Dimapur, June 25: A memoir “Brain through the meat grinder” by Kevito Kera was released on Saturday at Hotel Saramati by Dr Rosemary Dzuvichu, professor, Department of English, Nagaland University.
Releasing the book, Dzuvichu called the 43- page book divided into 10 chapters a very important guide for the parents~ a story of so many men, and many Naga youngsters whose decisions in life are made by their parents without their consent.
Asking the parents to not live their own dreams through the lives of the children, she said that mental illness is not a new issue for Nagas, but Nagas are yet to learn how to deal with it and have not realized the need of professional and medical help. She added that while prayers are needed, how the family members of the persons suffering from mental illness behave also matters and there is no shame in seeking medical help.
Describing the book as an easy and emotional read, she asked the author to continue writing and see the published as only the beginning of many other books to come.
Talking about the book and referring to it as a “school boy’s account of the journey of mental issue”, 39-year-old Kera said that it has much significance in his life, and there is no intention of being creative or scholarly in the book but an account of the mental illness as is.
He said that he wrote it not to earn any money but to do his part in representing all those suffering from mental illness and creating awareness and a loving environment for them.
He said that he doesn’t want people to sympathize with those suffering from mental illness but empathize with them, and thanked his family members for being his pillar of support when he was at his lowest.
He also read out excerpts narrating his hallucinations of being attacked and his attempt to commit suicide.
Earlier, in the publishers note, Vishu Rita Krocha, proprietor of PenThrill Publication House mentioned that she had known Kera for over a decade and she would never really have known how he suffered for years if not for this book and it takes immense courage to open up, to talk about personal struggles.
She said that mental health is one of the most pressing issues that we are currently facing in the healthcare industry and many people are living with mental health conditions without getting the care that they need and deserve.
“The fulfilment in publishing this book is that it addresses this very important issue and I reckon it’s even more special because it’s about lived experiences of somebody from our own land, who knows what it’s exactly like to go through something like this,” she said, and added that the book would serve as a reminder to fellow sufferers that they are not alone.
The book, priced at Rs 200, is available at different book stores in Dimapur and Nagaland as well as can be bought online from ilandlo.com.
(Page News Service)
