A Hundred Years Of Solitude

The life of the Lisus in Arunachal Pradesh

- Rishi Kochhar

A MYTH IN LISU FOLKLORE figures two orphan siblings, Lecha and Secha, who live in a forest with other members of their community. In the face of an imminent flood, a bird perched on a tree tells the two to take shelter in a cave and seal its opening until the flood recedes.

They do this, but when, eventually, they emerge, they realise that the flood has swept away their village and they are the only survivors. Deciding to search for other survivors, they go separate ways, but are left alone until they cross paths again, when they are much older, and eventually marry to continue their race.