THE WHITE SHIRTS OF SUMMER NEW AND SELECTED POEMS

by Mamang Dai

‘A major voice in Indian English literature, and literature from North East
India…[Her] poems are like a race of butterflies bargaining with the night.’
—Keki Daruwalla
‘Dai’s poetic world is one of river, forest and mountain, a limpid and lyrical
reflection of the terrain of her home state. Nature here is mysterious,
verdant with myth, dense with sacred memory. There is magic to be found
everywhere…But as you read closer, you [also] sense a more sinister
this paradisiacal landscape is also one of “guns and gulls”, punctuated by “the
footfall of soldiers”. You also realize that the simplicity of Dai’s verse is not
without guile. It possesses a gentle persuasive riverine tug that can lead you to
moments of heart-stopping surprise.
‘For all its simplicity, Dai’s poetry does not arrive at easy conclusions. There is
no dishonest sense of anchor here, no blissful pastoral idyll. The poet describes
her people as “foragers for a destiny” and her work is pervaded by a deep
unease about erased histories and an uncertain future. And yet, implicit in her
poetics is the refusal to divorce protest from love. This seems to translate into a
commitment to a poetry of quiet surges and eddies rather than gritty textures
and edges…[and] a tone that is hushed, wondering, thoughtful, reflective. The
strength of this poetry is its unforced beauty and clarity, its ability to steer clear
of easy flamboyance.’
—Arundhathi Subramaniam

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2023

About the author

Mamang Dai is a poet and novelist writing in English, from Arunachal Pradesh in India’s northeast. Her mother tongue is Adi. Dai is the first woman of her state to have been selected to the IAS/IFS. However she gave up her career in the Civil Service to pursue a career in journalism. Dai was correspondent with the Hindustan Times, the Telegraph and the Sentinel newspapers and was President, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists. She also worked with World Wide Fund for nature in the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspots programme.

Her first publication River Poems hailed her as one of the most intensely poetic voices from the North East region. In 2003 Dai was honoured with the state’s Verrier Elwin Award for her book Arunachal Pradesh: the Hidden Land that documented the culture and customs of her land. She has featured in several national and international forums to promote the disappearing traditions of her state in the face of modernity and give voice to its people through the imaginative space of prose and poetry.

A long-time member of the North East Writers’ Forum (NEWF). She lives in Itanagar. Her books include: The legends of Pensam (Novel), Stupid Cupid (Novel), River Poems (Poetry, 2nd edition 2014), Midsummer – Survival Lyrics (Poetry, 2014), El bálsamo del tiempo (The balm of time) (Poetry), Arunachal Pradesh – The Hidden Land (Nonfiction), Mountain Harvest- The Food of Arunachal, The Sky Queen and Once Upon a Moon Time (Illustrated folklore for young readers), Hambreelmai’s Loom – (Folklore, 2014), The Black Hill (Novel, 2014).

Reviews

[Anjana Basu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mamang Dai's latest work, a collection of poems entitled "White Shirts of Summer," unfolded its poetic
wings in the cocoon of lockdown, an era when nature's stillness enveloped the world. In the serenity of
this unique period, Dai has intricately woven verses that celebrate the intrinsic connection between
humanity and the natural world. Through her carefully crafted words, the reader is transported to the
majestic rhythms of the mountains, the enchanting beauty of the landscape and the profound simplicity
embedded in everyday life.
I’m going back to old
To the springtime of water
And mesmerizing stories
Nature is clearly under threat in her verses but then, so are human beings. A cinnamon tree drops a
compassionate leaf on a lonely grave. In her poems she reflects on family loss, her father clinging to the
green jacket he wore when his wife went to hospital, from which she never returned. There are amulets
and talismans of all kinds. In Man Brother, a man wears one for protection in the forest only to fnd a
tiger coming out of his father’s house asking to be saved in turn which possibly refers to a north eastern
legend about tigers and men having the same common ancestor.
The land is a master of disguise:
A burial place.
A mirage.
Dai’s poetry deliberately departs from the stereotypical image associated with the northeast—a region
most often painted with hues of trouble, poverty, and neglect. Instead, she skillfully turns the spotlight
on the region's inherent splendour and the sacred traditions of its tribal communities. The vibrancy of
Arunachal Pradesh, usually expressed through lively festivities, heroic narratives, and the intricate
performances by revered rhapsodists and shamans serving as custodians of collective memory, emerges
anew in her verses. Dai employs poignant means to meticulously preserve and convey the captivating
narrative of this state.
There are footprints climbing up to the sky,
And an ancient wing
Frozen beneath the earth.
"White Shirts of Summer" also serves as Mamang Dai's silent protest against the government-imposed
norms of lockdown, which she perceives as alarming. What sets her dissent apart is the questioning of a
seemingly unanimous acceptance of these directives for the presumed public good. In her lockdown
poems, the images that paint a green canvas and the distant hills that tantalisingly linger on the horizon

but remain unattainable become symbolic metaphors for the longing and restraint imposed by a time
that was unprecedented and unexpected. She mentions the wet market in Wuhan as she mediates on
lockdown. There are at least three lockdown poems in the collection with the word in their titles, though
many others focus on pandemic subjects and losses as well.
The land is a master of disguise:
A burial place.
A mirage.
A resurrection.
In essence, Mamang Dai's poetic journey in "White Shirts of Summer" is a testament to the power of
literature to transcend stereotypes, celebrate the beauty of nature and voice dissent in the face of
unquestioned authority. Through her verses, she not only paints a vivid portrait of Arunachal Pradesh
but also beckons readers to reflect on the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world,
and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of imposed limitations.

[Kartik Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s such a reassuring and redemptive light and wisdom to these poems. Each one makes you sit back and take measure of the ordinary things.
Always in awe of Mamang Dai’s evocative portraits of the mountains and the rain, the sun, love and loss. Highly recommended!