What do you think?
Rate this book
In Pursuit of Conflict
Please Read Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edition. Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.
- GenresNonfiction
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2018
10 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 13, 2018
First things first about this book: the use of the term ‘Northeast’ by the author is jarring (North East of what? North East from where?) and tells those living in this North Eastern part of the country how conveniently we can be brushed off: is Northeast a place, a country, a state, a homogenous entity? Now that I have gotten the ‘Northeast’ part off my chest, I can get to more about the book.
In Pursuit of Conflict left me with conflicting thoughts. Here is a book written by a journalist who is based in Delhi, has a connection to Nagaland (through his mother, is an army brat (the term is used in the author bio note) and is self admittedly ‘drawn to it because he thought it would make great copy’. It is this last part that is problematic for as you turn the pages, one finds that the back story of his travel to meet selected leaders of the armed movements in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland are more interesting than the sum total of his observations.
I spotted a factual error on page 135 of In Pursuit of Conflict where the author, talking about Manipur says “Hinduism found its way through the Meitei kings of Manipur from Assam in the 1700’s”. The timeline is correct but Hindusim came to Manipur courtesy a Hindu ‘missionary’ of sorts by the name Shanti Das Goshai. In another chapter where Avalok talks of ‘There is something wrong with Manipur’, he says “There are about thirty odd underground groups; no one trusts the Indian Army; the Manipuri Commandoes, an elite police task force, kill people in broad daylight; the state government is not known for philanthropy…”. This mention of only the Manipur Commandoes as killing people in broad daylight as it were while the cursory mention of a trust deficit in the Indian Army without mentioning the sheer number of cases where they have been involved in fake encounters, the Thangjam Manaorama case, the gross human rights violations in the name of counter insurgency is unnerving. I found it strange that Avalok talks to only security personnel and only a few leaders of armed underground groups: nowhere does he mention anyone who has had family members killed through staged encounters under the impunity of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
I would say, read this book with a pinch of salt. This is certainly not one book that comes anywhere clear of describing the politics and history of conflict in the North Eastern region part of the country.
In Pursuit of Conflict left me with conflicting thoughts. Here is a book written by a journalist who is based in Delhi, has a connection to Nagaland (through his mother, is an army brat (the term is used in the author bio note) and is self admittedly ‘drawn to it because he thought it would make great copy’. It is this last part that is problematic for as you turn the pages, one finds that the back story of his travel to meet selected leaders of the armed movements in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland are more interesting than the sum total of his observations.
I spotted a factual error on page 135 of In Pursuit of Conflict where the author, talking about Manipur says “Hinduism found its way through the Meitei kings of Manipur from Assam in the 1700’s”. The timeline is correct but Hindusim came to Manipur courtesy a Hindu ‘missionary’ of sorts by the name Shanti Das Goshai. In another chapter where Avalok talks of ‘There is something wrong with Manipur’, he says “There are about thirty odd underground groups; no one trusts the Indian Army; the Manipuri Commandoes, an elite police task force, kill people in broad daylight; the state government is not known for philanthropy…”. This mention of only the Manipur Commandoes as killing people in broad daylight as it were while the cursory mention of a trust deficit in the Indian Army without mentioning the sheer number of cases where they have been involved in fake encounters, the Thangjam Manaorama case, the gross human rights violations in the name of counter insurgency is unnerving. I found it strange that Avalok talks to only security personnel and only a few leaders of armed underground groups: nowhere does he mention anyone who has had family members killed through staged encounters under the impunity of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
I would say, read this book with a pinch of salt. This is certainly not one book that comes anywhere clear of describing the politics and history of conflict in the North Eastern region part of the country.
January 22, 2020
I was a little skeptical about reading a book about Northeast India (where I am from) written by an outsider of the region, let alone an army kid, because I feel like "mainlanders" have a tendency to paint us in bad light (violent, ethno-centric, primitive) or as stereotypes (talented musicians, drugees) without trying to understand our culture and historical background. But I was surprised by how much I actually ended up enjoying and learning from this book. Avanlok claims that he loves NE India and I believe him; I felt his interest in the region was genuine and he presented objective and well-researched accounts that weren't disparaging towards the communities/people he wrote about, whether its the militants or the army or the people of NE in general. He relies on facts and lays them out for you to draw your own conclusions. He is also honest and writes very well, so the subject matter and the honest writing makes for a very informative and interesting read. It is great fodder for a mini-series.
However, I wouldn't recommend this book as a starting point for anyone who wants to learn about the "conflicts" in NE India. There is hardly any mention of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), once the biggest insurgent group in the NE, or any local/civilian perspective on the issues. 'In Pursuit of Conflict' is best read as a follow-up to Sanjoy Hazarika's 'Strangers of the Mist'.
However, I wouldn't recommend this book as a starting point for anyone who wants to learn about the "conflicts" in NE India. There is hardly any mention of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), once the biggest insurgent group in the NE, or any local/civilian perspective on the issues. 'In Pursuit of Conflict' is best read as a follow-up to Sanjoy Hazarika's 'Strangers of the Mist'.
October 15, 2020
The urge to read about north-east of our country was triggered by a what's app group chat. In a close knit what's app group of 250 (smirk), someone spoke at length about Jharkhand and how it's part of the North East of India. It irked me immensely, as I have grown up in Bokaro Steel City, very much a part of Jharkhand. A friend from north east on the same group replied to the tune of, "Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation."
The book is written by an investigative journalist "Avalok Langer". He falls in love with a Naga Girl, Azo and follows her to Nagaland. Avalok’s love life doesn't fructify, but his love for North East does and it shines through very clearly in the book. The book captures the root causes of the dissension in North East via multiple interviews with the underground's / rebels. It dwells in great details and lays out the entire physical and cultural map of northeast very clearly, for a first-time reader on this topic.
Avalok has a huge advantage writing a book about this conflict zone, as being the son of General Sanjiv Langer, he has a close understanding of the workings of the army and his investigative journalism gives him a close look at the real picture in North East. In a discussion with his father, the author talks about India being a federal structure and maybe, we should try to create a space for Naga sovereignty within this structure, showcasing his clear understanding of this conflict.
To continue reading :
https://richareadseverything.blogspot...
The book is written by an investigative journalist "Avalok Langer". He falls in love with a Naga Girl, Azo and follows her to Nagaland. Avalok’s love life doesn't fructify, but his love for North East does and it shines through very clearly in the book. The book captures the root causes of the dissension in North East via multiple interviews with the underground's / rebels. It dwells in great details and lays out the entire physical and cultural map of northeast very clearly, for a first-time reader on this topic.
Avalok has a huge advantage writing a book about this conflict zone, as being the son of General Sanjiv Langer, he has a close understanding of the workings of the army and his investigative journalism gives him a close look at the real picture in North East. In a discussion with his father, the author talks about India being a federal structure and maybe, we should try to create a space for Naga sovereignty within this structure, showcasing his clear understanding of this conflict.
To continue reading :
https://richareadseverything.blogspot...
December 28, 2019
Now I know how embarrassingly ignorant and unaware I was about the North East part of the country I’m originally from.
And now I know how much more there is to know.
This book, has a personal touch (given the first person narrative) but at the same time, puts out all facts, as is and also poses the questions from both sides of the conflict as is.
A highly recommended read for those who would like to cure their ignorance and truly learn about how really complex India can be.
And now I know how much more there is to know.
This book, has a personal touch (given the first person narrative) but at the same time, puts out all facts, as is and also poses the questions from both sides of the conflict as is.
A highly recommended read for those who would like to cure their ignorance and truly learn about how really complex India can be.
May 27, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. I wouldn’t say much, just that this book in no way sums up the conflicts of the northeast of India. There’re instances that make sense, but I’d suggest reading at length about the region, perhaps states or perhaps communities-yes its way too diverse to be described by a single term or book- before landing on this one. The language is ofcourse, engaging.
July 10, 2018
The unraveling of the Northeastern part of India :-
----------------------------------------------------------------
As an army kid, I had lived everywhere and when people asked me where I was from, I would always say I was Indian. I was born in the south, lived in fourteen different homes in the north and the west and my girlfriend, my love, was from the east. But did the east even want me, i wondered.
- Avalok Langer
In this book the author presents the reality of the Northeast India which the national media rarely covers or discuss in their debating rooms.
The author of this book travelled the several Northeastern states of India like- Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Assam. He interviewed various leaders of the underground movements of the Northeast.
And he also unraveled that how these so called leaders of the underground movement running a parallel economy in the north east india, from drugs to extortion, and the funds which is given by the central government for the development of Northeastern India is filling the pockets of these leaders, not the common Man of Northeast, and from local politicians to bureacucarts all are involve in this so called systematic corruption.
Though the majority part of this Book focused on the nagaland issue, Because the insurgency which was started in nagaland is known as the 'mother of all insurgency' in the Northeast India.
After reading this Book I can say that how ignorant we are when it comes to Northeast India. I thoroughly enjoyed this Book, written in a very beautiful way, and the language of the book is so easy that any layman can understand. Atlast thanks to the Author for writing such a wonderful book.
My Ratings : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ( 5/5 )
I hope you like the Review, thanks for reading, Jai Hind.
----------------------------------------------------------------
As an army kid, I had lived everywhere and when people asked me where I was from, I would always say I was Indian. I was born in the south, lived in fourteen different homes in the north and the west and my girlfriend, my love, was from the east. But did the east even want me, i wondered.
- Avalok Langer
In this book the author presents the reality of the Northeast India which the national media rarely covers or discuss in their debating rooms.
The author of this book travelled the several Northeastern states of India like- Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Assam. He interviewed various leaders of the underground movements of the Northeast.
And he also unraveled that how these so called leaders of the underground movement running a parallel economy in the north east india, from drugs to extortion, and the funds which is given by the central government for the development of Northeastern India is filling the pockets of these leaders, not the common Man of Northeast, and from local politicians to bureacucarts all are involve in this so called systematic corruption.
Though the majority part of this Book focused on the nagaland issue, Because the insurgency which was started in nagaland is known as the 'mother of all insurgency' in the Northeast India.
After reading this Book I can say that how ignorant we are when it comes to Northeast India. I thoroughly enjoyed this Book, written in a very beautiful way, and the language of the book is so easy that any layman can understand. Atlast thanks to the Author for writing such a wonderful book.
My Ratings : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ( 5/5 )
I hope you like the Review, thanks for reading, Jai Hind.
October 16, 2019
I think I heard of insurgency in North East India for the first time some 4 years back. Even then I didn't give it much thought. Only when I went to a road trip to North East, after looking at the numerous Army personnel I thought of digging more into that. But I forgot about it after some time in the daily hassle. And with this book I finally made an attempt at it.
This book definitely gives a good amount of information about insurgency in North east(At least it did for me and I am a beginner). It touches on almost all the issues of insurgency there-be it Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Assam(though there is not much about Assam accord), Meghalaya and Bodoland.
But the only thing I didn't like is the Author's personal accounts. Before purchase, I thought that it is kind of some scholastic work. Though his personal accounts seems interesting at times ( indeed they give a good flow) but sometimes they felt vague.
Overall, a good read. And also I think it is must for us mainstream Indians to read or watch something that gives a good idea about North East India and it's insurgency because it is usually not given preference in the mainstream media(Exclude NRC and citizenship bill).
This book definitely gives a good amount of information about insurgency in North east(At least it did for me and I am a beginner). It touches on almost all the issues of insurgency there-be it Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Assam(though there is not much about Assam accord), Meghalaya and Bodoland.
But the only thing I didn't like is the Author's personal accounts. Before purchase, I thought that it is kind of some scholastic work. Though his personal accounts seems interesting at times ( indeed they give a good flow) but sometimes they felt vague.
Overall, a good read. And also I think it is must for us mainstream Indians to read or watch something that gives a good idea about North East India and it's insurgency because it is usually not given preference in the mainstream media(Exclude NRC and citizenship bill).
July 13, 2021
This book is an outcome of interviews with the leaders of some of the insurgent groups active in the Nort eastern parts of India. There are some interesting observations and some good insight into the formation and existence of these armed groups. There are some common themes to these factions - extortion, drugs, protection rents. How the funds allocated to the states in this region may not have been used to their potential.
This is a poorly written book otherwise - content has been put together just because the author had content from some good interviews and a book "could have been written". There are mentions to some very cringy emotional turmoils of the author that you would definitely not want to read in a book talking about the conflicts in the north-eastern part of India.
Not a recommended book, if the history of the Northeast or detail on conflicts in the region is something that you are looking for.
This is a poorly written book otherwise - content has been put together just because the author had content from some good interviews and a book "could have been written". There are mentions to some very cringy emotional turmoils of the author that you would definitely not want to read in a book talking about the conflicts in the north-eastern part of India.
Not a recommended book, if the history of the Northeast or detail on conflicts in the region is something that you are looking for.
May 17, 2020
Avalok Langer has written an excellent book. It gives us an excellent idea of what is happening in the northeastern part of India. His focus lies mainly in the conflict areas of Nagaland. He has also given us an idea of how the drug trafficking business takes place in other parts of the Northeast.
The personal element, in which he talks about his failed romance, does a lot to reveal the hostility that the Nagas have towards non-Nagas, and towards people from other parts of India.
He did receive some sage advice from his father during his research for the book. His father’s words were worth their weight in diamonds and gold!
The Northeast is a troubled area. I am impressed by his courage in venturing deep into the conflict zone and bringing us an intimate look at the people, their culture and their conflict.
The personal element, in which he talks about his failed romance, does a lot to reveal the hostility that the Nagas have towards non-Nagas, and towards people from other parts of India.
He did receive some sage advice from his father during his research for the book. His father’s words were worth their weight in diamonds and gold!
The Northeast is a troubled area. I am impressed by his courage in venturing deep into the conflict zone and bringing us an intimate look at the people, their culture and their conflict.
July 25, 2020
This book is for the people who wants to have an overview about the insurgency and separatist groups in North Eastern (NE) states of India. Despite being an outsider of the region, Avalok Langer has written the book with much respect and compassion, he travels across the NE states interviewing the separatist leaders unravelling many unknown facts and their personal experiences, it also has interesting anecdotes of the author's stay in Meghalaya and Nagaland. Beside the interviews, he has given a glimpse of AFSPA, cultivation of narcotics and drug trafficking business in the region.
This book made me realize the actual motive behind the existence of these groups and left me pondering how much I am yet to learn about the history of the NE region.
This book made me realize the actual motive behind the existence of these groups and left me pondering how much I am yet to learn about the history of the NE region.
November 12, 2019
This book works very well as a competencies primer on the modern history of NE India. It touches upon most conflicts that have gone on, though predominantly looking at the Naga national movement. It's the interviews with prominent personalities from these conflicts that helps put a human face to everything that goes on which really makes it stand out. I do wish though that there was less of the author's personal life in there, at times parts of that felt a little unnecessary.
January 3, 2019
Brilliant!
Really impressed with the style of writing of the author - fluid, relaxed, touching. Being a Northeasterner and a Shillongite, I could relate with the author's experiences and his writing. While it did seem to me that the book became a bit slow somewhere in the middle, but the ending struck a chord with my heart. Loved reading the book. Highly recommended.
Really impressed with the style of writing of the author - fluid, relaxed, touching. Being a Northeasterner and a Shillongite, I could relate with the author's experiences and his writing. While it did seem to me that the book became a bit slow somewhere in the middle, but the ending struck a chord with my heart. Loved reading the book. Highly recommended.
January 21, 2019
It's an excellent book covering the insurgencies (history & politics) conveyed beautifully through a personal story.
One of the best works on the North East India, a must read for anyone interested to learn about that region.
One of the best works on the North East India, a must read for anyone interested to learn about that region.
October 17, 2019
For a guy who knew little or nothing about the North-eastern part of India, this was an eye-opener.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews