North-East India is not an Imagined community,' separated from the politics and policies that govern the rest of the country. It is as real as the violence that has torn the land apart, leaving its people grappling for a semblance of normalcy, if nothing else. The north-east isn't just a hotbed for insurgency and deadly casual encounters, a stopover on every international rock band's schedule, or where used syringes lie waiting in dark alleys. There are other realities as well—of forbidden love, weddings, fascinating cuisines, childhood memories and other `unimportant stories' that never made it to our newspapers and television screens.
In spite of gaining exclusive access to the region, former NDTV Resident Editor (north-east) Kishalay Bhattacharjee has struggled to broadcast stories of these multitudes. Years in the media have taught him that not all revolutions will be televised. Che in Paona Bazaar finds Bhattacharjee deep in the heart of Manipur, demystifying a state that was once just a source of 'news' for him. These tales are the result of a long and unflinching look into Manipur's past and present, a land rich in tradition, culture and violence, and of a people who stage their own daily rebellion by living and thriving against all odds.
About the Author
Kishalay Bhattacharjee is a senior broadcast journalist with whose work experience spans twenty years. Seventeen of those were spent at NDTV covering conflict in India's north-east as well as the Maoist corridor. He is a Panos Fellow for HIV/AIDS and a Edward Murrow Fellow in Journalism. His film Santi, Lucy and Thoibi was screened at international festivals in Goa and Barcelona. Kishalay has been writing and speaking on conflict and post-conflict situations and was selected as Chair, Internal Security and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
