Giving short shrift to our own writers
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 13, 2024 -

IN the long history of human civilisation across the globe, evolution of human societies with well-developed scripts and writing systems is a rarity which not many could boast of.

So, the Manipuri people in the tiny northeastern Indian state of Manipur have every right to take pride in their own unique scripts and literary works, some of which date back to antiquity.

In the light of this fact, it has come as a complete surprise to learn that the Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation, Government of Manipur has not yet presented the coveted Manipur State Award for Literature for the last three years, that is, 2021, 2022 and 2O23 even though names of the recipients had been announced.

When the Directorate announced the names of Dr Irungbam Deven, Maibam Nabakishore Singh and Nahakpam Aruna as the recipients of the Manipur State Award for Literature for the year 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively at different points of time, news reports of the same had been flashed in the media.

As per the announcements made, Dr Irungbam Deven had been chosen for his book "Malangbana Kari Hairi" published in 2017; Maibam Nabakishore Singh for his book "Thamoigi Mari", a collection of short stories published in 2017; and Nahakpam Aruna for her book "Ahingba Upanyas" published in the year 2022.

As there is no dearth of news events in Manipur, most media houses in the state, including our own, went from covering one happening to another and lost complete track of the announcements made by the Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation for conferring the prestigious Manipur State Award for Literature, which is supposed to be presented to the selected writer/author annually.

If not for an article written by Surjitkumar Loitam in Poknapham, a sister publication of The People's Chronicle, we might have remained oblivious to this obvious anomaly in the supposed effort of promoting Manipuri language and literature by encouraging writers by presenting award.

In every announcement made by the Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation for conferring the Manipur State Award for Literature since the very beginning, one thing we have never failed to notice is the emphasis given on reminding the people that the award has been sponsored by the Government of Manipur since 2008 to honour Manipuri writers for their contributions to Manipuri literature.

People in the literary circle may also well remember how the Education (S) Department (before the Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation was created as per a decision adopted by the Manipur Legislative Assembly vide its Resolution No 4 dated 25-09-1996) had arranged a grand function at the Kangla Hall on July 19, 2009 for presentation of the first Manipur State Award for Literature to noted novelist BM Maisnamba.

Much water has flown down the river since then, and the prize money of the highest literary award given by the state government too subsequently increased to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

Now the moot question is, why the Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation has not been able to continue the annual tradition of honouring a selected Manipuri writer for his or her contributions to Manipuri literature for the last three consecutive years, even though names of the recipients recommended by a panel of eminent personalities set up by the government had been announced?

For the sake of argument, one may cite outbreak of the Covid pandemic, conduct of the 18th Lok Sabha elections or even the ethnic violence that has been going in the state since May 3 last year for inability of the Directorate to present the annual literary award.

But these are lame excuses that do not hold water.

When so many big functions of the government are being organised almost every day, why can't a solemn function be arranged for presentation of literary awards for the last three years to the writers whose names have already been announced?

What is stopping the Directorate from doing so?

The Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation, and more particularly, the Government of Manipur, which is sponsoring the Manipur State Award for Literature owes an explanation for giving short shrift to Manipuri writers.