Lienson P Gangte : A tribute to a writer

Mangkhuo Gangte *

'Whom the gods love, die young' was said of yore,
..... And since the silent shore
Awaits at last even those whom longest miss
The old archer's shafts, perhaps the early grave,
Which men weep over, may be meant to save.
(Canto IV)

His writings neither shook the world nor earned him accolades; but he is known, if not revered by younger generation, for his satirical, witticism, innuendos and more importantly his mastery in usage of the languages he had chosen to use. November 23, 2013 marked the eighth death anniversary of a revered tribal writer, Lienson P Gangte, who swayed the hearts of his readers with magical, concise and witty words during his short life-span.

Although born a Gangte, his writings were not restricted to the particular tribe. He has large command of readership among other tribes like Mizo. As such, his popularity as a writer and a columnist reached the tribal belt of Mizoram and Manipur and attained its zenith during the nineties.

Born at Chiengkonpang in Churachandpur on February 23, 1967, Lienson Gangte, the eldest among the four children of T Lunkhohen is renowned for his multifaceted characters; he was an embodiment of a musician and a writer. An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker, he never lost his penchant for conveying his hearts through his writings. He devoted most of his time reading and writing.

His magnum opus was an encyclopedia of strange facts titled Thilmak Lakkhawm published in 1990. His works were published in several tribal papers and magazines in Manipur and Mizoram like Sikni Eng, Chhantu, Chhemdamthli, The Aizawl Post, Bunglawn Tutha, Visitor, Zingsawl. Strictly adhering to the principle that simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance, his ability to write with simplicity, lucidity and conciseness has made him one of the Gangte literary stalwarts.

Although he established himself as an acclaimed tribal writer, Lienson had fallen prey to drug addiction. For this reason he felt outcast more so during the last few years before he became a victim of substance abuse. His health deteriorated since early 2005 and finally left for his eternal abode on November 23, 2005.

However, his natural talent refused to let him fall to the ground. His storehouse of knowledge and his bank of vocabularies coupled with his presence of mind would come to his rescue when pushed to the corner due to his low social standing as a tripper.

Although not an expert in any given field, he could write on any topic under the sun ranging from the life of penguin in the Antarctic to International politics to lampooning persons he chose to, but with the magical spell to grab the attention of the audiences with literary finery. This made him all the more unforgettable and a legend.

Lienson's contribution to the development of Gangte literature (language), of late listed as 'definitely endangered language' by the UNESCO, is immense. The wait is on to fill the void created in Gangte society by his untimely demise.

Like many English writers including Thomas Chatterton, Robert Burns, John Keats, PB Shelley, et al he died young. Yet he will remain with us for ages.

May his tribe increase!
Amen!