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POST script
MARCH 18, 2012

SEVEN SISTERS

NELit review

FIFTH WALL
UDDIPANA GOSWAMI
Literary Editor

Poetry always voiced protest

Seven Sisters Post speaks with Sameer Tanti, poet, social thinker and one of the Adivasi communitys most respected voices over the last few decades. He talks about what inspires his works and the socio-political situation in his community today
u Whats your view on a poet?
Why do you write poems? t A poet performs a solitary exercise when he seeks to bridge the chasm between infinity and the great human family. In doing so he suffers without letting others suffer. History is witness to many instances where the poet has sacrificed his life at the hands of tyrannical rulers and states to safeguard the greater interest of mankind, or to bring justice in an otherwise unjust world. I was born and brought up in a remote tea garden in Assam. I grew up in an environment of humiliation, poverty, ignorance and deprivation. The proletariat or the people working in the tea plantations in Assam have been one of the most exploited communities in India. These factors have been influential in shaping the person and the poet I am today. French-Lithuanian poet Oscar Milosz once said: Poetry must be aware of its terrible responsibilities, for it is not a purely individual game and it gives shape to the aspirations of the great soul of the people. It was because of this desire to give voice to all those unsaid things in society that I chose to write poems. hands. But discrimination and segregation still exist in the social life of Assam.

u It is said in jest that

Tea and a tale of ethnic resurgence

HE history of colonial expansion in India has been one of forced migration of labour populations to and from various parts of the British Empire. Of these migrant populations, many have now established themselves as integral parts of the host community. Some, like the Indian migrants to Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago, have even risen above their traumatic histories of death, displacement and dehumanisation, and gained prominence socially and politically in the host countries. A similar traumatic story of bonded labour, enforced slavery, death and deprivation brought the tea tribals of Assam into the region from various places in British India. Unfortunately however, the socio-economic plight of a majority of the people within the community has not changed much since the days that they worked in the tea gardens owned by European planters. After the Europeans withdrew, the plantations changed hands; even the reins of the country ostensibly returned to the people of the nation. But till today, there are reports of starvation deaths in the tea gardens of Assam and a large chunk of the population is still deprived of basic human rights. Over the last few decades, with the spread of education and the growth of a conscious middle class, however, awareness about various issues has been on the rise among the people of the community. Where political mobilisation and activism has increased on the one hand, on the other, a reshaping of identity, a quiet resurgence of ethnic pride and a search for indigenous roots has also been taking place simultaneously. Shedding the earlier derogatory nomenclatures like coolies, tea tribals and so on imposed upon it, the community now defines itself as Adivasi. It is turning more and more to its roots in mainland India and trying to reclaim its lost ties. There is a long way to go of course, and problems persist within the community itself. For one, it is not a homogenous mass of people but a conglomerate of various small and big tribes. Ethnic hierarchies exist and may be exploited in the future. As it is, the fate of the entire community rests in a handful of ethnic elites. As poet Sameer Tanti points out in Point Blank, the entire establishment has to shoulder the blame for the deplorable conditions of his people. The angst that comes with belonging to this group of people often reflects in the literature being produced by members of the community. Tantis voice is only one of the most well-recognised of these. Younger, more politically aware, voices have also emerged in recent years, reflecting a new self-definition, a new ethnic pride. Kamal Kumar Tanti is the foremost among them. We carry some of his poems in translation in our Inkpot section. But, established or new, the writers of the community all write in the Assamese language the language they adopted wholeheartedly after centuries of living in this land. In turn, those whose native language is Assamese have also written about the community in their own language. Acclaimed writer Nirode Choudhury, for instance, wrote the short story, Chameli Memsaab, which was later made into a motion picture. We carry a short excerpt from the story in translation in this issue of NELit review. T

Assam has more poets than readers. Is this a reason why poetry is not read by too many people in the state? t Yes, absolutely true.

u Do you think poetry can be an t I think so. Poetry has always

instrument of social change?

POINT BLANK
GG

NEW PRINTS
FLICKERING FLAMES
Rajnish Sharma Har-Anand Publications, 2012 `395, 144 pages Hardcover/ Novel story, told with humour and sensitivity, about the launch of a newspaper which brings together some talented and energetic youths

u The tea tribes are a result of colonial policies. Was there any difference to their lot after Independence? t When our country attained its freedom, we had come to the conclusion that the roots of slavery had been totally uprooted from the subcontinent. We thought that finally our people could live in peace and prosperity, forgetting the trauma of colonialism. But we did not have to wait long to realise that what we had thought would be a new dawn was

u We see glimpses of Pablo Neruda or Federico Garcia Lorca in your poems. How have they influenced you? t The underlying tradition behind all art forms literature (poetry being one of its sub-genres), music and painting is universal, just like experiences of people everywhere. Poetry is also a medium for sharing these experiences in keeping with that tradition. As a poet or common man from Assam I must say that world poetry, especially that from Spain and Africa, has enriched me a lot. Whatever my poetry is today it is basically nourished by generational poets like Pablo Neruda, Federico Garcia Lorca, and many of my native land. My social existence and cultural beliefs have their roots in Assam.

given voice to the common mans protest against injustices in society. Having said that, poetry cannot directly bring about social change but it can inspire people to think, judge and act. We have already seen this in our country, especially during the freedom struggle.

LOVE is the greatest and most beautiful gift we have received in our life. Where there is love there is rebellion. A poet can be both a lover and a revolutionary G G
they had the right to determine and define their own identity. During the times of feudal landlords and zamindars, they revolted against the tyranny and exploitation of their so-called masters. Even the ones who were brought to Assam during colonial rule to serve in the tea plantations were simmering with discontent and were not as timid as they now seem to be. There are several instances of these peoples bravery and heroic deeds during the Raj. Their cultural richness was their only strength and source of inspiration to retaliate against any effort at domination and subjugation. But surprisingly enough in Assam, the people in the tea gardens have been kept isolated intentionally and forbidden to mix with the local people. Though they seem to be free from colonial bondage, in reality they still remain subjugated to their new masters, the national bourgeoisie. franchise and select their own leaders, in order to lead their life in a new and better direction of development and fulfilment. But, every time, all they have been given are tall promises and time and again been betrayed by the ruling class. The ministers, trade unionists and local leaders once embodied the aspirations of the people for the new dawn. Now, instead of keeping their promises, try to play the same tricks to baffle their own people.

make or mar a poet. Whats your take on literary criticism in Assam at present? t A critic is an architect who bridges the gap between a poet and his readers. Good critics have been playing a crucial role in the history of art, literature and culture. A critics point of view helps in understanding and appreciating poetry, thereby developing a good taste among readers. Critics are supposed to take a dispassionate view of a literary work, so their role is one of responsibility and depth. But unfortunately in Assam, after prominent critics like Hiren Gohain, Bhaben Barua, Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya, Hirendra Nath Dutta, Hare Krishna Deka, Pradip Acharya, and Prabhat Bora, very few have made the grade. However, in recent times, Arindam Borkotoky, a young critic, has shown much promise.

u Critics can

u The community has historically been seen as passive sufferers of exploitation. How accurate is this image? t These people, these Adivasis, before their migration as bonded labourers to Assam, were the indigenous peoples of their respective lands, the sons of the soil, and

actually an illusion of darkness, of ignorance and poverty which had engulfed us once again. A new regime of tyranny, force and intimidation, endless corruption and exploitation has come about in the form of new governance. Cultural values and family bonds have been eroded, with people falling prey to fanaticism and insurgency. Neocolonialism, with a new face and a new order, has appeared in this country to determine our identity and status in society in an almost absurd way.

u What, according to you, is love? Can love and revolution complement each other or coexist? t Love is the greatest and most beautiful gift we have received in our life. Where there is love there is rebellion. A poet can be both a lover and a revolutionary.

u Do you feel that you have not got due recognition? t I have never chased publicity during my 35-year writing career. As a poet or human being I have no regrets. I believe that time is a true judge of merit and relevance of any work.

u Which of your poems is the best? t It is difficult to say. All my creu Your favourite book/writer? t Memoirs (Pablo Neruda), War
ations are very dear to me.

u Has the situation been made worse by the kind of leadership the community has got? t From the time of Indias first election, the people in the tea community have been given the right to

turbulent times of the 1980s and 1990s when you emerged on the literary scene as an advocate for deprived sections of society. How do you see todays Assam which has of late witnessed an uprising against the Establishment? t Times have changed, but the nature of the Establishment hasnt. As long as deprivation, ignorance and injustice persist, there would always be discontent amongst the people leading to unrest in society. The greed of todays leaders has no limits and any attempts to unmask it soon get termed as either Maoist or the involvement of foreign

u Assam has changed since the

u How do you spend your free time? t Reading, interacting with and learning from friends and my children, and reconnecting with nature. T

and Peace (Leo Tolstoy), Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky), The Plague (Albert Camus), Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman), The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway), 1984 (George Orwell), Nrityarata Prithvi (Neelmoni Phukan), Faust (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) and many others.

CLOSE READING

Authoritative, with a fresh perspective

SUBIR BHAUMIK

MAI KABIRANJAN UTTAPTA HOBA KHOJA ETA KABITAR NAM

Saumitra Jogee (ed) AANK-BAAK, 2011 `120, 159 pages Hardcover/ Poetry HE complete collection of poetry by Kabiranjan Saikia, slain ULFA cadre and one of the most promising poet of Assam in recent decades

THE FOREST OF STORIES

Ashok K Banker Westland, 2012 `295, 350 pages Paperback/ Fiction

HE Mahabharata of Vyasa, retold by Ashok K Banker. This is the first book in a series of three

MPIRES Garden is the most authoritative and well-documented historical analysis of the transformation of medieval Assam into a colonial province. But it is also a study of how Assam and its adjoining regions came to be part of India. So the book is not only about Assam but also about the evolution of modern India, specially the transformation of its far eastern frontier into a constituent part of the nation-state. David Ludden is justified in describing Empires Garden as a new departure for the historical study of Assam and in expressing his hope that it will anchor histories of Assam for years to come. Though focused on a province, Sharmas scholarly range is extraordinary because she has so much to offer on South Asias post-medieval history, on colonialism, nationalism and regionalism to ethnicity, elite formation, migration, capitalism and economic progress. That is perhaps because when someone studies Assam closely, and as thoroughly as Sharma has done, one would surely come out intel-

EMPIRES GARDEN: ASSAM AND THE MAKING OF INDIA

Jayeeta Sharma Permanent black, 2012 `750, 324 pages Hardcover/ Non-fiction
Northeast) is a link region between the civilisations of the IndoGangetic plains and the Southeast Asian highlands, it is the flower-garden that replicates India on a smaller scale but it is also the fluid corridor through which population movements have shaped the future of South Asia. But despite so much relevance to India, Assam is that part of the subcontinent that has received much less attention from serious historians of the subcontinent, except those working on the tea industry. Jayeeta Sharmas fascinating details of Assams history become more relevant because they relate local themes to larger issues of South Asian history: colonial ideologies of race and the importance of these ideologies to the political

RRRRRRT G

SHARMAS interest and deep insights makes this book a fascinating read and a volume worth collecting for anybody interested in Assam, Northeast and India
economy, the structure of colonial rule, the development of these public spheres and the reformulati on of identities under colonial circumstances. As Douglas Haynes aptly sums up, Empires Garden helps us to understand the historical dimensions of contemporary conflicts in the region, without making the conflicts seem predetermined by what happened in the colonial period. Sharma takes us back to the colonial processes by which the tea industry came into existence through the planned growth of a cultivated

lectually richer about so much else that affects the whole of the subcontinent. Assam is the microcosm of India and also encapsulates its many problems, developments and social processes but in its own distinctive way. Because Assam (and the rest of what is today Indias

system of plantations in what was just a jungle-laden frontier. But she details and analyses the orchestrated migration of tea labour from the Chotanagpur region and later the large-scale migration, again encouraged by colonial rulers, of a huge underclass of landhungry peasants from East Bengal. She argues that the racialised construction of the tea labourer catalysed a process in which Assam's gentry sought to insert their homeland into an imagined Indo-Aryan community and a modern Indian political space. Various linguistic and racial claims allowed these elites to defend their own modernity while pushing the burden of primitiveness onto "non-Aryan" indigenous tribals or migrant labourers. As vernacular print arenas emerged in Assam, so did competing claims to history, nationalism and progress that continue to reverberate in the present. Sharmas interest and deep insights into labour and culture, migration and social change makes this book a fascinating read and a volume worth collecting for anybody interested in Assam, Northeast and India. T