Writers of Assam: For a Sustainable Peace Process

Abstract

For the last over half a decade Assam is reeling under the pressure of an unending agitation. Literature that has emerged from the region in the last two decades has a very strong political tone and recreates stories from a history that has been bypassed; while telling the ancient, medieval and modern history of the region.

Corruption which is eating into the society has not been dealt with firmly by the government. The writers make the readers aware that we need to learn from past mistakes because a generation has already suffered untold damage. As such, the writers of Assam produce new metaphors to describe and articulate their sensitivity for social change which becomes possible through thinking anew and possibilities for a better prospect. They present the dynamics of socio cultural and political scenario of Assam focusing on history, culture and society. What come to the fore are the shifting structures of meaning, power and action. In this paper I have focused on the literary contribution of contemporary writers of Assam, in their efforts to maintaining social, cultural harmony in the state.

The authors write with an intense sense of awareness for the cultural loss as a result of violence in the states and try to reconstruct tradition. For writers living in an atmosphere of daily violence and the experience at the sight of the innocents being killed, maimed and brutalized by violence, the intrinsic faith in the capacity of human beings, to heal and rejuvenate comes through the anguish – laden writings of the writers in this time of violence. The writers suggest that for a sustainable peace these structures needed to be transformed in the social and political institutions, situations and relationships. As such the belief in the essential power of human efforts to change the course of history seems to be gradually gaining ground in Assam.