A Study of Silent and Subaltern Voices in Mamang Dai's The Black Hill and Legends of Pensam

The Northeastern region of India, particularly its hill communities, has long remained on the margins of the national consciousness – often excluded from the narrative of “mainstream” Indian discourse. The lack of urban centres, challenging terrain, and insurgencies have contributed to stereotypes of the Northeast as “uncivilised”. This marginalisation has been political, social, cultural and intellectual as well. It was through writing that these people got a chance to assert their identity and claim a space within the larger Indian consciousness. Among the growing community of writers of the Northeast, Mamang Dai stands out as a powerful voice from the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Through her acclaimed works, The Black Hill and Legends of Pensam, Dai not only gives voices to her people but also brings them into the literary spotlight with their rituals, beliefs, and everyday experiences. This paper attempts to explore how Dai has given a voice to the subaltern tribes of Arunachal Pradesh with a special focus on the womenfolk of the community.