Aizawl: Mizoram, a late starter in written literature, had its first novel completed in 1936.
During these seventy years, 363 novels have been published in Mizo language, an average of five novels a year.
Of the 363 novels, 37 have been authored by C Laizawna, author of two Mizo Academy of Letters’ books of the year–Hmangaihzuali and Anita. While another author Lalengmawia Ralte wrote 17 novels, James Dokhuma, author of one of the widest-read novels Thlahleinga Zan, had 11 novels to his credits.
”Though L Biakliana (1918-1941) completed Mizos’ first novel Hawilopari in 1936, it was published posthumously only in 1983, due to financial constraint and lack of printing press during his days,” said Zoramdinthara, a research scholar in Mizoram University’s Mizo department, in his paper ‘The first Mizo novel Hawilopari: A critical analysis’ presented at the three-day national seminar on Mizo novels, at Aijal Club here today.
The first novel was published with a short story Lali, by the same author written in 1937.
The seminar-cum-workshop, inaugurated by Governor Vakkom Purushothaman Wednesday, commemorates the 70th anniversary of the first Mizo novel.
According to a handbook published on the occasion of the platinum jubilee of Mizo novella, a spurt in Mizo novels came with the new millennium.
Nearly half of Mizo novels published during the last seventy years came out during the last decade. As many as 165 novels were published during 2000 to 2011. This year, 11 novels have so far hit the book stores. The years 2010 and 2008 recorded the highest number of works of fiction with 21 novels each published. Biakliana, though he penned only two fictions, a novel and a short story, was regarded as ‘Father of Mizo novel.’ He and three other contemporaries–Kaphleia (1910-1940), Lalzuithanga (1916-1950), and C Thuamluaia (1922-1959), were named pioneers of Mizo novel. Kaphleia wrote only one novel, Chhingpuii, a historical fiction in 1939. Lalzuithanga authored two novels Thlahrang and Phira Leh Ngurthanpari during the same, C Thuamluaia was famous for his Sialton Official, a short story.
Governor Purusho-thaman, who inaugurated the seminar, felt a strong need for translating Mizo literature into English. ”If good books (of Mizo) are not translated into English or Hindi, how could Mizos be known in the larger academic world,” he said. The governor said this in the presence of Prof Kedutso Kapfo, director of Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, that sponsored the seminar. (UNI)