Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur

by Thingnam Anjulika Samom (Editor)

Manipur has a rich tradition of folk and oral narratives, as well as written texts dating from as early as in eighth century AD. But it was only in the second half of the twentieth century that women began writing and publishing their works. Today, women's writing forms a vibrant part of Manipuri literature, and their voices are amplified through their coming together as an all-woman literary group. Put together in discussions and workshops by Thingnam Anjulika Samom, Crafting the Word captures a region steeped in conservative patriarchy and at the center of an armed conflict. It is also a place, however, where women’s activism has been at the forefront of peace-making and where their contributions in informal commerce and trade hold together the economy of daily life.

Genres: India, Short Stories, Indian Literature, Anthologies

200 pages, Hardcover

Published December 10, 2019

About the author

Thingnam Anjulika Samom is an independent journalist based in Manipur in north-eastern India.

Reviews

[Saurabh Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I reviewed The Many That I Am: Writings from Manipur. Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur, is a second book of its kind. Debunking the popular patronization of women from Manipur — which is a result of efforts made by the tourism industry; their brochures full of ‘coy dancing girls’ — what makes this work most authentic is its sheer originality and no misappropriation. Many translators are first-timers, and they’ve been trained via translation workshops, making this work a breath of fresh air in the chaotic environment where only the “who knows who” of the writers and translators hijack the space and leave no room for indigenous work and new interpretation to surface.

Women In Manipuri Literature
In The Journey of Women’s Writing in Manipuri Literature from Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur, Nahakpam Aruna takes us through the paradox of Manipuri women’s lives. On one hand, where their lives are strictly governed by tradition. The world, on the other, knows them as the voices of resistance — women’s wars (Nupi Lans and Meira Paibi movement).

The typecasting of Manipuri women is clearly evident in a story (Girl’s Hostel: Sri Bhavana by Binodini, translated from the Manipuri by L. Somi Roy) where upon the arrival of Sarojini Naidu in Visva Bharati University, a Manipuri girl is called to welcome her and is specifically asked to “wear her national dress,” the character in the story mutters: “They must have liked our phaneks a great deal.”

The writing space was dominated by male authors; however, it’s women from the royal lineage who first began to foray in the field of literature. Fortunately, this didn’t remain an elitist pursuit — though every art form remains one — other women writers quickly picked up and began making their marks.

Stories That Smash Patriarchy
This anthology is full of stories that question the status quo. The ease with which each of these stories critiques the society, and the simple language in which they’re written is the quality that a reader will cherish every time one is reading Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur.

In Chongtham Jamini Devi’s Kitchen Duty (translated from the Manipuri by Thingnam Anjulika Samom), Ekashini mutters aloud: “How lazy men can be! All these household chores – sweeping, mopping the floors, fetching water, washing clothes, cooking food – everything is supposed to be women’s responsibility. But men don’t even acknowledge all the work that women do, or even how hard it is.”

This woman, much like the middle-aged woman in the single-sentence 1000-page monologue in Lucy Ellman’s Ducks, Newburyport — obviously with less intensity — continues, “What’s to be done? In our society, we women have to dance to the tune of men’s drumbeats. When our monthly periods come, we are regarded as untouchables and barred from the kitchen. We are called impure and not allowed to even touch many things. Didn’t you say that? Since this woman is an untouchable these days, Dear Father, you being the pure one, you’ll have to cook today.”

Shadow (translated from the Manipuri by Thingnam Anjulika Samom) by Lairenlakpam Ibemhal is a rebellion in love. The way the male in a heterosexual relationship exercises his power; in a role reversal the female lover, in this poem, says: “’Tis a little I drank / ‘Cos my friends coerced me.” — a typical excuse which males make, telling him that she hasn’t transformed, it’s “Just that I have become you.”

In Voices from the Womb from Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur, the girl child in the womb of a mother appeals to her during war times — in an atmosphere of violence, guns, tear gas shells and bombs: “Then dear Mother, Let us stay in your womb forever.”

The Defeat explores the internalized jealousy and male ego of Bipin, who is a well-known "pro-feminist” and “supports” his wife in all that she does. Nalini is envied by many, but little she know that her husband is insecure because she’s an achiever. She only gets to learn this when her husband says: “Silence is also a kind of conceit. I want to live with dignity. I am a man.” This only translates to this, as in the story, “You taking me wherever you wish, making me stand anywhere you wish, all these I won’t agree to. I am a man; I do not wish to stand behind you and be introduced by you to those who are felicitating you.”

Rekindling Imagination of Young Girls and Women
Whenever we think of lack of awareness about anything we’re quick to conclude: the reason is education. However, many will agree: certain things need mindset change. We need an altogether new language or making what we’ve more accommodating. And that’s what this collection in Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur advances towards: it not only touches upon, but brings to the forefront the issues facing our society.

This, below, best describes the struggle of anyone from LGBTQIA+ community against heteronormativity.

“This tradition which decides that unless the union is of a man and a woman, two people can’t become life partners – what kind of oppressive tradition is this? Are the bonds of the body priced higher than those of the heart? Love is a manifestation of the inner soul; has it become an expression merely of the outward appearance? Does love have to depend on the approval or disapproval of others?” — Nightmare, Nee Devi

The Skin of a Woman describes the “expectations” from a woman. How her skin should be “spotless” and “carefully colored in the right places,” along with being “full of warmth.” In Monthly Flower, Haobijam Chanu Prema, takes on the stigma surrounding menstruation. Much of it is internalized during by distasteful comments that a young girl has to face. Even educated women, and people, hush around when we talk about periods. We’ve seen that it’s not even talked about, it’s at best gesticulated and the other person has to catch the signal: “It must be that matter.” Similarly, struggles of an independent modern, beef-eating women who doesn’t wear bangles just to yell “Hey! I’m married” faces the worst from society. And it’s deftly portrayed in the graphic piece A Market Story.

Reading a moving poem, Breaking the Shame, by Yuimi Vashum where she writes, “I will teach my daughter to own every part of her body,” and “My daughter will be strong, not meek; Earn respect not take; give only when deserved,” I’m convinced that that’s what this collection is aimed to achieve. Rekindling the imagination of young girls and women, this collection in Crafting the Word: Writings from Manipur empowers them.

[Tiyasha Chaudhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book late in 2019 and finished it by today. As a feminist myself, I found this book a must read for all the feminists and other audiences.

An anthology of female writers of Manipur, where there are tales of struggle and also of victory, poems on love and also on bravery, artwork of surreality and also of reality— I saw the perspective each writer put and made this project successful.

Not only did the stories were fascinating, most of them did not feel like fiction. They were portrayed as so real that one would find it has to segregate them from being fictitious to being real.

No matter what story it is, how many fictitious characters they are, the tint of reality comes from the pain, the struggle, the bravery and the success reflected through each artwork, each story and each poem.

Women have been treated as vulnerable creatures and tagged with sufferers of injustice and patriarchy as a birthright but it is only a misogynistic tradition followed in the patriarchal and orthodox era and women today, little by little swore to bear no more.

A very ecstatically rich read for all types of audiences and especially to those who believe feminism is not needed, because the more you believe it isn't, the more because of the belief it is needed.

[Indumathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book! Timely read also given everything happening in Manipur.
The history section in the beginning was nice, bc I didn’t know much about the place. Although I felt the some of intro and “history of women’s writings” sections in the beginning to be repetitive.
I really enjoyed all the writings related
to the political unrest and AFSPA, as well as the poetry on women’s bodies.
Some of it I couldn’t understand well, maybe bc I don’t know the context, or things got lost in translation.

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A casual flip through tourism brochures and state government calendars brings up some stock images of Manipuri women as coy dancing girls, or as haggling vendors in the famous women's market, or stone-encased figures of the women warriors of the Nupi Lan. Images of softness blend seamlessly with the strength and responsibility that seems to define them."

In the Introduction, Samom points out how each selected writer delineates "the woman that they see around them and the woman that they feel they ought to be", calling the book an exploration of Manipur women's self and identity. It's a text-heavy collection as there's only a single artist included and the prose is mostly stories. They nicely center women's experiences living in a cisheteropatriarchal society set in its old ways, yoked to archaic genders roles and norms. It looks at every tiny rebellion, all the small negotiations that women do to improve their lives and thrive.

Few standout pieces: "The Skin of a Woman" by Natalidita Ningthoukhongjam is a brilliant poem mapping the ontology of womanhood. "Monthly Flower" by Haobijam Chanu Prema explores the social stigma and dated mores of menstruation. "The Detour" by Bimabati Thiyam Ongbi (tr. Sonia Wahengbam) and "The Debt Repaid" by Sunita Ningombam (tr. Natasha Elangbam) look at love that has to be hidden or refuted due to societal beliefs. Last, special mention for Nahakpam Aruna's fantastically comprehensive "The Journey of Women's Writing in Manipuri Literature."

[Jaya Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has several very personal stories from Manipur ranging over a time period of about 50-60 years. It gave me a perspective into the lives of women in that state. The poems were very true, sometimes painful true. The range of topics covered in this book are a lot, from menstruation to AFSPA to sexual orientation. Glad I read it.
Looking forward to read another book by Zubaan books based on Nagaland.

[Pretty Little Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can check out my full review here: https://baos.pub/crafting-the-word-wr...

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My daughter shall fight against silence;
So shall my daughter's daughter...
Until there is no shame in the truth." Yuimi Vashum

Crafting The Word: Writings From Manipur highlights 27 women writers, some with multiple pieces included, who are not well known outside the region nor outside the coutry. The pieces are translated from Meitei by multiple translators and the collection was just recently published. It is readily available on ereader or you can order from India but it takes a long time to arrive. There is another title in this series called The Many That I Am which is writings from Nagaland.

What a truly enjoyable experience to have this glimpse into the culture and mind of these women. I loved that not only is there a thorough introduction that covers each piece included, which I referred to throughout, but there is also a short history of women's writing in Manipur. I live for these types of introductions! I also found the small glossary in back to be indispensable when wanting to understand the italicised words that were left untranslated for the family signifying titles, food, plants and items of clothing.

The pieces touch on so many aspects of society. There are wonderful acts of rebellion, moments of heartbreak, life in the midst of conflict, pain and resilience. They are also a mixture of short stories, poetry and a favourite of mine which was a graphic/illustrated short story about the clash of old and new generations in a marketplace. Some I would have loved to read a whole novel about and I will definitely be looking up some of the authors other works. I also appreciated learning about the phumdi or floating islands on Loktak Lake, the Nupi Lan or Women's Wars that were fought against British imperialists, and the Meira Paibi or Torch Warriors who were a group of women founded during the fight for independence and to protest against state violence and atrocities.

[Anna]

Women instinctively reach for and understand the pain we carry in each other. Even separated by age and circumstances. Sometimes, we cannot because we are blind. Bound - by the patriarchy that is mixed into the food we are taught to make, the food we ingest. This is a set of short stories and poems from a world caught by pain - fashioned by the anger and power of men for land. Of governments that cannot satiate their need to cause bloodshed and claim sons, destroy daughters, and erase the folklore of hillsides, flaming torches, singgarei flowers, and women who nurse nightmares in their arms.

Some of these poems are songs that soothe the wounds of grief, others are prayers, some are war cries and yet others are testimonies of survival. My favourite short story is the first one - Girl's Hostel. It wedges between friendship and deep love - how women's relationships can oscillate sometimes, and seek a fierce protectiveness to the woman you look up to, the woman you dream you may become, and the woman whose sadness you cannot bear.

The stories are sometimes pauses, before love that may not be allowed to bloom. They are dreams that reveal the betrayals of patriarchy. They are everyday encounters of judgement among daily chores at the market. They are cries against the crimson of lakes, and they are battles that question the boundaries of gender and sexuality drawn by a male world.

Each word contains the shadow of blood and tears, of hills and lakes that shake in anger, of daughters and sons ravaged by military, political policies and wild animals. This collection is a testament to the fierceness of the women of Manipur. Women who know the grief that lives in the body. Women who use their bodily grief to set fire to the ones who cause and continue to live in oblivion to their pain. Mothers of Manipur by Teresa Rehman documents the lives of the Meira Paiba women. We know of Irom Sharmila, the woman who went on a hunger strike for 16 years to demand the repeal of AFSPA - a rule that still continues to stay and condone the wrongs of army men. These writings are a collection of memories, born of this land and their women.

Read, to understand the power of female grief.

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manipur is bleeding.

All Indians know this - and so do people over the world who keep themselves abreast of international politics. Since the 3rd of May, this northeastern Indian state has been witnessing sectarian violence between the mostly Hindu Meitei and the Christian Kuki/ Zo tribes. The tales of murder, arson, rape and looting coming out of the state are horrendous.

The central and state governments have been rightly put in the dock by the opposition for the current flare-up; but the fact is that sectarian violence in Manipur has a long and chequered history, right from the time of India's independence in 1947. A reluctant joinee to the union, the state has been beset with insurgency and sectarian violence ever since it became an Indian state in 1949. To quell the unrest, the Union Government placed it under the Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA) of 1958, which gave the armed forces "special" powers to enforce discipline - thus leaving the hapless populace squeezed between the secessionists and the soldiers. The state has been on a slow burn for decades: now, with the Hindu Right in power in both the centre and the state, the partisan violence has escalated beyond control.

In any strife, insurrection or war, it's the women who always get the short end of the stick - and in Manipur also, it is no different. In this anthology spanning four generation of women writers from the state (whose historical and cultural relevance is analysed brilliantly in the introductory essay by Nahakpam Aruna), comprising stories, poems, memoirs and a graphic tale, you will meet them all. Women whose husbands have been murdered by either the army or the insurgents; mothers waiting in the morgue for their children's bodies, caught in cross-fires; young revolutionaries, walking with their heads held high straight at army rifles... along with neglected/ abused wives in patriarchal society; women whose monthly periods are seen as curses; and girls trying to come to terms with their sexual orientation in a largely traditional world. It's a feminine critique of a land where daily life itself is a struggle.

Four brilliant stars!

[Pricilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST-READ

Before "Crafting the word", I had never read Manipuri literature outside of my school syllabus. Growing up, I was always an avid bookworm but most of the great works by Manipuri authors were written in the Bengali script - which I could not read. English translations were also not available easily or maybe I didn't search hard enough.
In reading this book, I got to view the society I was living in from the eyes of women writers. This compilation touched varied, diverse topics from AFSPA to same-sex relations to the role that patriarchy has played in suppressing women throughout the years. The themes are universal - love, pain, fear, strength, conflict... But, it has been depicted in a way rooted in Manipuri society.
This is a compilation of women, by women. A woman's life can only be illustrated best by a woman, the male gaze will never be able to fully encapsulate a woman's essence in writing better than a woman can.
I found myself smiling, laughing, enraged, conflicted and confused while reading this. I can assure you it will tug at your heart-strings, make you think and realise how the fight towards equal rights and status is never-ending.
In a small place, nestled in the north-eastern part of India, women have been liberating themselves through not only their actions but through their words from the oppressive patriarchal structure, reclaiming their voices and taking back control of their bodies, fearlessly starting to embrace their boundless strength in their femininity, in their womanhood.

[Rajeev Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, 27 women from Manipur- a visual artist & 26 writers come together to give us their idea of who the manipuri woman is, to share their experiences of being a woman in a patriarchal order & to tell us about the conditions, trials, tribulations & jubilations of their lives.

The selection of stories & women writers across different time periods, literally styles, genres, ethnic communities & languages. The stories, poems, essays & the graphic story speak of the women of Manipur, their experiences, their lives & desires , their suppression, their negotiations & compromised with the society & traditions.

Highlights of the book-

1) The Language used is simple and easy to understand. Even a first time reader will easily understand.

2) The Pictorial representation of the "A Market Story" has been brilliantly written & add up to the story perfectly.

3) The Glossary at the end of the book is quite useful to understand certain manipuri terms, words etc. It increases vocabulary & knowledge.

4) The book is not unnecessarily stretched, which keeps the reading engaging. The book is a few hours read as it is under 200 pages.

5) All the stories, poems, situations can be visualised in front of the eyes, as it happened with me throughout.

6) I really loved all the stories, but my personal favourites were -
A) Kitchen Duty
B) Nonggoubi
C) The Salty Sea
D) The Crimson Tide
E) Sati Interview
F) A Market Story

[Biblibio · Rating 5 out of 5]

From start to finish, Crafting the Word is a clear-eyed anthology of works by women from Manipur. With the benefit of a diversity of writing styles, topics, and themes (though there are certainly recurring motifs and ideas that thread through the different writers' works), the collection reads cleanly and briskly, without ever getting bogged down by works that feel unnecessary or out of place. The book also comes with a solid introductory essay that helps any unfamiliar reader "acclimate" to the cultural context surrounding women's writing from Manipur, making it all that much more accessible to international readers.

I loved the range of works, the different topics and stories that more often than not explictly centered women and women's experiences. This is another rare anthology that also strikes a perfect balance in the way it includes short fiction and poetry (and even a graphic story!), with neither poetry nor stories feeling they dominated the relatively slim volume overall, nor that they were ever out of place. I also - rather surprisingly - liked the vast the majority of the works included, making for a very positive reading experience overall.