SHILLONG: Renowned author and founder member of Seng Biria U Khasi (SBUK), Leslie Hardinge Pde, passed away on Tuesday morning. He was 79.
The funeral will be held on Thursday at Laitumkhrah Catholic cemetery. The funeral ceremony will commence at 2 pm at his residence at Lumsohra in Laitumkhrah.
Pde, who was fondly called Bah Harding, retired as the director of Employment and Craftsman Training, Government of Meghalaya, and has a plethora of literary and artistic works for which he had won several awards.
Among his written and published works are Ki biria u Satar (humour) – six volumes, Ka khun bal ah jah (fiction), Ka Bih (fiction), U Raimon bad ka Dashisha (fiction), Tang maphi khun beieid (fiction), U Moolong (fiction), Yn map? (drama), Kema ka ‘genna’ (Garo-drama), Shi hara ki sawangka (drama), shi dorjon ki skut biria, Birai 2000, Ki lum suhkhun (The hills in labour).
Among his translated works are Ka Mahabharata (The Mahabharata), Ka Ramaiana (the Ramayana), Upanishad (The Upanishads), Bhagavad Gita.
He also wrote a research work, Ka Law Lyngdoh Mawphlang and the English version is The sacred forest of Mawphlang, U lyoh ka byrngut (The mist of the dawn), a fiction.
Some of the fictions and translations are often recommended at NEHU.
Known for his humour, Pde was also a well-known face because people often saw him acting in skits telecast by DDK. The plays include U politishan (A politician), jan shah sam khmut (almost got the nose pierce), U director’s special (the director’s special), ka kular krismas (the promise of Christmas), Ka adultery school (the Adultery school), Ki kam u Besbha (the works of Besbha) where he wrote and acted in 60 episodes.
He wrote and directed two feature films – Ka Umsaw (Flood) and U Tiew Lily Basaw (The red lily). There were three feature films with DDK, three satirical humour plays and street plays on earthquake and disaster management, environmental degradation.
He wrote, produced, directed and acted in several dramas of the SBUK and the Shillong Trendy Society.
Pde was the winner of several awards. He was presented the Decorated Khukri placed inside a glass casket on the 184th birth anniversary of Bhanu Jayanti by the organisers. He was awarded the Star Trophy by Sree Narayan Guru Cultural Centre, Shillong, presented by the Governor.
He was also conferred the appreciation plaque by the Bharati Broadcasting Corporation of India (DDK Shillong) on October 15, 2011, “for immense and invaluable contribution in the field of Teleplay”.
As for Pde’s service in the government, it is informed that he was a member of then Assam Civil Services and also trained in Civil Defence, Administration, Law and Judiciary. He had served in several departments – development, Survey and Settlement, Judiciary, Taxation, Excise and Registration, Revenue, Labour and Employment.
In a condolence message, SBUK expressed the condolence on the sudden demise of Pde, informing that he held the post of treasurer since its inception in 1989 till the time of his death.
“He was the most senior member and a towering figure of SBUK and under his able guidance, SBUK was able to contribute towards many social programmes for the welfare of the common people, especially in rural areas,” a statement from SBUK said.
