Smriti Kumar Sinha’s second collection of short fiction digs into the heart of the Bishnupriya Manipuri saga, leaving a trail of poignant stories in its wake. As the characters struggle with notions of belonging and identity, the endangered language holds them together with equal parts hope and pathos.

A nostalgic old man who wants to be buried in his native village. Two lovers, caught between tradition and modernity. A village on the brink of revolution. A tribe on the verge of extinction. Children who dream of singing in their mother tongue.

Ramlal Sinha’s translation treats the original stories with a distinct tenderness that moulds the prose into a soft, lyrical tryst with the Bishnupriya Manipuri world of resistance, community and spiritual joy. The syncretic culture of Northeast India forms a vibrant tapestry against every tale, making the collection a significant addition to the diverse tradition of the Indian literary landscape.

About the Author: Smriti Kumar Sinha, a leading short story writer in Bishnupriya Manipuri, a little-known indigenous language of the North-East, has published three collections. Over the last three decades, he has been actively working for the development, recognition, and publicity of minor and endangered languages of the region. Smriti Kumar Sinha is currently a Professor of Computer Science at Tezpur University, Assam.

About the Translator: Ramlal Sinha, a veteran journalist from the Northeast, is the Executive Editor of 'The Sentinel', Assam. He began his career with a four-year saint as a sub-editor with 'The Newsfront', Guwahati. Seducing the Rain God, the author's first Bishnupriya Manipuri short story collection, was also translated by Sinha. He is devoted to making literature in endangered languages of the Northeast accessible to pan-Indian and international audiences.