REVISITING GENDER, TRADITION AND FEMALE SUBJECTIVITY IN KYNPHAM SING NONGKYNRIH’S MANIK: A PLAY IN FIVE ACTS: A SOCIO-CULTURAL AND FEMINIST READING OF WOMEN IN THE KHASI SOCIETY

Abstract

Khynpham Sing Nongkynrih’s Manik: A Play in Five Acts offers a significant literary intervention in the understanding of Khasi society by revisiting the legendary narrative of Manik Raitong and Queen Lieng Makaw through the lens of gender and social structures. While Khasi society is often identified with matriliny, the text exposes the contradictions between inheritance-based female status and actual social authority. This paper examines the representation of women in the play through feminist literary criticism, gender performativity, and socio-cultural theories of power. Special attention is given to the character of Queen Lieng makaw, whose position reflects emotional isolation, restricted agency, and the burden of social expectations. The article argues that Nongkynrih reconstructs inherited folklore not merely as cultural memory but as a critique of patriarchal elements embedded within Khasi social institutions. The study contributes to literary discussions on gender in Khasi literature by demonstrating how modern Khasi texts engage with indigenous traditions while interrogating issues of power, identity, and women’s lived realities.