Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju, Advisor Mmhonlumo Kikon and Executive Editor of Rupa Publications, Dibakar Ghosh during the release of Slingstones, Kikon’s third poetry collection in New Delhi on September 10.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 10
‘Slingstones,’ the third book of poetry collections by Nagaland legislator and Advisor Mmhonlumo Kikon was released by the Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju on September 10 in New Delhi.
Published by Rupa Publications, “Slingstones” is described as a “poetic exploration of the historical and spiritual landscape of Naga communities.” This is Kikon’s’s third book of poetry after The Penmi Poems (2018) and The Village Empire (2019).
Talking to The Morung Express, the Advisor said that the title was metaphorical, taken from the Biblical David & Goliath story described in the Book of Samuel.
“The name is symbolic and synonymous with David’s use of pebbles as a very unlikely weapon to take on an indomitable force of the opponent!” he elaborated.
Kikon’s poems identify the constructs of the modern world that seek to replace the indigenous and explores the process of self-preservation employed by tribes against the onslaught of material and ideational forces, read the publisher’s description of the book.
“From habits of culture to the distinct quandary that communities have to face; from the struggle to come to terms with the evolving world to the rush to educate the so-called ‘savage’; and from abandoning the ruins of colonialism to taking a measured approach to change, this collection is an intimate and brave review of lives lived in the wide expanse of nature and their interactions with the outside world,” it maintained.
For Kikon, among others, an Aspen Fellow and currently Advisor, IT, Science and Technology; and New & Renewable Energy, Government of Nagaland, “The poems examine the past from the prism of the present, and investigate both the historical and the cultural background of the region.”
Taking to Twitter after the launch, Rijiju said: “Slingstones is a poetic exploration of the historical and spiritual landscapes of the Indigenous Communities in the Northeast. This is a must-read for all poetry lovers & avid readers…”
Slingstones is available in both print as well as e-books from Rupa Publications.
