Guwahati: In a remarkable feat of literary translation, a book on the life of Lachit Barphukan, the legendary Ahom general, will soon be available in 23 languages of India.
This ambitious project, spearheaded by the Assam Publication Board, aims to bring the valor and legacy of Lachit Barphukan to a wider audience across the country.
The original book, “Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan,” is written by renowned Indian English author Arup Kumar Dutta.
Recognizing the significance of Lachit Barphukan’s contributions to Indian history, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma envisioned translating the book into multiple languages to ensure its reach extends beyond Assam‘s borders.
The Assam Publication Board swiftly set into motion the translation process, enlisting a team of translators and editors from across India. Each translator, well-versed in their respective languages, meticulously crafted the translations, capturing the essence of the original text while ensuring linguistic accuracy.
The book’s translation into 23 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Oriya, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Konkani, Marathi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Urdu, Maithili, Dogri, Chaotali, Manipuri, Bodo, Nepali, Hindi, and Sanskrit, marks a groundbreaking achievement in Indian literature.
“All the translators have already completed the translation and submitted the manuscripts to the Assam Publications Board and editing of the manuscripts submitted by the translators has also been completed,” said Publications Board secretary Pramod Kalita.
Aparajita Pujari, an award-winning film critic of Assam, meticulously supervised the translation project, ensuring the highest standards of quality and consistency. Her dedication and leadership were instrumental in bringing this literary endeavor to fruition.
“It is an honour to serve as the project in-charge of Braveheart Lachit Barphukan,” said Aparajita Pujari, the project in -charge cum coordinator.
“Undoubtedly, the task was quite challenging. However, because of my incredibly diligent team—consisting of 26 translators, 23 editors, and 2 technicians—we have reached the final phase of the work. I am happy to share with you that this will probably be the first literary endeavour in India to incorporate the greatest number of regional languages,” she said.