Freedom Lost in Rights: A collection of Bishnupriya Manipuri short stories by the author of Seducing the Rain God

Smriti Kumar Sinha’s second collection of short fiction digs into the heart of the Bishnupriya Manipuri saga, leaving a trail of poignant stories in its wake. As the characters struggle with notions of belonging and identity, the endangered language holds them together with equal parts hope and pathos. A nostalgic old man who wants to be buried in his native village. Two lovers, caught between tradition and modernity. A village on the brink of revolution. A tribe on the verge of extinction. Children who dream of singing in their mother tongue.

Ramlal Sinha’s translation treats the original stories with a distinct tenderness that moulds the prose into a soft, lyrical tryst with the Bishnupriya Manipuri world of resistance, community and spiritual joy. The syncretic culture of Northeast India forms a vibrant tapestry against every tale, making the collection a significant addition to the diverse tradition of the Indian literary landscape.

© 2025 Thornbird (Ebook): 9788119626090

Translators: Ramlal Sinha

Release date

Ebook: February 10, 2025