FIFTH WALL - Echoing hills : Uddipana Goswami

Uddipana Goswami, Literary Editor

Meghalaya – the abode of clouds. A Sanskritised name for a state overwhelmingly populated by peoples of Austric and Mongoloid origins – Khasis, Garos, Jaintias. After the hill regions populated by these communities became a part of the Indian Union, they remained administratively yoked to Assam where the Hindu middle class dominated. When the states were reorganised and administrative boundaries redrawn to confer statehood on these hills, the Sanskritised name remained as a reminder of this erstwhile political association while at the same time  reinforcing its changed relation with the Indian ‘mainland’.

The indigenous, non-Aryan elements of the culture and literature of Meghalaya however, have continued to flourish. This issue of NELit review is an effort to explore the richness of these elements as reflected in literature. Translations – into English and other languages – of the indigenous writings and oral lore have ensured that now, people from outside the state also have access to these. At the same time, the writers and litterateurs of Meghalaya have continued their dialogue with texts from outside the state by encouraging translations into their own languages. Urmimala Bhattacharjee explores such literary give-and-take.

Khasi poet, Desmond L Kharmawphlang, also translates into poetry his personal experiences. Though written in English, his poetry is typically soaked in Khasi folklore and set amidst the landscape of the hills he belongs to. The political unrest in these hills has not escaped the poet’s notice. Much of this unrest has been in reaction to the political and social marginalisation that the people of Meghalaya have faced since joining the Indian Union. However, within these margins, newer margins have been created since the state was first formed. At NELit review, our effort has always been to search out the voices from the peripheries. We therefore revisit an A.chik (Garo) classic as well, and explore briefly the literary traditions of this other hill region that is such an integral part of the state of Meghalaya.