This paper will examine how historicality and locationality are major elements in the poetic works of Mamang Dai and Eunice de Souza with a comparative approach towards their understanding. Both authors address the importance of historizing, the state of Being, revisionist history, and traditional knowledge system to form a true historical understanding of their time and space, which is being marginalised. The research relies on Heidegger’s theory of Being and Time, Ranajit Guha’s views on historicality and Tagore’s view of Bharatvashi. These concepts bring a connection between the identity markers of a community, an individual and poetry as a witness within the society.

The study emphasises the way the works of Dai believe in the historical existence of human beings and locate the spaces and places within the parameters of memory, nostalgia and spirituality. Her works deal with alternative models of history, cultural memory and the problem of becoming geographically marginal. She brings to the centre the spiritualizing past of her community through repeated invocation and calls this recognition just the beginning. On the other hand, De Souza’s works are historical but with a realisation of the nuances and are less nostalgic. She is more focused towards inclusive aspects rather than becoming liminal in terms of her Being.

Although they belong to different settings, as Dai is from the Northeast, the marginal and de Souza is from Goa, the mainland, they both perform and explore the idea that literature is a true witness of history at collective and individual levels. It can be the voice of both the marginal and the mainland group of people who are heterogeneous in nature. Every community depends upon the homogeneous performativity, and there the rituals get mythified with time, and this paper explores how the works of these two writers are trying to bring a pattern, a pattern which would help bring alternative identity and recognition through historicality and locationality.