trends and Streams" at the Bharatiya Bhasha parishad, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata. 18-19 August, 2009 proved two unforgettable days for the writers of the north east. The Department of English, West Bengal State university joined hands with the Sahitya Akademi, Kolkata Regional Office to organize a two day seminar on "Literary Confluence: North Eastern Trends and Streams" at the Bharatiya Bhasha parishad, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata.

The programme concluded in a poets meet of the north east, or to be exact, the respective representatives present on that occasion. Representatives from Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim are supposed to come to see one another in the confluence. Unluckily Mamang Dai from Arunachal Pradesh, Kynpham Singh Nongkynrih from Shillong and Tabu Taid from Sikkim could not make their appearance, perhaps due to unavoidable circumstances.

The West Bengal State University though not long established has taken up a result oriented programme through its Department of English in organizing this seminar. The seminar has obviously provided a platform to assess literature, folklore and culture of the north east in the course of a contemporary reading.

Another valuable result is evidently created as a necessary strand of the curriculum of the English Department of this University. For this Department has not only included Indian English writing in its course but also has embraced select translations of writings in Indian languages, emphatically events in the literatures of the north east.

This simple but far reaching effort has brought about a conducive atmosphere of trust and understanding in this region. The poetry reading session that followed the two day seminar could provide a glimpse of contemporary north eastern poetic scene. One can only hope for further poets meets wherein discussion and closer interpretations of the poems could be attempted as part of the programme.

The Inaugural session was graced by Prof Ashoke Ranjan Thakur, Vice Chancellor, West Bengal State University as the Chief Guest and was presided over by Shri Rongbong Terang. He is a soft spoken elderly Karbi writer who is also the President of the prestigious Asom Sahitya Sabha.

This Sabha was established in 1917 with its Head Office at Jorhat. It has at present more than thousand branches both inside and outside Assam.

Shri Rongbong Terang is the first tribal President of the Sabha. He is a Sahitya Akademi Awardee and had also been honoured Padma Shree by the Government of India. His main thrust lies in his efforts to unite all the tribal languages of Assam 'for the growth of the primary language of Assam'.

Prof Ashoke Ranjan Thakur, the honourable Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal State University is a biophysicist and his interest his mainly in the development of bioinformatics tools for diverse use. He emphasized on the role of language as a means of holding people together.

The role of language in this case means proper implementation of necessary measures of mutual linguistic development, particularly in the north east having ethnic and linguistic diversity.

The key-note address was delivered by Prof Soumen Sen, an eminent scholar and folklorist dedicated to studying folklore of this region, particularly of Meghalaya. He deliberated on the importance of cross studying both oral and written literature to resolve intra-cultural relationships.

The presidential address by Shri Rongbong Terang is a brief introduction to the present scenario of Assamese literature and he discussed a few contemporary Assamese writers of note like Rajani Kanta Bordoloi, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, Nagendra North Barua etc. These seminary dissections also increased the faith on the solidity of the ethnic diversity in the state.

This diversity has also encompassed languages, cultures and literatures. People are still wondering about the identification of Indian literature and the same question has also risen in the case of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur or in short the entire north east.

It has been commonly accepted that languages of the north east are poised for a fresh start in literary and cultural dimensions. The function closed with a vote of thanks proposed by Prof Jayati Gupta. She is professor and Head, Dept of English, West Bengal State University.

She thanked the Sahitya Akademi and its staff for their translation of the idea of the seminar into practice with such an case that only such an organization can exhibit. She also highlighted the aims of the English Department to embrace not only Indian English writing but also selected English translations of regional literatures.

The seminar got on way from the afternoon session and its saw during the first academic session two papers presented by B S Rajkumar, Manipur and Jyotinmoy Pradhani, Assamese. B S Rajkumar introduced Medieval or Middle period Manipuri literature (1709-1801) in a brief way to the learned audience. Contemporary Manipuri literature has made itself unknown to outside readers through translations to some extent.

But Manipuri literature of the old and middle periods are still not much known to others. We have to continue further studies ourselves in these areas. Still there has emerged some commonly accepted features regarding the middle period of Manipuri literature.

This period saw a diminishing Shan influence vis-à-vis a raising Brahmanic influence. Translation works of Aryan literature became abundant during this period though original Manipuri works written in Meitei script were also produced. This period also saw the substitution of Meitei script by Bangla. The audience showed keen interest in the Meitei script as well as the folklore of Manipur.

Dr Jyotinmoy Pradhani's paper was on 'Ethnicity and contemporary Assamese Writing.' He made abundant quotations from various Assamese contemporary writers such as Samir Tanti, Jeban Narah, Anupama Basumatary –all poets, short story writers such as Sibananda Kakoty, Arupa Patongi Kalita, novelist Indira Goswami Raisom and dramatists such as Arun Sarma, Birinchi Kumar Barua, Satya Prasad Barua, Zaffarul Ali etc.

Dr Pradhani was able to show how Assamese writers of the present generation were aware of the complexities of contemporary world while deeply rooted to the soil. Still we have to hear the sad note of piercing agony of a blood soaked Manipuri patch of land and also the laments of the womenfolk in Nagaland which colour a vibrant layer of the literatures of these strife torn states of the north east.

Caroline R Marak who chaired the first academic session read out a paper on Yaro traditional Oral Poetry which purposively selected and studied 'Dani' poems, a form of oral poetry which were collected by H W Marak. 'Dani' is a group of sacred songs performed after the harvest.

She proved the structural layers of the poems using linguistic as well as imagery models. In the process she found out structures of meaning that consisted of contrast and opposition. The visual or imagery expressions include the world as an ideal place proceeding towards doom or failures which again brought out a satirical view from the minstrels of 'Dani'.

The poems end with a note of hope. The ensuing question answer period was quite constructive. The audience which consisted a fair number of students of literature was most friendly and the questions were asked with view to get knowledge rather than question the veracity of a statement.