Interpreting Bharati Mukherjee in the Context of Northeast India: The Question of Identity

Abstract

This paper is a scenic description of Northeast India. It tries to bring out the elements of violence, rootlessness and identity crisis of the immigrants. Bharati Mukherjee has vibrantly portrayed the tensions, psyche and topsy-turvy condition of her characters going through the intense state which people of North East India face. Northeast India has had a long history of indigenous violence, fanaticism and uprising. The anxiety and existential crisis due to botched political affairs in the Northeast region of India necessities the urgency of preservation of their identity. Above all, excess immigration made the tribal communities face social exclusion, leading to extremist organisations challenging the sovereignty and integrity of the Indian State. The origins of insurgency in Northeast India are implanted in its geographical, historical and a host of socio-economic factors leading to changes in the environment of the area.