To Sunday Shillong,
This is in reference to the article, ‘Tracing Nabon’s Journey’, which was published on March 17. It is good to see such an elaborate writeup on a film made in a local language. However, the article had a major factual mistake that needs immediate rectification. The article mentioned the name of the wife of Thomas Jones, the Welsh missionary who is regarded as the father of Khasi language, as Emma Cattell. The correct name is Anne Jones. This is a historical fact and the writer should have checked before printing wrong information as youngsters reading the article will only learn the wrong name.
Having talked about the mistake, I would also like to thank KJP Synod, the director, the researcher and other members of the cast and crew for taking up the project. There is very little documentation of such historical events, which otherwise might seem inconsequent, and efforts should be made to dig out such facts which have helped our society grow. The research on the subject and the person, Nabon Sawian, should be converted into a book in multiple languages other than Khasi for everyone to know. I am convinced that Sohra has many such anecdotes and some individual, organisation or church should take the responsibility to find those out and document them.
I haven’t been lucky enough to attend one of the shows of Nabon but I wish to watch the film. I would request the KJP Synod to once again organise screenings of the film so that those who missed the first opportunity can watch the movie. The film should also be screened in villages, not as a religious movie but as a historical documentation.
There should be more articles on films made in local languages as the industry here needs immense support from all quarters. Such writeups will encourage more people to not only make quality films in local languages but also draw audience. The government should think seriously about promoting local filmmakers than investing in Bollywood movies.
Thanking you,
Gavin Kharshandy