A two-day Karbi poets’ meet organised by the Sahitya Akademi at Rangsina Sarpo Auditorium, Lorulangso in Diphu, began with well-known writer Premananda Mosahari urging litterateurs and poets to contribute in giving a pride of place to Karbi literature.
Sahitya Akademi Award winner Mosahari who graced the occasion as the guest of honour, said, “The decision of Sahitya Akademi to recognise underdeveloped languages like Karbi is laudable. Greater effort should be put in for languages to be recognised by the greater literary community.”
He suggested that programmes of Sahitya Akademi should also be held at Vothatlangso and Hamren in West Karbi Anglong. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Assam University, Silchar, Subhashis Biswas, asked the Karbi writers and poets “to enrich the outside world about the rich traditions and culture of the Karbis”.
He further stated, “Rabindranath Tagore got the Nobel Prize for Gitanjali which was translated into English by Tagore himself and WB Yeats. The point I am trying to make is that Karbi writers should themselves translate to English their works on the Karbi way of life. They will be able to do justice to the work. For a language to get recognition, translation is a must. Only then will the outside world know how rich the language is.” The first, second and third session were held on Saturday and the fourth and fifth session will be held on Sunday. Academicians and young poets and writers attended the poets’ meet.