By Daiaphira Kharsati
SHILLONG: Kailash Bhattacharyya nurtured a dream to translate Soso Tham’s Ka Duitara Ksiar (The Golden Duitara) into Assamese ever since he was a student of Class VII and this year his translated work, Sonalee Duitara, was released at Cotton College University, Guwahati.
Bhattacharyya is the head of Biochemistry Department of Gauhati Medical College and Visiting Professor of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).
Speaking to The Shillong Times over the phone, he recalled a lecture of late Bhupen Hazarika who appreciated Ka Duitara Ksiar.
“In one of his lectures, he once spoke about Ka Duitara Ksiar. I still remember Bhupen Hazarika and I dreamt of translating the work. That was my dream ever since I was a student of Class VII,” he said on the eve of Soso Tham’s 78th death anniversary on Tuesday.
And this year his dream was fulfilled when he translated the English version of Madeline Tham’s The Golden Duitara to Assamese and told this reporter, “Where there is a way there is a way.”
“In my childhood, I loved literature… science has got some limitations. On the other hand, art and literature have no limitations, it can break all boundaries,” Bhattacharyya said.
According to him, literature unites people.
He was all praise for Soso Tham, naming him as one of his favourite poets and found his feelings and emotions expressed in his poems “wonderful”.
“He had so much love for his culture that I completely merged with his feelings. Soso Tham is a role model to love and uplift our culture and heritage, ” he said.
During his translation work, Bhattacharyya got acquainted with Khasi names of flowers, plants and trees and said, “I also know a little bit about Khasi culture and I read books on Khasi literature and read the English-Khasi dictionary.”
He said there was no difficulty in translation because there were cultural similarities in Assam and Khasi Hills.
Hungry for more translations, he will not stop at Ka Duitara Ksiar, and will next translate The Ancient Days of Seven Huts (Ki Sngi Barim u Hynniewtrep).
“With blessings and good wishes, I have already started working on it,” he said.
Bhattacharyya said the response to the book in Assam is good.
Meanwhile, in her tribute to Soso Tham, Janet Moore, who translated Ki Sngi Barim U Hynñiewtrep to English, said “it is the story of a culture told through poetry”.
Moore’s English translation was also released in Cambridge, United Kingdom, this year.
Currently in Cambridge, she told this reporter over phone that she worked on the translation during weekends.
“(Soso) Tham reminds us of the harmony underlying all life because all living creatures are connected,” she said.
Her father told her to translate Soso Tham’s works in English. “The response to the book was very appreciative. My friends were enthusiastic,” she said.
The president of Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS), DRL Nonglait, maintained that till date the recognition to Soso Tham has been confined to declaration of a state holiday on his death anniversary and felt the state government could institute an award in his name too.
“Declaring a state holiday is not enough. The state government through the Arts and Culture Department should invest a certain amount of money to give the Soso Tham award annually to those who contribute meaningfully and significantly to poetry writing and translations,” he said.
Asked to comment about the current generation’s knowledge about Soso Tham, Nonglait was of the view that people should not learn western theories blindly.
“On my part, I like to adopt a dual approach; learning world theories is important without undermining or ignoring the talents, virtues and values of our tradition,” he added.
According to him, it is important for Khasi writers to write both in English and Khasi to ensure the culture and tradition of the Khasis will be known to others.
“It should not only be the best locally, but the best globally,” he said.