MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies MZU JOURNAL OF LITERATURE AND CULTURAL STUDIES A Refereed Journal UGC Approved Journal No. 64788 Volume V Issue 1 ISSN:2348-1188 Editor : Prof. Margaret Ch.Zama Editorial Board: Prof. Sarangadhar Baral Prof. Margaret L.Pachuau Dr. Lalrindiki T. Fanai Dr. K.C. Lalthlamuani Dr. Cherrie Lalnunziri Chhangte Dr. Kristina Z. Zama Dr. Th. Dhanajit Singh Advisory Board: Prof. Jharna Sanyal, University of Calcutta Prof. Ranjit Devgoswami,Gauhati University Prof. Desmond Kharmawphlang, NEHU Shillong Prof. B.K. Danta, Tezpur University Prof. R. Thangvunga, Mizoram University Prof. R.L. Thanmawia, Mizoram University Published by the Department of English, Mizoram University. 1 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies 2 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies FOREWORD The present volume of MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies (MZUJLCS) has encompassed noteworthy dialogues that reflect upon the co-relation between literature and cultural studies. The Department of English, Mizoram University has moved from strength to strength in terms of its literary eminence, and this journal is one such reflection of the literary merits and commitment towards the same. This journal is currently one of the few journals in Humanities that has been approved by the UGC. Right from the outset is has strived to promote and enhance excellence in terms of writing and research activities. Asserting aspects of individuality and distinctiveness has been a significant parameter in terms of literary studies and the articles in the collection have joined the very significant debate towards the assertion of the self , interpreted largely in terms of culture, traditions and of course, resistance towards the same. Translations and the aspect of translatability have also been focused upon, even as attempts have been made to assess the inroads that have been achieved through translation in myriad cultures and literatures. What is the place of sex and sexuality in literature and culture? How relevant are they towards situating the holistic self? These and several inter connected arguments have been debated upon too, as have concepts that are related to both home as well as displacement. Reality and representation have been deliberated upon as have arguments upon the philosophical aspects of what would 3 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies constitute humanity as well as where would postcolonial modernity be located? Arguably, some of the finest reflections on these themes have found space within this issue and are well situated within the framework of this rich corpus of extremely academically viable compendium. Interspersed as it were with a translation section, a book review as well as a poetry section, the journal promises to take its readers onto echelons that will surely transcend infinite academic ground. Margaret L.Pachuau Professor and Head Department of English Mizoram University 4 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies EDITORIAL I am happy to present to our readers the June 2018 issue of MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies, a UGC approved journal from the Department of English, Mizoram University. The Editorial Board extends its warm appreciation to all contributors for their inputs that covers the wide gamut of literary and cultural studies. This issue contains an invited essay from Easterine Kire who is one of the more prominent writers of a relevant and fast emerging literary genre known as Writings in English from Northeast India. There are also 17 other articles, and contributions under the sections of translation, book review, and poetry, respectively. We note with pleasure the fact that contributions are of an interdisciplinary nature that touches on socio-political, religious and ethnic discourse in the creation of regional and marginal literature, and the expanding horizons of literature occasioned by other Englishes. It is hoped that this issue will help to further strengthen one of the key academic objectives of our department which is, to further the cause of literary and cultural studies wherein space and location is created for noteworthy writers and academicians of the Northeast region of India. Prof. Margaret Ch. Zama Editor 5 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies 6 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies CONTENTS 1. Writing from the heart ................................................ 11 Invited essay from Easterine Kire 2. Translatability of Metaphors and Translation..........17 as a Metaphor : Looking at Translations of Nepali Literature Tias Basu 3. Publishing industry and construction of ...................27 apriori literary identities : Articulations of resistance in contemporary Naga literature in English Bhumika R. 4. The Politics of Colonial Translation –........................40 Swami Vivakananda : A Case in Point Dr. Swagata Bhattacharya 5. The Progress of Translation in Mizo Literature .......53 Dr. Lalthansangi Ralte 6. Animal Imageries and the Representation of the .....65 Marginal in J.M. Coetzee’s Apartheid Novels Parag Kumar Deka 7. Social Struggles in the Darjeeling Hills : ...................82 Prajwal Parajuly’s “Mixed Blessing” and “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” Anderson Glasham 7 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies 8. Difficult Displacements, Lost Homes : ‘Partition’ ....96 in select autobiographical writings Dr. SuranjanaChaudhury 9. Select Discourses – A Study of Resistance ...............109 Immanuel Lalramenkima 10. Failure and Resistance of ‘Hero(es)’ :......................125 Selected Bengali Texts Prabhuddha Ghosh 11. The Becoming of Ravana in Anand .........................148 Neelakantan’s novel Asura : Tale of the Vanquished (2012) Ruchita Jain 12. ‘Only community constitutes humanity’ : ...............159 Feuerbach’s epistemology in Daniel Deronda Saswati Halder 13. ‘Strangenesses’ and Selves : The ‘Foreigner’ ..........179 in Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine Dr. Navleen Multani 14. Anita Desai’s Voices in the City : A Discourse ........200 of the Postcolonial Modernity Mukul SK 15. Memory of Home : The Diaspora in Select .............216 Poems of Agha Shahid Ali Lalmalsawmi Ralte 16. Bijao & Binao : Transgender and Nupi ...................230 Maanbi’s Experiences in Contemporary Meitei Society, Manipur, Northeast India Sunny Sharma Gurumayum 8 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies 17. Sex and Sexuality in Mizo Culture : ........................242 Truth beyond Tales Zothankimi Ralte 18. Where Printed words are less important.................252 than Spoken words Mrittika Ghosh Traslation Section “Cycle”........................................................................270 by Saurav Kumar Chaliha, translated from Assamese by Meenaxi Barkotoki Book Review Section The Power to Forgive and other Stories ............................282 by Avinuo Kire, Zubaan, New Delhi, 2016 reviewed by Aparna Nath Poetry Section 1. Dredging .....................................................................287 Malsawmi Jacob 2. From death-dance ......................................................288 Malsawmi Jacob 3. Sunday, Aizawl ...........................................................290 Cherrie L. Chhangte 4. Pledge ..........................................................................291 Cherrie L. Chhangte 9 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies 5. Where Daffodils Grow ..............................................293 Kristina Z. Zama 6. Old Aunty ...................................................................295 Kristina Z. Zama 7. Headless Youths and Lighted Candles .....................298 Tayenjam Bijoykumar Singh 10 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies Invited Essay Writing from the heart Easterine Kire I call the action of writing from the heart by two other names: one is 'Dil se Direct' and the other is, 'Writing outside the Box.' Writing from the heart is writing that ignores formula. It is also about writing the silences. We go under many definitions, many of them imposed on us. The victor-coloniser makes definitions about us, propagates them and labels us by these definitions. In the Naga case it was the western anthropologist and his ethnographical studies on Naga tribes that could be seen as the colonizer writing us. This kind of writing emerged as the first comprehensive writing on our cultural behaviour. Anthropological writing is undoubtedly valuable; but it was not one hundred percent accurate as it was done from an outsider's perspective. At one point of time in the 1930s we became objectified by such writing and were reduced to objects in museums. The relationship between the native and social anthropology is complex. Yet like it or not, we unquestionably owe a debt to anthropological writing because a great deal of cultural information which would have been lost, has been preserved through this medium. A constructed identity A more insidious action in today's world is how national media chooses to write us. In a great disservice to the Northeast MZU JLCS June 2018, ISSN 2348-1188 11 MZU Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies region, national media has continued to create a constructed identity of the Northeast; this has gone on for many decades. This constructed identity defines the area and its people as conflicted; prone to politically volcanic eruptions on a regular basis. It was an identity accepted categorically by many mainstream publishing houses who expected writers from the Northeast to write works of blood and gore and victim