Journalism is about the here and the now and fiction is about the universal and the timeless. If writing is a solitary occupation, then journalism is just the opposite – you interact with people all the time. I had spent twenty-five tough, memorable years trying to be both a writer and a journalist before the idea of writing this book became a gleam in my eye. An idea travels through the invisible routes of the subconscious before it emerges, fully formed. Writing this book is an intrinsic part of not only who I am, but more importantly, where I come from.
I am an Assamese, belonging to Assam, one of the states of what is known as India’s North East region. It is a part of the country idealized in glossy tourist b4rochures, overlooked by the powers-that-be, utterly unknown to the average Indian. It is a region that is far away in every sense of the term – whether it be in physical distance, accessibility or cultural affinity. The eight states are clubbed together under a common name that does not take into account the individual identities, cultures and ethnicities of each state. As if it was not troubling enough to be in the periphery, North East India began to feature in mainstream. Indian media for all the wrong reasons – insurgency, bomb blasts, ethnic violence, kidnapping, secret killings, reprisal of armed forces. The picture of emerald hills, sparkling waterfalls, virgin forests was stained with blood. There were heartbreaking stories of families separated, homes destroyed, brother turning against brother. Like other writers in this troubled region, I too wrote stories depicting the horrors of this grim reality.
I struggled to convey what it was to be a woman this point of history in this corner of the world. And then gradually, I realized that it was real stories of real women that were waiting to be narrated, stories that go beyond cliches and hype to reveal the indomitable spirit of woman. The twelve women featured in this book challenge traditional views about women’s place in society and the home. They prove that Indian women are boldly stepping out of their marginalized space. They have confronted great odds and endured heart-breaking ordeals to stand by what they believe in. Their stirring narratives dispel gender stereotypes, reveal facets of this beautiful, troubled part of the country. This book also stands for the premise that all issues are womens issues.
The twelve women who feature in this book come from diverse backgrounds. The thread that binds their stories is their resolve to change the circumstances of their lives, overcoming tremendous odds, and give wings to their dreams. They are survivors and pathfinders, doers and dreamers, leaving in their wake surging inspiration and hope. Their testimonies reveal what it is to live in this often forgotten corner of India. They have overcome personal tragedy, broken the falters of tradition, discrimination and coped bravely with the harrowing experience of violence and uncertainty. Through the prism of these true life stories, I have also tried to explore the paradoxes, problems, triumphs and realities of today’s Indian woman.
Jahnabi Goswami is a radiant bride who steps intoher husband’s home, unaware of the terrible secret he is hiding from her. In a couple of years she loses him and her baby daughter to AIDS. She then takes the unprecedented step of coming out into the open as the first HIV positive woman from the North East and sets up the Assam Network of Positive People. Jahnabi reveals how she refused to don the tag of victim and struggles against great odds to help people with HIV, AIDS and fight for their rights. She has transformed herself from a shattered widow and a grieving mother to a powerhouse of energy – counselling patients, co-ordinating with different agencies, travelling all over the world, being a passionate spokesperson for people with HIV AIDS. She embodies feminine strength and resilience in the face of dark adversity.
Parvati Barua is the celebrated Elephant Queen, the only woman elephant trainer in the world. Born into an diffluent and privileged Zamindar family, she chose instead of answer the call of the wild, taming elephants and training them. Her daredevil exploits deep in the inaccessible jungles have captured the imagination of the world. In this exclusive and free-wheeling interview, the reclusive and enigmatic Parbati offers a compelling view of her extraordinary life and her mystical bond with these majestic creatures.
As a teenager Rita Chowdhury spent years as a fugitive student revolutionary hiding from the law. She went on to chronicle the Assam movement against foreign nationals, capturing in gripping prose the drama of those stirring years. Her novel Deu Langkhui, an epic work historical fiction on the Tiwa tribe of Assam, won her the Sahitya Akademi Award. A words with committed to the cause of the voiceless, Chowdhury brings to light a dark chapter of the Indo-China war of 1962, when the Chinese Indians of Upper Assam were forcibly transported to an internment camp in Rajasthan. She uses her remarkable story-telling powers to point out the injustice done to these forgotten people.
Award-winning journalist Teresa Rehman risks her life to uncover explosive stories in India’s troubled North East. Penetrating deep into a jungle camp to interview an elusive dreaded rebel leader, or exposing to a shocked world an encounter killing in broad daylight by the State forces, is all part of Teresa’s merval work schedule. Teresa continues to be driven by her commitment to report on issues unknown to the rest of the country and the world. With her ear to the ground, Teresa works to reveal the many facets of the region and feels strongly that every story must be in the larger interest of the society.
Afflicted by polio when she was a toddler. Urmee Mazumdar has always refused to make compromises or seek the easy way out. Her life has been dedicated to working among the disabled through her NGO Swabalambi – making them aware of their rights, arranging for their treatment and training them for a livelihood. Because of her efforts, hundreds of differently abled people have learnt to lead meaningful lives. And Suchismita continues winning awards for her valiant crusade.
How does one feel when one’s world turns dark, familiar faces vanish, and every step ahead seems an abyss? Ask Bertha G Dkhar, the Khasi lady who turned blind just when life was beckoning to her with its many promises. Bertha travelled from fear, heartbreak, rage to acceptance. Along the way, her heart went out to others like her – blind boys and girls. Against great odds, she created Braille in the Khasi language and ushered in a quiet revolution in the area of education for the visually challenged. Bertha Dkhar, honoured with the Padmashree, is today a pillar of the Khasi society and an inspiring role model.
Mary Kom, the daughter of an impoverished farmers in a Manipur village does something unprecedented that puts her on the long road to international fame as an Olympic boxer. Her grit and tenacity leads her from one victory to another even as the dice seems loaded against her. Find out the Biblical story that has been the bedrock of Mary’s unshakeable faith in herself.
On a still moonlit night a lone woman sets out on a journey to save a life. Birubala Rabha is the feisty crusader who calls a spade and has tireless by spoken out against witchcraft in Assam’s remote countryside. This unlettered and poor woman has battled great odds to save thirty-five people, deemed witches by superstitions villagers, from certain death. And she has willingly paid the price for her stance – she has not only been ostracized but even had to face death threats. Her courage and conviction continues to inspire many.
Concerned by rising instances of human trafficking, Meghalaya’s Hasina Kharbhih has created the Meghalaya Model, a collective initiative involving government, NGOs, judiciary, police etc which work in close collaboration to tackle the menace. Her work threatens the interests of traffickers and they make death threats on the telephone, stalk her and even try to push her in front of a moving vehicle. But Hasina is not one to retrace her steps and today she is internationally recognized for her work.
A feisty Naga Monalisa Changkija upholds the values of free fair and fearless journalism as she struggles to bring out her daily newspaper against all odds.
Manju Borah makes waves as an award winning director of films that are redolent of the spirit of the North East. Her work brings fresh hope to the crippled Assamese film industry. Unlettered by lack of finance and limited infrastructure, Manju continues to make films that touch on sensitive issues, resonating in viewers across cultures.
To Dr Manisha Behal goes the credit of single-handedly professionalizing social work in the North East. North East Network, her brainchild, is the leading NGO working in the area of women’s rights. In this chapter Dr Behal traces the roots of her activism to her childhood.
Meeting these twelve remarkable women, being privy to their stories of struggle, hope, despair and triumph, has been the experience of a lifetime. They together embody the face of the North East women – traditional, yet modern, tremendously resilient, capable of enduring all odds. Yet, it is necessary to also acknowledge that they go beyond the confines of a geographical place. Their stories are bound to inspire anyone, from any part of the world. As Virginia Woolf put it so eloquently. “As a woman I have no country. As a women I want no country. As a women, my country is the whole wold.”
Indrani Raimedhi