Public Lecture on "What's the matter with Orality: The Poetics of Mizo Nationalism in Northeast India

 Media, Culture and Society,Department of Mass Communication, Mizoram University organized a Public lecture on 21st October 2019 with Dr. Roluahpuia Department of Humanities and Social Sciences from Indian Institute of Technology and his lecture was on "What’s the matter with Orality:  The Poetics of Mizo Nationalism in Northeast India".

 The lecture was on the Mizo National Movement and the importance and the power of Poetics during the insurgency period for the MIzo's to this day. He talks about identity, nationalism and development of the Mizo’s in which literature and poetics played a very important role. Through the lecture we were able to know how the Mizo’s fight for our own independent state and how it has bring fourth changes in the socio-cultural and identities of the Mizo.

 The poems and songs during the time of the insurgent is an effective tool in molding and shaping the ideas, changing the minds of the people,  especially to unite them and give them hope and strength in their fight for freedom. Moreover the lyrics and words during that time were usually sentimental for the Mizo’s , as it portrays more of the culture and traditions of the Mizo society and gave them the sense of Nationalism.

 The lecture given by Dr.Roluahpuia not only talks about the traditions and culture, the importance of poetics but also revealed the struggle and the dark ages faced by the people and also how the politics came into force in the state of Mizoram. And how the Mizo society is changed or shaped through poems and songs written by MIzo poets and songwriters. The lecture was also a means of giving non Mizo people a more understanding of the Mizos during the past and their today life, how the society can be so attached to poetics and literature that it could actually change their own perspective.

By- Nicholas, Sarah and Muanawma