Another feather in metric mentor’s cap

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 7: Ageing and ailing metric mentor (chhondo guru) with ageless contribution in different genres of literature Brojendra Kumar Sinha has hit headlines, yet again. The first Dhirchandra Smriti Padak from Bangladesh is the latest feather in his cap.

The Dhirchandra Smriti Padak, 2017 was presented to the octogerian poet, in absentia, at a function in Bangladesh on March 5, 2017. Dr. Krishdas Shashtri received the award on behalf of the poet. Writer Dhirchandra was the first Bishnupriya Manipuri translator of the Bhagwat Geeta.

Settled at Hailakandi, a sleepy town in Barak Valley in South Assam, poet Sinha created an oeuvre each in Bishnupriya Manipuri and Bengali literatures. His Bengali work Bhikhari Baloker Gan is fragrant with the scent from the soil of Hailakandi and the water of Dholeshwori (a tributary) that skes its way to the Barak through the district, so are his around forty Bishnupriya Manipuri works that have put the literature of the community on a sound footing. His is a revered me among the literati, especially for the magic and music that the diction of his poetries is enriched with. His Bishnupriya Manipuri poetries have been translated into Assamese, Bengali and English. The translation works of this poet like Oedipus of Sophocles, Meghdoot of Kalidas, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Anubad Kolpo etc., do add much to his priceless contribution to Bishnupriya Manipuri literature.     

On the 79th birthday of poet Sinha celebrated by Soptashwo on February 12, 2016 at Hailakandi, noted poet-jourlist Atin Das was on record saying that ‘Brojendro Kumar Sinha is a born poet’…The veteran jourlist regretted: “Poet Sinha is writing even at this age, but there’s no recognition from the government.” (Masik Shadwol, Magh edition, February 12, 2016.)

Noted short story writer and Tezpur University’s Prof. Smriti Kumar Sinha said: “Brojendra Kumar Sinha is no longer the me of a person. It’s the me of an institution…He’s the Rabindrath Tagore in Bishnupriya Manipuri literature. He’s one amongst the greatest Bishnupriya Manipuri litterateurs who, with the infusion of elixir of life, have made their once-moribund language thrive.” (Masik Shadwol, Magh edition, February 12, 2016.)

Noted poet Champalal Sinha, on the other hand, said: “Modern poetry in Bishnupriya Manipuri literature dates back to Dhononjoy Rajkumar.” Dhononjoy Rajkumar is the pen me of poet Brojendra Kumar Sinha.                         

Poet Brojendra Kumar Sinha has received around 36 such felicitations from as many organizations. Some of them  are – from the Nikhil Bharat Bongosahitya Sanmelan, Guwahati in 1975; Bhasha Shwahid Smarok, Silchar in 2011; Jugashankha Puraskar, Silchar in 2012; Bishnupriya Manipuri Writers’ Forum, Guwahati in 2012; Syed Mujtoba Ali Smoron Sahitya Utsav organized by Barak Upatyaka Bongosahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan in 2014; Anurupa Bishwas Smriti Sammano organized by Barak Upatyaka Bongosahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan in 2015; Bishnupriya Manipuri Sahitya Sanskriti Academy, Agartala in 2008; Life-long Achievement Award from Pouri, Bangladesh; an award from Manipuri Theatre, Bangladesh; an award from Manipuri Yuva Kalyan Samiti, Bangladesh and one from Soptashwo, Hailakandi.

Talking to this writer over telephone from Hailakandi, the poet said: “It’s my aching waist that’s out to hold me back from writing.”