Inception of the St. Stephen’s North-East Society It is with much joy and pleasure that I write this memoir – joy because this is the 5th Edition of the Orchid, confirming how far the St. Stephen’s North-East Society has reached; and pleasure because memories of the NE Society have always remained the most significant memories of my time in Stephen’s. I would like to congratulate the editorial team for yet another edition of the Orchid and all who have contributed in making the Society an integral part of Stephania, both in the past and in the present. About four and half years ago, on the 4th of December 2015, what had only been an idea became a reality when the erstwhile Principal, Rev. Dr. Valson Thampu gave us a provisional approval (subject to final approval of bye-laws which was granted the next month) to our proposal to form a north-east society in the College. Prior to the submission of our proposal, the idea had been much deliberated among a few undergrad and post-grad students.
What’s in a Name?
The name of the society itself, as subtle as it is, required much deliberation – ‘North-East Students’ Society’? ‘North-East Forum’? ‘North-East Cell’? ‘North-East Society’? To understand how we finally decided on a name, I think it is essential to delve into the context. A few colleges in the neighbourhood had had ‘North-East Cells’ during that time. But these ‘cells’ were not exactly student-led societies; rather they were committee-like bodies created by their respective administrations to address the various grievances ostudents from the North-East, cre-
ated as per the instruction from the University authorities (in the aftermath of the unfortunate Nido Tania incident that took place). With the changing political atmosphere in the country around that time, issues concerning the NE tended to wear a political tinge. But the genesis of a north-east society in our College had different roots. It was not directly related to such incidents or politics of homogenization. Ours was conceived before these incidents happened. It was conceived by students from within, exposed to the plethora of opportunities provided by the College, and from within the boundaries of the ‘red-bricks’ comprising of students from various backgrounds, cultures and regions of the country open to dialogue and celebrating. As one of the founding members of the Society, I would like to briefly mention how this came about for me. A few months into College in 2013, the feeling of experiencing Stephania for me was one of awe and admiration which led me into thinking of how I could make best use of it. I vividly remember sitting one afternoon in the College Hall attending a society event wherein the hall-packed event was graced by acclaimed speakers seated on the stage behind a table upon which was laid a sheet-cover that had the College Crest distinctly embroidered on it. It was at that very moment my mind wandered off into the pleasures of imagination: about how I wish to see these same students (who will one day hold key positions in govt, media, politics, entertainment, business, etc), sitting in front of that same table and that same Crest, in the 2
same Hall, discuss, debate and deliberate on a topic that concerns the North-East India. That, for me, was the day the seed of a north-east society was planted in my mind. Indeed, College had already given us many platforms to discuss various issues, be it issues concerning NE India or other parts of the country. However, North-East in itself is a highly diverse region and I felt that a society solely dedicated to the region was necessary to satisfactorily and persuasively address issues concerning the region and extensively explore its cultures. I then spoke about these thoughts to a few friends in College who also shared similar thoughts and vision. It took us nearly 3 more years to gain experience and confidence and finally frame a formal proposal for the formation of a society. After a meeting at the Principal’s office and with his inputs, the society came to be called ‘The St. Stephen’s North-East Society’; not ‘NE Students’ Society’ because it was not intended to be a society consisting only of NE students; not ‘NE Forum’ because it was meant to be more than a forum; and definitely not ‘NE Cell’.
Mess Lawns: Our ‘Amphitheatre’
I have mentioned earlier about how it took us nearly 3 years from the conception of the Society to its realization. The two or so years that ensued after the seed of NE Society had been planted in our minds were of crucial importance, mainly because they gave us time to experiment. We wanted to test the response of students – both from within the NE region as well as those from other regions – to aa cultural event solely dedicated
