By Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Kolkata : Award-winning author Y.D Thongchi’s mother tongue is Monpa, a local dialect of Arunachal Pradesh, but the soft-spoken bureaucrat-author has invariably preferred to pen his thoughts in Assamese.
And, after winning the coveted Sahitya Akademi award in 2005 for his critically acclaimed Assamese novel “Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday” (Silent Lips, Talking Heart), Thongchi is back with what he does best.
The 56-year-old best-selling author recently unveiled two of his latest novels, “Biskanyar Dehat” and “Mising”, written in Assamese. The books detail the traditional myths and beliefs of the people of the hill state of Arunachal Pradesh.
“I am happy that I have unveiled two of my books back-to-back. Both the novels trace the age-old beliefs and traditions embedded among the Arunachalee people but are written in Assamese,” Thongchi, the tourism and culture secretary of the picturesque state, told IANS on phone from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar.
Asked why he chose Assamese as the language to communicate with his readers, the author said: “I love the language and have grown up learning its nuances.”
“Although almost 80 ethnic groups of the state speak around 50 different local dialects, yet they have no script of their own. Assamese, along with Hindi and English, are the most commonly used languages in the state.
“Moreover, during my school days, Assamese was taught as the main subject in our curriculum,” Thongchi added.
During his school days Thongchi not only perfected the language but also became a voracious reader of Assamese literature.
“Assamese fictional works hugely shaped my imagination and creativity. Perhaps that is why I find myself comfortable writing in the language. Moreover, influence of the neighbouring state is quite huge in the day-to-day life of the people of Arunachal Pradesh,” the author said.
A Monpa Buddhist from Bomdila in West Kameng district, Thongchi, has written seven critically acclaimed novels and two anthologies of short stories based on the simple lives of various tribes inhabiting Arunachal Pradesh, during his three-decade long writing career.
“The life and people of Arunachal are quite unique. In all my works, I attempt to portray that flavour about the state that has still not been popularised in any art forms,” he said.
“Through my novels, I am trying to reach out to my readers and tell them stories about my native state,” Thongchi added.
After the late Lummer Dai, a popular Arunachalee novelist, Thongchi is the only non-Assamese author in northeastern India who writes in Assamese.