To most Indians the country's Northeast appears as a far-off land with picturesque locations steeped in tribal culture, but wracked by insurgency and associated violence.
A new book, however, discovers that there is more to the region than the stereotypes and life there has its own rhythm not much different from other places in the country.
Journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee goes beyond the dark underbelly of Manipur in the book "Che in Paona Bazaar" where he narrates a first-hand account of life in its myriad forms.
The book by Macmillan Publishers aims to find a common denominator on the similarity of human emotions in between the North-easterners and the mainlanders.
Seeing the strife-torn region from the eyes of a fictional young lady called Eshie, it adds an element of reality too, as the book describes it as an "imagined community" for most outsiders.
Despite being a Meitei from Manipur who often spots a 'phanek' (traditional wrap-arounds on the lower part of the body), Eshie's predicaments and complexities related to her love life, family and career makes the readers relate to the character easily.
She ceases to be a representative of any community or culture and becomes just one amongst us. The author attempts to prove how the human heart ticks the same way everywhere in this world.
