GUWAHATI:
The Lummer Dai Literary Award, one of the most prestigious awards of the Asam Sahitya Sabha will be conferred on Padma Shri Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, the most prominent Assamese writer from Arunachal Pradesh.
“The award for the year 2021 will be presented at a special function to be organized by the Mangaldai Regional office of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in collaboration with the Mangaldai Zila Sahitya Sabha and Mangaldai Press Club at the District Library auditorium on June 1,” said Jadab Chandra Sarma, principal secretary of Asam Sahitya Sabha.
Sarma said that the award ceremony will be chaired by Dr Kuladhar Saikia, president of Asam Sahitya Sabha, and will be attended by several distinguished writers from the state.
Notably, the award is being given to a prominent Assamese litterateur every two years and has previously been awarded to writers Swarna Bora, Basanta Das, Kencham Kenglang, Dilip Bora, Tilottama Mishra and Rongbong Terang.
Dai, in whose memory the award is initiated, is one of the greatest personalities of Arunachal Pradesh who has left behind his footprints in literary history with his famous and much-applauded literary works in Assamese literature like “Paharor Hile Hile”, “Prithibir Haahi”, “Mon Aru Mon”, “Upor Mohol”, “Kannyar Mullya” etc.
Born in Siiluk village under Mebo circle in East Siang district of Arunachal, Thongchi is one of the pioneers in spreading education in the hitherto educationally backward places of Arunachal, then erstwhile NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency).
Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi has already been crowned with Sahitya Academy award, Bhasa Bharati Award, Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha Literary Award, Su-kapha Award, Assam Valley Literary Award, Acharjya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi Sanman, Bodosa Award, Dr Bhupen Hazarika Sanhati Bota, Rongbong Terang Samanyay Award, Dr Maidul Islam Bora Literary Award, Lakshminath Bezbaruah Literary Award, Phulchand Khandelwal Sanghati Bata Award, Basudev Jalan Award, Bhupen Hazarika National Award etc.
Recognising his contribution in the field, the central government had honoured Thongchi with the Padma Shri award in 2020.
Sarma while appreciating the works of Thongshi, sad that the most acclaimed author has already engraved his golden footprints in the Assamese literary world with his notable creations like “Mauna Uth Mukhar Hriday”, “Sonam, Lingjhik”, “Bih Kanyar deshat”, “Saw Kata Manuh”, “Mishing,Moi Akou Janam Lom”, “Papor Pukhuri”, “Bah Fular Gundh”, “Anya Ekhan Pratiyugita”, “Dhar aru Ananya Galpa”, “Folktales”, “Kameng Simantar Sadhu”, “Sherdukpen Janajatir Itibritya”, “Dhuniya Manuhar Dhuniya Deshat” and with a number of translations works along with other literary creations.