The Peripheral Centre

The Peripheral Centre

Voices from India’s Northeast

Edited by Preeti Gill

2010

Zubaan

An imprint of Kali for Women

This interesting collection of 26 essays on the region had me engrossed and also rekindled some memories!

Different perspectives on a single issue present an interesting picture.

Temsula Ao in her ‘Benevolent Subordination’: Social status of Naga Women states

“Cultural impediments to social change can never be removed by legislation alone and cosmetic reforms like the induction of women into parallel bodies like the Village Development Boards, Town Committees and other similar organizations do not really address the issue of gender discrimination in power sharing.”

While Lal Dena in Status of Mizo Women states “In the final analysis, the overall democratization of Mizo’s socio-economic and political structures can be expected to promote women’s empowerment and emancipation.”

Continuing with Lal Dena’s essay the quotes below succinctly bring out the situation, the world that lies beyond the crowded lanes of the capitals in the regions. 

• The wisdom of woman does not extend beyond the bank of a river
• Woman (wife) and old fencing can be replaced any time
• Let a woman and a dog bark as they like

Recall a discussion on the subject at Nagaland. I was a part of a team that was then trying to work with people in a village to conserve a forest patch. A colleague was of the view that we need to involve women and gender equity should exist. On the other hand was the question that if we pushed for women representation too much were we going against the local and traditional practices? What is too much in such cases? Is it defeatist in some ways or can we expect to move slowly on the long road to change? This was in a district that had challenged the Central Act which created space for women representation, by way of 33 per cent reservation, in local bodies stating that it went against the traditional laws!

This brings me to another interesting point in the book. V Sawmvelli and Ashley Tellis in their Crab Theology – Women Christianity and Conflict in the ‘Northeast’.  Codification of customary law makes change very difficult as is the case with personal laws in India which involve the parliament. Mizos were one of the first tribes to take this up – as early as 1957.

The essay also has an interesting take on the Church (in this aspect)

“All political parties in Mizoram are necessarily aligned to churches, so, once again, the patriarchal culture of the churches aligns with the patriarchal culture of Mizo political formations and processes to marginalize women and further their oppression, this time under the guise of ‘protection’ and the building of an ideal Zo Christian state, of which women, of course, remain the silent backbone.”

At the end it offers dance as a solution stating “to build on liberating tradition that already exists . . it integrates the Mizo traditional past and the present”

Rahul Goswami in his interesting essay Socio-economic Realities in Nagaland talks of his experiences at Khonoma where he states “A closer inspection of the village society of Khonoma is both illuminating and frustrating” and ends with “There is an overabundance of critical enquiry into the political processes and dynamics of the region, but conspicuously little into its economic realities, and particularly to place communities before plan objectives”. Reading of Khonoma reminded me of what a friend based at Kohima had told me “Khonoma is more fiction than fact”.

Sanjib Baruah’s scholarly Northeast India is brilliant.

 “The expression Northeast India entered the Indian Lexicon in 1971. However, until 1972 the state of Arunachal – the area where India and China fought a war in 1962 – was called the North East Frontier Agency(NEFA). The term Northeast India, or just ‘the Northeast’, has its origins in the changes made to the political and administrative map of the area in the 1960’s and earlier 1970s” the creation of new units that eventually all became states, and the formation of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in 1971. Like other directional place names Northeast India reflects an external and not a local point of view.”

I have never been comfortable with the term “Northeast” and try not to use it. Ever had this question of why do we use it? Including for the title of this book.  North east of what? What then do we make of the term “Mainland” that is used in at-least some parts of the region. I remember using it i.e. “mainland” with a friend and got the reply “how stupid” – as if “Northeast” sounds intelligent!

“A number of Northeast Indian states were created primarily in pursuit of an agenda driven by national security and not, as in other parts of India, in response to popular sentiments seeking recognition for historical regions or their fiscal viability.”

Never thought of it this way.

Rupa Chinai sums up her essay From a Reporter’s Diary nicely

“India owes much to the communities of the Northeast, particularly its rural poor, who have until now protected its water, forests and biodiversity and demonstrated a wisdom that human society must eventually return to for its own survival.”

The book though appears to have its share of shortcomings -

Essays appear to have been written at different times and while the editor states “this anthology has been a long time in the making” and a time line (in some form) could have helped give a better picture as opposed to the confusing picture that which times that the different essays offer. While multiplicity of opinions is surely welcome contradiction don’t quite help – these could just be a case of situation in a state at different times and a time-line may have helped comprehend the flow.

I believe that akin to the need to not depict people in exotic frames there is a dire need to not paint them with overtly sorrowful narratives as well. Why does book espouse such a heartbroken and dismal tone? Surely there are positive and invigorating actions taking place in the region. All the more given the challenging circumstances they encounter in their day to day lives. Why not give hope?

I recall going for a play organized as a part of the Hindu Theatre Festival and being very irritated by the time it reached the end for English was the language in less than half the play – Why did they not mention it on the ticket I had wondered (I – like others, some of whom also protested – had assumed English would be the language since the other plays were in that language and no where anything contradictory to this mentioned). This was something on similar lines. Why the title The Peripheral  Centre – Voices from India’s north east when the essays primarily focus on women?

These essays bring out lives of people in the region in a stark fashion and make a crucial read for those working in the region. Conservation for example, when a lot (if not most) of it has to do with people it makes a lot of sense to know of the issues they live with. A friend pointed out once – the mistake lot of use in conservation commit is that we consider people as constants! I would go ahead and say that we need to know of where they come from and this book helps for sure!