Northeast festival explores the role of literature in promoting peace

by Rohini Haldea

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Can literature and culture mend rifts to put an end to age-old violence? Organisers of the recently held Culture of Peace: A Festival of the Northeast in New Delhi seem to think it’s possible.
The event was organised by Zubaan, a publishing company focusing on writers from the Northeast and other violence-torn regions including Kashmir and Pakistan.
In addition to showcasing the writing from the region, the festival included workshops and seminars centred on the role of writing and culture in creating an atmosphere of peace.
In attendance were writers, poets, journalists and social activists who have extensively covered the Northeast (Sify.com, 5 February 2011).
The larger objective of the festival was to facilitate a dialogue between people from the Northeast and the rest of India, and bring an appreciation of Northeast culture to the larger population.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

The Northeastern states of India have felt marginalised and ignored, and have seen over six decades of insurgency, political violence and demands for secession.
There has been an increasing tide of literature from the region that is set against the backdrop of the conflict but reflects a growing desire for normalcy.

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