Re-Locating Northeast Writings and Narratives: Gender, Text, and Identity by Prof. A. C. Kharingpam is a significant contribution to the literary and cultural studies of India’s Northeast. The book critically examines how gender, identity, memory, and location intersect within the diverse narratives emerging from the region. By foregrounding voices that have often remained at the margins of mainstream Indian literature, Prof. Kharingpam repositions Northeast writing as a crucial site of intellectual and cultural inquiry.
One of the book’s major strengths lies in its gendered perspective. Prof. Kharingpam closely analyzes how women writers from the Northeast articulate experiences of displacement, conflict, tradition, and resistance. These narratives challenge dominant patriarchal and nationalist frameworks, offering instead a more nuanced understanding of identity shaped by ethnicity, history, and lived reality. The author shows how literature becomes a powerful medium through which women negotiate personal and political spaces.
The concept of “re-location” is central to the book. It refers not only to geographical movement but also to the shifting of cultural and ideological positions. Prof. Kharingpam explores how texts from the Northeast renegotiate ideas of belonging, border, and selfhood in a region marked by colonial legacy, insurgency, and socio-political transitions. Writers are shown to be actively “re-locating” the Northeast within the broader discourse of Indian and global literature.
Another important aspect of the book is its interdisciplinary approach. Drawing from literary theory, gender studies, cultural studies, and postcolonial thought, the author offers a layered and critical reading of selected texts. This makes the book valuable not only for students of literature but also for researchers interested in identity politics, regional studies, and feminist criticism.
Overall, Re-Locating Northeast Writings and Narratives is a thoughtful, scholarly, and timely work. It deepens our understanding of the Northeast as a vibrant literary space and highlights the crucial role of gender in shaping narratives of identity and resistance.