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Inception of the Society
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.
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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, created 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
to the NE. I will ever be grateful to friends from the Spic Macay Chapter of College who agreed to help us organize the first ever North-East cultural event in College as part of Spic Macay’s ‘Goshthi’ in January, 2015. They even agreed to our proposal of naming the event ‘Unicolour’ (which would later become the Society’s Annual Cultural Fest). The amazing response of students to the event – from the involvement of many volunteers to the awe-inspired crowd of students that filled the Mess Lawn – confirmed that the College was ready to have a NE Society. There could not have been a better spot in College than the Mess Lawn to showcase the mesmerizing bamboo dance performed by our very own students; thereafter, students from all parts of India would sign up, making sure they do not miss the chance to learn and perform the bamboo dance at every opportunity the NE Society would later provide. Soon enough, this event made the grand Inaugural of the Society possible when Dr. Thampu struck the traditional Gong to mark the launch of the Society. It was followed by the unfurling of the Society logo down from the lofty heights of the Mess Hall. That joyous day concluded with the Thabal Chongba (a popular Manipuri folk dance) in which everyone at the venue joined in with gaiety in celebration of what, according to me, was one of the most significant moments in the history of the College.
For Every Stephanian I am delighted to hear about how the Society has grown to become more inclusive and whose events raise much excitement among all in the College. Inclusivity was the very founding principle of the Society and that was what the College taught us. It was never meant to evoke regionalism or division; it was never meant to promote uniformity (among the NE States) but to celebrate unity in diversity. The Society was meant to be the College’s very own and for every student of the College from all regions of the country, not so as to appropriate cultures but to preserve while promoting them. Lastly yet primarily, while being a society that is dynamic and not static in its structure and endeavor with changing times, it was meant to build better equipped Stephanians who would be able to make impactful contributions for the region and for the nation at large from various positions of influence with a deeper understanding of the region that the Society provides through talks, discussions and cultural events. I wish the best for the current and future batches in their pursuit of presenting as well as discovering India’s North-East through the Society! Ad Dei Gloriam!
Khamrosang Buhril
Class of 2016
