FREEDOM LOST IN RIGHTS BY SMRITI KUMAR SINHA (TRANSLATED FROM THE BISHNUPRIYA MANIPURI BY RAMLAL SINHA)

BOOK NAME: FREEDOM LOST IN RIGHTS

AUTHOR NAME: SMRITI KUMAR SINHA (TRANSLATED FROM THE BISHNUPRIYA MANIPURI BY RAMLAL SINHA)

GENRE: ANTHOLOGY - SHORT STORIES

PUBLISHER: THORNBIRD - NIYOGI BOOKS

BOOK BUY LINK: https://amzn.in/d/5NxFUdz

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BLURB:

Smriti Kumar Sinha’s second collection of short fiction digs into the heart of the Bishnupriya Manipuri saga, leaving a trail of poignant stories in its wake. As the characters struggle with notions of belonging and identity, the endangered language holds them together with equal parts hope and pathos.

A nostalgic old man who wants to be buried in his native village. Two lovers, caught between tradition and modernity. A village on the brink of revolution. A tribe on the verge of extinction. Children who dream of singing in their mother tongue.

Ramlal Sinha’s translation treats the original stories with a distinct tenderness that moulds the prose into a soft, lyrical tryst with the Bishnupriya Manipuri world of resistance, community and spiritual joy. The syncretic culture of Northeast India forms a vibrant tapestry against every tale, making the collection a significant addition to the diverse tradition of the Indian literary landscape.

About the Author: Smriti Kumar Sinha, a leading short story writer in Bishnupriya Manipuri, a little-known indigenous language of the North-East, has published three collections. Over the last three decades, he has been actively working for the development, recognition, and publicity of minor and endangered languages of the region. Smriti Kumar Sinha is currently a Professor of Computer Science at Tezpur University, Assam.

About the Translator: Ramlal Sinha, a veteran journalist from the Northeast, is the Executive Editor of 'The Sentinel', Assam. He began his career with a four-year saint as a sub-editor with 'The Newsfront', Guwahati. Seducing the Rain God, the author's first Bishnupriya Manipuri short story collection, was also translated by Sinha. He is devoted to making literature in endangered languages of the Northeast accessible to pan-Indian and international audiences.

BOOK REVIEW

Embracing the title from one of its short stories, the anthology is a brilliant collection of writings from the Bishnupriya Manipuri language. Voicing out different struggles of the community, the book showcases eleven short stories that highlight their struggle for recognition and identity. The translation is one of the smoothest and most natural I have read in a while. 

The book opens with a solid start with ‘Grass or Land?’ evoking nostalgia and highlighting the differences between children's and adults’ perspectives of social class. It is shortly followed by an eye opener, ‘Freedom Lost In Rights, ’ questioning the faith and freedom behind our electoral powers. This was one of the stories I loved the most, especially for including the Shompenese tribe. ‘The Lid’, the most heartwrenching of them all, is a poignant story of the reunion of a long-lost brother with his poverty-stricken sister and the decisions she makes because of her social status.

‘Gidei’s Bangles’ is another tale highlighting a sister's love for her younger brother and the lengths she would go to protect him. An asthmatic father’s love for his cigar and math is threatened by modern mathematics and his son, who is a math teacher. Their lives and responsibilities are entwined as ‘Decimal Fraction’.

‘A Blank Page Spell-Checker’ is a story of an insecure husband who is intimidated by his wife’s intelligence and keeps her under check who knows how and when to break free. ‘Democracy’ is again a story that speaks of electoral powers and how deciding to use our vote mindfully is vital to save a community. As the community keeps falling for words and money every time, they see their lands and language become stagnant or, worse - deteriorate.

‘Two Famines’, the shortest of all, is a lighthearted tale of how reverse adulteration and reverse famine have clogged the minds of people who are used to it. ‘Akanda-Prajna: A Love Story’ is one to behold, with an unhinged protagonist who is bold and evocative. The story reflects on the importance of understanding and cherishing one’s homeland. 

‘A Three-and-a-Half-Cubit Dream’ is my most favourite one. It’s about a man’s dream to build a house in his native land according to his mother’s wish. But years later, it still remains a dream until he gets out to set it right. ‘Independence’, the last story, was a poignant tale of recognition of a state or language and told in an unique way that made me instantly fall in love with it.

I loved every tale and couldn’t wait to recommend this book to all of you. This book is a cry of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community for recognition of their language, culture, land and presence. Pick this up because you will have no regrets.

MY REVIEW: 5/5

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