Trauma and Resistance: Maoist Insurgency in Nepali Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37293/sapientiae112.02Keywords:
Cultural memory, Maoist insurgency, Nepali literature, postcolonial theory, subaltern agency, trauma theoryAbstract
This study examines the representation of Nepal’s Maoist insurgency (1996–2006) in selected Nepali literary texts through an integrated framework of trauma and postcolonial theories, addressing a gap in scholarship on post-conflict South Asian literature. Focusing on Tara Rai’s Chhapamar Yuwatiko Diary (Diary of a Young Guerrilla Girl), Manjushree Thapa’s Seasons of Flight, and selected poems by Bhupi Sherchan; chosen for their direct engagement with insurgency experiences across memoir, fiction, and poetry genres; the research employs close reading to analyze narrative strategies such as fragmentation, silences, and syncretic imagery. Key findings reveal that these texts function as records of individual and collective trauma while serving as sites of subaltern resistance, amplifying marginalized voices of women, Dalits, and ethnic minorities against hegemonic state and insurgent narratives. Drawing on Caruth’s concept of belatedness and Herman’s recovery stages, the analysis highlights how fragmented storytelling reflects unprocessed psychological wounds. A postcolonial perspective, informed by Spivak and Bhabha; illuminates negotiations of power dynamics and the construction of hybrid identities. Ultimately, the texts’ syncretic blending of Hindu, Buddhist, and indigenous elements fosters a resilient post-conflict Nepali identity, promoting reconciliation through cultural memory and contributing to national healing in the federal republic. This research underscores vital role of literature in post-insurgency identity formation and reconciliation in Nepal, enhancing the visibility of Nepali literary responses to conflict and bridging literary, anthropological, and political perspectives.
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