Flip through Northeast

Valuable books on Northeast India from IGNCA's permanent collection

Way back in 1954, Assam's celebrated poet and politician Hem Barua said in his popular book The Red River and The Blue Hill that there is a lot of sudden interest to know Northeast India. What came of that interest five decades ago is nothing much to write home about, but the former Parliamentarian wrote in its foreword that the idea of the book was triggered by a volley of queries he often came across from people he met in his public life outside Assam.

That budding interest in NE India can be considered somewhat well-bloomed now. A festival of Northeast India or an exhibition of crafts from the region are fairly frequent occurrences in the Capital nowadays. Till early this week, there was a first-of-a-kind inter-cultural dialogue between Northeast India and Southeast Asia — regions that bear many similarities — organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. On its campus sprawling across many acres in the heart of the city, there was an abundant flow of northeastern food, culture and craft. And yes, there were books too.

Full report here Hindu