‘Chinaki Chuburi’: An Assamese queer novel that experiences life outside binaries

Chinaki Chuburi (Familiar Neighbourhood) or Akou Abar Pop Axomiya (Once Again Pop Axomiya) by Najma Mukherjee is the third instalment of the “Pop Axomiya” series of novels that originally started as “satirical bits, written as columns in leading Assamese dailies and periodicals from 2007 onwards.” A retired professor of Cotton University, Mukherjee writes in a largely experimental vein. In a society obsessed with binaries, the novel reimagines what it means to experience life outside such watertight compartments.

In doing so, the novel becomes refreshingly original and revolutionary. Speaking about the inspiration for the novel, Mukherjee points to her own name, which she considers an “oxymoron”, for her Muslim-sounding first name and Hindu-sounding surname often stir curiosity. Chinaki Chuburi, then, is an extension of the same dichotomy where unfamiliar lives exhibit all “familiar neighbourhoods.”

Non-binary realities of society

The blurb of the novel readily underscores that Chinaki Chuburi is a queer novel with a protagonist who is intersex but is raised as a woman. The consideration that has gone into describing “Swargiyo Rongili”, the character in question, is reflected in their layered characterisation. In fact, Chinaki Chuburi is primarily a character-driven novel. Similar thoughtfulness is maintained while introducing the novel’s second main character, Jonaki. Both individuals are driven by an agency which society cannot fully...

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