BANGALORE: The North Eastern frontier of the country is often termed as the conflict-ridden region, painting an image of bomb blasts, ethnic violences, severe floods or Maoist attacks. The region has states like Manipur, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, but it is known as a collective entity - the ‘North-East’.
As a broadcast journalist for more than 10 years, and till recently the resident editor of NDTV in the North-Eastern region, Kishalay Bhattacharjee covered the conflict in the said region and the Maoist corridor but was saddened when these reports portrayed only conflicts.
The region has a rich heritage, diverse cuisine and many interesting stories of human interest, but they were not reported in the media and cast away as 'unimportant', he says.
The idea for his book, Che in Paona Bazaar grew out of the urge to defy these stereotypes. "Like any other state, even the places in the North-Eastern region have distinct identity. Through the book, I wanted to represent the places, the people and their habits. The bombs don't go off every day, unlike what is told in the media. I wanted to move away from the one aspect that everyone refers to," he states emphatically.
The backdrop for Kishalay’s book is a strife-torn Manipur, taking the reader through the history, the politics that abound the region and the traditions.
"In my journalistic travels, I picked up a lot of stories. Hence, the book is a collection of these experiences - a person accomplishing something against all odds, falling in love, a party during curfew hours, etc.” And he has narrated all these stories from the vantage point of the protagonist, the fictional character Eshei, a Manipuri girl.
He also speaks of Paona Bazaar in Imphal, which lends the book its name.
“Paona Bazaar is the main thoroughfare in the city. It is named after a general Paonam Nawol Singh, who played an important role in the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891. It is known for the Chinese and Burmese goods sold there. You can buy umbrellas for `50, mosquito-repellent tennis racquets for `90, fake Levi's canvas shoes for `100 and pirated DVDs for `35 each. Also, Che Guevara is a popular face in the area. Almost everything available has his picture imprinted on them."
Though Manipur is the main playing field, the neighbouring states like Assam, Shillong and others, which are equally volatile also find their place in the book.
The stories from the region have always interested Kishalay. During his early days, he had contributed stories on North- East India to First Proof, an anthology published by Penguin India and ‘The Prize Stories: Best in the Indian News Business 2006-2007’ an initiative by Indian Express.
Presently a Senior Fellow at IDSA, Kishalay wants to explore more such stories from the region for his future projects. he says, “The topic for one of my books will be the stereotypes surrounding Adivasis and Maoists.” The gripping tales of a lesser known region deserve to be told, he observes.