In Arkotong Longkumer's conclusion about Rani Gaidinliu's secret notebooks, the focus lies on the complex interplay between language, culture, and material objects. The notebooks present a unique challenge due to their apparent incomprehensibility, as their contents remain largely unreadable. Despite skepticism from some, including individuals like Mills (Gaidinliu's captor), Longkumer emphasizes that dismissing the notebooks as mere scribbles overlooks their potential value.
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Returning the notebooks to the Heraka community revealed their significance. Instead of viewing them as talismans or lost cultural artifacts, Longkumer suggests considering them as an indigenous language system in their own right. This perspective transforms the interpretation of their importance. Longkumer proposes that comprehending the notebooks requires understanding the diverse modalities of textuality, including the body, writing, songs, dreams, and prophecy, all rooted in human experience and understanding of the world. By recognizing that the notebooks are experienced rather than simply read or understood, fresh interpretative possibilities emerge.
The narratives linked to the notebooks offer another interpretation, one that highlights their role in predicting future events that will lead to the emergence of the Heraka kingdom. The act of returning the notebooks can be seen as an enactment in the "tense of a metaphysical present," wherein past, present, and future converge to shape meaningful narratives. Additionally, the prophecy within the notebooks can be placed within a linear timeframe, from their colonial capture to their present revelation and unknown future.
Longkumer's role in returning the notebooks becomes central to the narrative of the Heraka kingdom's arrival. The power of the notebooks themselves, whether in original or copied form, is evident in the discussions with the Heraka community. These discussions raise questions about the nature of the object being returned—whether it is the physical notebooks, the words, lines, pages, or hidden codes within. Longkumer contemplates that the script's presence in songs may negate the need for the documents themselves, yet bringing back the notebooks evoked positive responses tied to the material presence of the script initiating the kingdom's coming.
The broader implications of material objects and their interactions with the world are also explored. Longkumer references Nicholas Thomas' perspective that material objects are rooted in social relations that extend beyond museum walls. The notebooks, even after their removal by the British administrators, continue to exert agency, mediating the influence of historical figures like Gaidinliu, Jadonang, or Tingwang. Returning the notebooks triggers various reactions among different audiences, reflecting anxiety and celebration. This experience underscores that artifacts and their meanings can extend beyond museum confines through social interactions.
Longkumer's endeavor to return the notebooks evolves into an exploration of the "afterlives" of material artifacts. The act of returning the notebooks is viewed by the Heraka as a step toward the realization of "the kingdom." Longkumer's role in this process is not just about returning an artifact but about bringing the realization of "the kingdom" closer to fulfillment. Ultimately, this encounter holds the power to shape the future, emphasizing the interplay between culture, objects, and the potential to influence outcomes.
Source: Line's that Speak
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