International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Fragmented Realities and Symbolic Resistance: A Critical Study of Thangjam Ibopishak Singh, Robin S. Ngangom, And Thingnam Anjulika Samom

This paper investigates the poetic articulations of socio-political unrest and cultural dissonance in the works of three distinguished Manipuri poets: Thangjam Ibopishak Singh, Robin S. Ngangom, and Thingnam Anjulika Samom. Situated within the conflict-ridden landscape of Manipur- a state long burdened by militarization, ethnic tensions, and historical marginalization- these poets engage with fragmented identities and contested narratives through literary symbolism, irony, and resistance. The study employs a postcolonial and subaltern framework to examine how their poetry reflects the fractured realities of lived experience while simultaneously resisting dominant discourses that seek to silence or assimilate peripheral voices. Ibopishak’s satirical tone and absurdist imagery expose the alienation and bureaucratic violence that plague the Manipuri consciousness. Ngangom’s melancholic and lyrical poetics uncover the pain of memory and trauma, while Samom’s feminist sensibility provides a gendered critique of socio-cultural oppression, blending personal and political struggles. Together, these poets construct a counter-discursive space that questions the legitimacy of state power, national identity, and cultural homogeneity. The paper argues that through the fragmentation of form, multilingual registers, and symbolic layering, their poetry not only documents socio-political crises but also enacts resistance by reclaiming agency, memory, and identity. Ultimately, this research underscores the need to read Northeast Indian literature as a vital site of aesthetic and political negotiation in contemporary Indian literary discourse. Keywords: Northeast Indian poetry, symbolic resistance, identity politics, gendered expression, postcolonial critique