K Radhakumar's short stories book - 'Aa ! Thamoi Lakanungdagi'

Salam Rupachandra Singh *

A retired IAS officer doesn't sit idle but hurries up to publish book containing stories which were written long back as well as newly added ones. Why not ! He will write and let the books one after another to see lights of the days as transpired from his expressions. It is also to follow the footsteps of his father Kangjam Padmakumar who had once contributed fairly large to the Manipuri literature.

His untiring march, one can see, from his endeavours to pay tributes to his late father by organising lectures/seminars on his works & deeds and dramatizing some selected pieces of the departed soul. The duty owed towards a father in human society as a son, he tries to discharge at his best as a worthy son. The unseen soul shall shower blessings to this writer, as it is the belief in Manipuri Hindu society.

He will write, act and participate in the current Manipuri literary activities because of his commitments and also will be definitely able to do the same as he is a post graduate in English Literature with a gold medal to boot. The vocabulary, literary diction will fill up the vaccum of literary scholars &critics. It is greatly expected so !

Radhakumar dissects human life into pieces and carries himself to a stage to feel the meaning and mystery of life in this world in his short story entitled 'Thongnaodei Uba'. He questions the aesthetics of life. The story line evolves around the married life of a literate and understanding couple experiencing the bliss of newly wedded life, the unlimited sensation of joyous expression when the wife, for the first time, comes to know being pregnant as a woman and also that of the husband etc. etc.

Such story is followed by another story called 'Numit Tadringei. 'The expression is in the shape of sowing seed on the mother earth to get germination of a plant comparing to human being to get a baby which is the essence of progenation in the society. His style touches the literary fervor as he inserts, as a mature craftsman, the picture of the sky, the sounds of chirping birds, the flowers that bloom in the garden and the role of wind, as an ardent observer of nature.

He sets the story with the example of a supporting life partner of a writer. Generally a writer is hardly appreciated or given sides by opposite sex by one reason or the other but here, he bases on the beauty of supporting hand of the life partner.

Here also he queries the mystery of life. A child was born, reared up cautiously but destined to be nipped in the bud, the wife wished the ending of the story to be changed and insisted to change, the husband refused it, clinging to his own conscience of the plot of the story that life is just like a joke. Ultimately, the short story is titled by the wife as 'Before Darkness' may be, it may go in English rendering, if to be.

The author sketches another aspect of Manipuri Hindu Vaishnavites, their faith and belief of throwing ashes of dear family members after death in the holy water of the Ganges. Here, he assesses and analyses one's beliefs and practices in chanting of the so termed 'Solahanaam' i.e., 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Har eHare, Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare'.

He enquires into it and gets the answer of it too in its positive node. It is our past ancestors or the others' trites to get the opportunity of pilgrimage, peace of mind and satisfaction of soul when one leaves this world turning soul less from living entity. A picturesque travel experience encompasses the story of the place, people and mission.

The writer tends to adjust his personal life in the story titled, 'Ahaangbagi Mami' ! He uses a canvass to draw on the philosophy, 'if one comes in this world, one has to go'. However, the human feeling of emptiness on the loss of life of a family member or members, though it may differ from person to person, always is there, it is there, the writer assures in this story.

How one will feel at the loss of one's beloved mother who gives birth, cares and nurtures, likewise of father or grandparents etc. he tries to bring forth with literary lines.

Radhakumar travels to a world of a story where fate of human being in life, pausing a question mark, how one's destiny is written. In his short story 'Imagi Khuyakhada' he attempts a style seemingly to fuse reality and fiction.

A childhood friend, the childhood/boyhood time having the instinct of love but not of the romance, parted away in his or her own way by space of time, one got prospered and well to do and another reduced to destitute and ill fated life, but met suddenly one day unbelievably, flashbacks emerging to them of the events of bygone days. It really happens at times in life and as such he builds up this story in such a context.

'Aa ! Thamoi Lakanungdagi' by Kangjam Radhakumar is a book with forty short stories on the themes of philosophy & logic of human life and various others with skilful craftsmanship of dialogues of attack and retaliation in Manipuri traditional diction of proverbial patterns & usage.

Short lines, poetic in form and complicated as riddles are part of it. The scholastic and authentic approach of the writer, even, one may see from the preface of the book. It too contains the unique elements of journey of literary history, blend of diction, comparative approach etc. How he comes, sees and conquers in doing so shall not go unnoticed.