Across the Chicken Neck: Travels in Northeast India

by Nandita Haksar

Not just a travelogue. Leaving home on 17 October 2011, Nandita Haksar and her husband, Sebastian Hongray, drove across Nepal to reach the Chicken Neck, the slim strip of land which connects the Northeast to the rest of India. From the Chicken Neck, they went up to the one of the easternmost towns of the country, Mayodia in Arunachal Pradesh. Making a U-turn in Mayodia, they swept south to the town of Moreh, a busy centre of trade (both legal and illegal) on the border between India and Myanmar. Turning back from Moreh, they travelled to the Manas National Park on the Indo-Bhutan border. They then drove back to Delhi via Nepal. In all, the couple covered 15,000 plus kilometres in four months and traversed areas affected by more than fifteen separate insurgencies, each of which is being waged by people seeking homelands and identities for themselves. Over the course of their journey, Nandita met and spoke with friends, relatives and strangers and found that almost all the individual histories of the tribes and races of the region have become subsumed into narratives imposed either by the State or by the dominant Hindu religion and it is the reclamation of these individual identities, she says, that has given rise to the numerous movements for self-determination. In Across the Chicken Neck, Nandita uses mythology, history, sociology, political analysis and anecdote to create an exhaustive, nuanced portrait of Northeast India. This is a book to be read, not only to understand the many schisms of a fractured land, but also for its telling of a rousing adventure.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, India, Travelogue

280 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good political and ethnographic analysis (disguised as a travelogue) of the Northeast through the eyes and experiences of Human-rights lawyer. It goes into much detail about the history of the different tribes inhabiting the different states of the northeast. The high-handed of the army of the Indian state is delved upon in much detail as well as the struggles of the different tribes to carve out their distinct identity and cling on their fast vanishing cultures and tradition while fighting the onslaught of modernism.

My only gripe with the book was the opinionated take of the author on several intra-state and tribal issues and the somewhat pessimistic and sad undertones in the overall narrative. Some of which is deserved but considering that this a travelogue, the tone of the author seems quite bitter in large parts of the narrative. It also focuses more on Nagaland and Assam (deservedly as it is one of the largest states and connectors to many states) while mostly ignoring other states such as Mizoram and Tripura.

[Sairam Krishnan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book so many times, but somehow kept going and finished it. For someone so learned about the people and the places of India's northeast, I'm astounded at how dry and forgettable her book is. It tries, and really hard at that, to give the reader a holistic idea of the problems and passions of these regions, but all it manages to deliver is a confused blur of impressions. Perhaps the project itself was too ambitious, or maybe it needed a ruthless editor, I don't know, but it needed something.

In the end I kept reading because of the sincerity of Mrs. Haksar's project, her work, and her life. This is a woman who has done so much for India's marginalised and downtrodden and sidelined. I wanted to listen to her, and I did.

[Pradeep Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful book describing the different people and culture of India's north east states. It's a travelogue with lots of historical and current details about places and people.

[Sujani S · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, I expected a travelogue that could introduce me to the Northeast states of India (about them I know very little), but what actually unfolded in front of me was an ethnographic commentary on lives and tribes of the states. Nandita Haskar (human rights activist and lawyer) and her husband Sebastian Hongray start their journey from Delhi, driving to ‘Chicken Neck’ - a thin piece of land connecting Northeast to India. They cover 15,000 kms in four months, traveling across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bhutan, Nepal, Nagaland. These are areas of multiple insurgencies, dangers, religious conflicts and political tension, with tribes fighting for their rights and retaining their traditional roots.

It was fascinating to read about Ahom kings, Mayang - the Land of Black magic, Majuli - philosopher Shankardev’s town, visits to Satras, Hornbill traditional festival, food habits and culture of the people. The book deserves applause for exhaustive description about numerous tribes in the Northeast, their history, present lifestyle and mythology, though for the uninitiated, there’s too much to take in at one go (I had to google a lot). There is so much to learn about each state and it’s rich culture. For instance, I never knew that Assam has the highest maternal mortality rate in India and 30 percent of population is people of Tea Tribes. The author’s extensive research and her passion to record the lives of the people is impressive, my only qualm is her opinionated take on a lot of issues and a grim tone of narration. It can be overlooked by viewing it as a personal documentary of experiences, with a little patience it is definitely worth a read.

[Ravi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a travelogue - it is a collection of casual diary entries, listless, drab and dull by a person who has given up on life. The author has no interest in travel - she sounds tired wherever she goes and consequently the writing is so flat, boring and painful. If you manage to finish this book (which is unlikely), you'd lose any interest you have to travel.

I can also sense a feeling of entitlement in her writing. She doesn't have appreciation for places, things and life in general. The attitude is decidedly pessimistic, judgmental and anti-establishment, no wonder she was part of the naxal movement. This attitude is a sign of deep rooted insecurity and attention seeking.

I bought kindle e-book but returned it promptly.

[Maya Gopalakrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book proved to be an interesting and enlightening read especially to the uninitiated into the complexities of what I have always referred to as the North-East. However, you also get treated to unresolved identity crisis of the author(which is terrifying because you hope that such things will be resolved at that age) and her forceful anarchist stand against anything and everything. There is no attempt for peace or reconciliation but the hunger for keeping the revenge fires burning is very much alive in the pages. By the end of the book you feel equally burdened and tired as her. However, my curiosity is evoked and I'm hoping to explore more books on the subject.

[Faiz malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many history books but reading this one made me realise how ignorant writers were towards north east region of India.

[Suvasini Sridharan reddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author fancies herself as a person without any specific identity (despite her Kashmiri Pandit roots)-her spouse is a Naga while she stays in Goa. Her claim to fame is having represented terror accused folks. In the book, while her travel comments are good and help one understand the history of Tibet, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram, it seems she is looking for conflict or views therein, and some interactions seem forced. She critiques everyone equally-be it the casteism responsible for Doars residents conversion, or the oppression of Catholics in the North East, or the Bodo/Myanmar Muslim issue. The book is good but could have been much better edited

[Conrad Barwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very confusing as there are no maps or categorisation of the different ethnicities and tribes of the region. As there are 400 of these in the Northeast and given the author's travel across the entire region and desire to engage with as many groups as possible, it is bewildering as to the relative context and location of many of the groups she is talking about.

[Mohit Syal · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gives us lot of info about tribes, conflicts, disputes, history...of northeast. But authour's pessimistic views spoil the mood of reading.

[Sanjay Kumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Foremost duty of an author is to be neutral while exploring an old problem let alone this complex pandora's box called north eastern states. Her preconceived ideas mixed with her haughtiness spoiled what could have been a great chance to dive below the surface or atleast scratch this veneer reported by mainstream commercial media.It is a very hard read because author is trying hard to express her anguish at almost everything. many a times she is becoming main story instead of underlying complex history. Her open disgust with Hinduism is annoying while underplaying and sometimes even deliberately ignoring destruction brought by Christian missionaries and salafi islamic millitancy. it is long unapologetic rant for which one needs to have courage to go through.

[Tanvi Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nandita Haksar, a Human Rights lawyer has gone deep into the roots of North East India including Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. For ages this region has been burning in its own conflicts of recognition, suppression, freedom, armed rebellion, ethnic identity crisis but still manages to remain still. The author has put together information which are vital for the identity, origin and history of the region, its people and culture. This book should not be just be considered as a mere travelogue of North East India and adjacent countries but as a text vital to understand the shadowed part of India and its changing countenance.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a good book, actually. It is not a real travelogue, in which you read all about the travel, and also about the various people and cultures you meet on such a journey. It is a socio-political discourse of sorts, with a journey as an enabler.

Having said that, it is a good book, and one well worth reading. While I do love North East India, this book serves to open my eyes to a lot about that part of our country, and gives a brief introduction to some of the issues facing people who live there.

Well written, reading the book is a breeze. She takes you along on her journey.

[A-Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is more of a journal than a travelogue, things seem good initially. But it had too many names, too many tribes to keep an account of and started seeming to going over my head. I generally finish most of the books that i pickup, I stopped this one when the author reached Dimapur. Maybe there are better things after that.