Robin S. Ngangom

Robin S.
Ng+ngom
• North E)st Region – Differences between differences. Disp)rities between

the centr)l )s well )s in the st)te.
• With the new enlightenment ide)s such )s liberty, equ)lity, justice; )nd with
the Second World W)r the Meetei culture w)s in flux of ch)nge.
• To m)n)ge the ever-incre)sing politic)l turmoil )nd turbulences in these
st)tes, the Indi)n Army, for the first time since independence, w)s deployed on
18th August 1958, to m)n)ge intern)l conflict. The Armed Forces Speci)l Power
Act (AFSPA)
A Poem For Mother

A poem for mother seems to be ) f)irly person)l poem )bout Ng)ngomʼs own life
experiences. Tr)velling through the )utobiogr)phic)l det)ils, c)pturing the
specificities of time, “ten ye)rs )go”, the poem )ppe)rs to be ) tribute to his own
mother, individu)lized through n)ming, “P)lem Apokpi”.
Simil)rly, the poem from supplying person)l det)ils )bout Ng)ngomʼs childhood,
growing up )nd then fin)lly )b)ndoning his homel)nd )nd migr)ting to Shillong
moves on to invoking migr)tion )s ) gener)l univers)l phenomenon in M)nipur,
motiv)ted by politic)l ch)os )nd unrest th)t informs the public sp)ce.
The poem tr)ces the )dv)ncement of ) society in tr)nsition by looking )t its three
m)in ch)r)cter portr)its: the mother, the son )nd the d)ughter-in-l)w.
Even when the times )re ch)nging )nd the sons )re le)ving their homel)nd, the
figure of the mother continues to surf)ce )s ) powerful rock, who m)n)ges to
withst)nd public, politic)l )nd priv)te uphe)v)ls.
M)nipur is prim)rily ) m)triline)l culture. Thus, the invoking of ) fem)le figure

th)t is ‘strongʼ, ‘toilingʼ )nd self-sufficient is not ) peculi)r fe)ture.
M)nipur. The l)st st)nz) of the poem, however, underlines the horror of the
“young boy” turned “m)n” who discovers th)t even )fter le)ving home, he could
not improve his fortune. The compromise he is forced to m)ke in )n )lien l)nd
underscores the tremendous urge of the young boy, who left home “to be ) m)n”.
The Str+nge Aff+irs of Robin S. Ng+ngom.
This is his most )mbitious )nd politic)l poem.
The multiple voices th)t the poetic voice )dopts reson)tes the individu)lʼs desire
for freedom from multiples levels of oppression, domin)tion, subjug)tion )nd
tyr)nnies.
The “n)rr)tives of p)in )nd suffering”, )re )lw)ys ) collective n)rr)tion of )

communityʼs suffering.
The poetic )gend) is f)irly )mbitious )s it gr)du)lly tr)ces the entire bloody
history of M)nipur; step by step looking )t )ll those reprob)te f)ctors th)t h)ve
reduced his folks to the present st)te of degener)tion, “something h)s ch)nged
me”- the shell shocked, fr)gmented psyche:
“…we sowed suspicion in the fields

H6tred spr6ng 6nd r6zed the crops.”
The tr)dition)l )gricultur)l economy, )s if is repl)ced by ) city th)t m)nuf)ctures

de)th )t ) l)rge sc)le:
“For the trucks/ c6rrying the 6ppli6nces of de6th 6nd dev6st6tion,

…the gr6ves of youth who died in turmoil/ 6re the only milestones to the city.”
The invoc)tion of M)mmon, is not just )n ironic subversion of invoking gods )nd
muses )t the beginning of the poem, it )lso shows ) glimpse of the ) ruined world
with c)pit)lism, )nd commerci)liz)tion.
Commerci)liz)tion led to deforest)tion )nd comments on the growing degree of

corruption.
The politic)l crisis does not )llow the domestic, priv)te sphere to rem)in
un)ffected. Bre)king down in essenti)l rel)tionships; Thereʼs )n overl)pping
between love )nd guilt:
I 6sk, who br6nded the moonskin of my love?...

And my h6nds c6me b6ck to me/ stigm6tized with guilt.”
The moment the lover wishes to rekindle his love rel)tionship )nd revive those
e)rlier feelings of love, he experiences ) rude shock. His beloved, just like his
motherl)nd, h)s )lre)dy been r)vished.
The )buse of women h)s become ) norm)tive )spect of this society; their
existence is shrouded under the thre)t of r)pe, )ss)ult, molest)tion )nd so on. It
is interesting to note, th)t the lover h)snʼt m)n)ged to protect his pristine
innocence either. He is )lso ) p)rt of ) simil)r crowd, ) crowd m)rked out by
degener)ting )nd f)st dec)ying mor)l v)lues.

Robin S. Ngangom

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Robin S. Ngangom

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Robin S.

• North E)st Region – Differences between differences. Disp)rities between

A Poem For Mother

M)nipur is prim)rily ) m)triline)l culture. Thus, the invoking of ) fem)le figure

The “n)rr)tives of p)in )nd suffering”, )re )lw)ys ) collective n)rr)tion of )

“…we sowed suspicion in the fields

The tr)dition)l )gricultur)l economy, )s if is repl)ced by ) city th)t m)nuf)ctures

“For the trucks/ c6rrying the 6ppli6nces of de6th 6nd dev6st6tion,

Commerci)liz)tion led to deforest)tion )nd comments on the growing degree of

I 6sk, who br6nded the moonskin of my love?...

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