SLUMBER

Chandrakanta Murasingh born in 1957 is one of the best-known poets from the
Northeast Indian state of Tripura. He writes in Kokborok, the language of the
indigenous tribe of the state, and has published five books of poetry. His poetry
reveals a commitment to recording “the agonies of life in contemporary Tripura”, a
land where “the ugly thud of the boots of both extremists and the Indian Army” is fast
replacing the cadence of rivulet and birdsong. He received the Bhasha Samman
Award from the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, in 1976 for his contribution to the
development of Kokborok literature. He lives in Abhoynagar, Agartala and works in a
bank.

Born to a family of shifting cultivators in the remote hamlet of Twibandal, Murasingh

recalls his early struggle to receive a primary education. He describes his poetic
enterprise as an attempt to capture the varied tones and shades of the Tripura
landscape. This, as his poetry reveals, is not a merely natural landscape, but the
complex terrain of everyday negotiation where nature and politics, the physical and
the cultural, are inextricably engaged. His poetry actually embraces a vast topography,
from the emerald green fields of distant tribal hamlets to the sophisticated environs of
Kolkata seminar rooms.
He remains acutely aware that he represents a language that has faced a long history
of marginalisation (Kokborok was declared a state language as recently as 1979).
While he acknowledges certain similarities between the poets of the Northeast, he is
conscious of the trend to view the region as culturally amorphous – an impulse that
invariably irons out the distinctive identity problems faced by smaller ethnic groups
like his own.
The poems included reveal the sharp edge of political critique. The poet’s chief tool is
irony, which he deploys with a skill that can be both savage and understated. His
poetry is scathing in its indictment of a world where “words are so cheap and so much
in supply, that no government pays any heed to them”. But the word still remains the
chief resource in the poet’s arsenal and Murasingh is acutely aware of this: he asserts
his right over ‘the one word’, marking an active stance of resistance against forces that
crush, erase and rewrite histories.
A lyrical and elegiac vein accompanies the pungency of satire. Far from being
romantic or escapist, his vivid evocation of his beloved and embattled forests make his
political comment all the more searing. The reader also begins to realise that there are
certain moments in the process of cultural, political and spiritual upheaval that can be
archived only by the voice of a poet.

Chandra Kanta Murasingh a prominent poet writing in KokBorok language reveals a

commitment to recording “the agonies of life in contemporary Tripura”, a land where “the
ugly thud of the boots of both the extremists and the Indian Army” 2 stands out as a reality.
Another trend is the realization that the old, traditional, innocent way of life, so characteristic
of this part of India is surely though slowly and is steadily being eroded.

Poets from the North-East like Robin S Ngangom, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, Temsula Ao,
Easterine Kire, Mona Zote, Desmond Kharmaphwlang, Mamang Dai, Chandrakanta
Murasingh and host of other poets write what they encounter. Although they hail from
different states of North-East India, and their agendas vary, one thing they stick to is writing
what they have witnessed. Most of their poems seem like prose written with absolute clarity
and free from any kind of ambiguity so that the message to the reader is not lost or diluted.
To the natives of the North-East there is history behind every sphere of the natural world.
Thus, a keen sense of history characterizes their collective consciousness. Although the
writers from this region have produced a commendable body of literature that includes most
of the literary forms in the last few decades it is poetry that has remained most faithful to the
contemporary changing reality and stood out as a true historical narrative. Genres like short
stories and novels though very rich often lose sight of the historical reality. Most of them
write in regional languages and these writings are being recently translated into English.
Since the poets in question write about terrorism, ethnic clashes, insurgency, human rights
abuses, environmental and ecological concerns, erosion of tribal values, displacement and the
corruption their work has a distinct identity within Indian English poetry. They declare in
various interviews that they write to inform and their writings are inspired by the events
happenings around them. Given this, there is only one conclusion that one may draw from the
above discussion and that is their poetry with its documentary and evidentiary nature is
history. When a poem depicts an event without exaggerating or delimiting it and with a sole
aim of recording and spreading the message, it can be called history and the approach
becomes pragmatic.

Poets in general from the North-East regions are witnesses to several gruesome events taking
place in their land, hence, they are committed to speak on what they know and resist the
oppression they have been experiencing since several decades. North-East poetry speaks
about the prevailing tension, apprehension, clashes, uncertainty, violence and people in
search for peace and harmony. For instance, “Chandra kanta Murasingh, a poet from Tripura
speaks of agonies of life in contemporary Tripura, a land where the ugly thud of boots of both
extremists and the Indian Army is fast replacing the cadence of “rivulet and birdsong”. He
tells that how common people are caught in the crossfire between the two and feels that guns
will not bring any solution.

In Manipur there were poets like Nilakanta (now dead), Somorendra, Sri Biren, Thangiam
Ibopishak, Y. Ibomcha etc. who wrote experimental poetry. They were wide-awake to the
violence and social unrest with increasing tension resulting from material culture, corruption
and moral breakdown. They wrote (and still write) a poetry which is stark, real and naked,
although lyricism is their rich repast. They are recalcitrant poets though, unable to accept the
violence and horror of the contemporary society. So to 'escape' from this they would often
speak of the past and, of halcyon days which they experienced either in their native place or
outside. This trend was evidenced also in Khasi and Tripura (Kokborok) poetry as
exemplified in the writings of Desmond Leslie Kharmawphlang, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih
and Chandra Kanta Murasingh.

Chandra Kanta Murasingh's special appeal as a poet lies in his upholding the simple life of
the village folk in his native Tripura. He is essentially concerned with the common man, with
what William Wordsworth would call 'humble and rustic life'. Murasingh is able to re-create
the elemental aspects of life coupled with his use of natural imagery. A deeply sensitive poet,
Murasingh's poetry is embedded in the tradition of humanity, village life unsullied by the
intrusion of a materialistic or mechanized world of humanity, he uses images vividly and
sensitively, landscaping his poems in myths of the past and memory. In this manner he is able
to make his poems deeply evocative.

The sensible world for Murasingh is the world of the commoner, the rural folk as opposed to
the urban elite. He voices anguish and oppression in any form. His poems are spontaneous
and lyrical in their song - like cadence. Chandra Kanta Murasingh has published five
collections of poems, namely happing Garingo Chibuksa Ringo (The Python Calls in the
Deserted Tong House), Holong Kok Sa - 0 Bolong Bisingo (The Stone Speaks in the Forest),
Lok Chethuwang Lok (Rise Up Chethuweng Tree), Pindi Watwi Pin (Sprinkle the Rain), and
Rufei Ni Buduk Ani Nogo (The Silver Pope in My Room). As is evident from the titles of
these poems, Murasingh's poetry abounds in natural imagery. He is sensitive to human
situations and society at large. The pleasure and pain of the common folk, the strife and stress
of the urban people, and the myths of the Kokborok community constitute the imagery and
vision of his poetry untrammeled and melodic.

SUMMARY

The poet expresses his feelings and tells that he is in deep and silent sleep (slumber) like a
child suckling his mother’s bosom. He is tired and in deep slumber in his beloved’s tresses.
But, even though he is in his mother’s lap and in his beloved’s companion, his thoughts and
anxieties are constantly haunting him. So, the poet tells how there is so much disturbance
within himself that his sleep and the poet runs crimson through the hearts. The most
intelligent and politically influenced people parrot only the words that is being taught in their
political party. The poet questions how the intelligentsia only puts forward their political
agenda. The poet reveals how the crown of wealth, power and pride is only fit for the
ministerial heads or the political parties in power. Similarly, the sleep of the poet is his
possessed golden crown which makes him a king. As the poet traverses the hilly track, he
observes the roadside shrubs leaning onto the path. He reveals that the shrubs are tread and
run over by the extremists as well as the boots of the security men walks over the shrubs.
Here, the poet is showing his concern for nature and environment. The poet also observes that
corpses are being carried and the face of the dead body seems quite familiar to him.
Kutungla’s wife has tried to assuaged her hunger with boiled weeds and a marsh potato. But,
unfortunately she died. Watuirai also died due to enteritis or dysentery. Someone died in the
shooting of extremist and someone’s son died in the crossfire between police and insurgents.
So, the poet reveals how different people have sadly lost their lives due to terrorism and other
militant activities. The poet sadly reveals that the boy who lost his life was his customer in
bank (as the poet works in a bank) and was a garrulous person who recently got married. The
boy often used to question the poet where he is going whenever they come across one
another. Initially, the poet used to reply but later he ignored. The poet feels that he is not
obliged to tell the other person where he is going. As the poet himself isn’t sure of his own
destination. The poet questions himself about his own destination or he is just another mere
person flooding the road with his presence. The poet again tells that only sleep knows about
his purpose in life and it has become his only solace and companion.

In the end of the poem, the poet tells that his father is angry with his sleeping habit denoting
his habit of ignoring the reality. His mother as well as his wife is irritated and angry with his
deep slumber. He tells how some people enjoy the festivals casting a furtive look at the poets
deep slumber. Some enjoy, earn money at cockfight and laugh out loud due to their power
and money. Here, the poet tries to say how people in position exploits the common people
and enjoy all the comforts of life due to the political influence and position. But, the poet
unlike others find solace in his slumber lying in his mother’s and beloved’s breast, caresses
and kisses which provides him feeling of happiness, joy and satisfaction. Here, the poet
shows no interest towards power and status. But, tries to highlight the problems of the people
of Tripura showing least concern of the agitation, exploitation and conflict of the indigenous
people by his ignorance like the political parties or people in power. He chooses to ignore the
reality and look for peace in his deep slumber but still he is haunted by his thoughts and
anxieties. Even in the end of the poem, he is looking for consolation in his deep slumber
ignoring the sufferings and distress of Tripura.