The Portrayal of Ethnic Voice in the Fictional World of Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi: Using the Folklore of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Numerous ethnic groups with diverse sociocultural traditions are found in India's northeastern area. Some literary figures who come from the tribal communities of this area have written about the rich cultural diversity and colourful customs of the various tribes. The most notable novelist in Arunachal Pradesh is Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, whose works reflect ethnic voices wonderfully and realistically. The innocent tribal people who live in the most isolated and forested region of Arunachal Pradesh are the main focus of Thongchi's fictitious universe. 'Sonam' (1982) and 'Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday' (Silent Lips Murmuring Heart) (2005), two of Thongchi's most well-known works, are no exception to this rule. They all highlight the social diversity and rich cultural legacy of Arunachal Pradesh. Thongchi's debut book, "Sonam," was based on the polygamy and polyandry practices typical to the Monpa tribe, which allow two or more men to share a single bride. Thongchi's masterwork is his second book, "Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday" (Silent Lips and Murmuring Hearts), which depicts the customs and daily lives of two distinct tribes, Wangi (Nyishi) and Serdukpen. The main focus of this book was a heartbreaking and tragic love story set in the transitional state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The goal of the study is to give readers a thorough understanding of the many Arunachalee tribes' traditions, customs, rites, and rituals as they are depicted in Thongchi's two well-known novels, "Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday" and "Sonam." The study also makes an effort to investigate how the rigid observance of such practices and rituals contributes to problems and issues within these tribes, such as identity crises and marital conflict.