Bridging gap among region's English authors

SNS, SALBARI (SILIGURI), 19 JUNE 2022 : The fleeting Sunday afternoon storm and the sudden monsoon spell gave way to clearer skies. Brainstorming and hungry bibliophiles, intellectuals, researchers poured in with the rain from places as far as Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Nagari, and joined those from Siliguri in the auditorium of Pragya Bhawan at Salbari, around 5 km away from Siliguri town, to witness an animated panel discussion on 'Gorkhaland Diaries', an English novel that has now become a bestseller.

Organised by Buk Ant, a publication-cum-distribution house with its office at Salbari, the event on 12 June titled 'Discourse on Gorkhaland Diaries' was something else, even as noted panelists discussed the book which is based on the experiences of people who witnessed the bloody agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland during the mid 1980s.

"Presently, a lot of non-fiction on Gorkhaland are being published, but who reads them? We have to tell our stories in our own way. We have started telling our stories to the

world. I appeal to writers and translators to translate whatever is being written in Nepali into English so that our stories are read and heard by the world," said panelist Dr Satyadeep S Chettri also the author of 'Gorkhaland Diaries.'

Responding to one question 'As the statement Darjeeling as a town with short term memory loss-appears frequently in your novel, how would your story be listened to and remembered by a place

with such short-term memory loss?' posed by the modorator, Dr Chettri asserted, "I could have written a non-fiction on this very theme, but why I chose to write a work of fiction is because sometimes facts becomes too boring and monotonous for certain section of readers.

I wanted to narrate a story of this part of our history in such a way that even children and school going generation can read and understand it.

For that reason I have tried to make my sentences and phrases very simple and lucid."

Veteran intellectual-politicize in Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri from Kalimpong, Historian medical practitioner Dr Sonam B Wangyal from Siliguri, and the author himself expressed

their intriguing opinions on the book in the panel discussion smartly moderated by noted young poet-photographer- artist and Assistant Professor, South Field College, Darjeeling, Binod Pradhan.

Responding to the question 'How does Gorkhaland Diaries enable us to locate the political and literary culture of Darjeeling?' posed by the moderator, Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri said, "Whatever he has written is very honest. This work is a mark of his sincerity. I could even see my own trait in one particular character. I believe most of us will be able to relate themselves with this novel because this is a story of our lived experiences. I could see the events unfolding in front of me."

On whether there is a fine line between writing a history book and a literary book, or whether the work is a novel or a fiction based on history, Dr Wangyal said, "Novel writing is very much different than writing a history. One has to consider facts and proofs while writing history, while writing a novel does not demand such criteria." He, however, quickly added, "Historical accounts lend authentication to a story. The historical event has been dealt with precision in this book."

Indicating that the event was an effort to bring together all English authors in a joint platform, Suraj Gurung, the Director of BukAnt, clarified the motif behind the event. "Although we already have a good number of English writers from the hills and the plains, we could feel an overt gulf among the authors writing in English from the region of Darjeeling, Sikkim hills and the plains of Siliguri, including the Dooars. We want to start a culture of healthy discussion and debate among these writers so that an environment of mutual growth and support among the English authors can be inculcated for the days to come."

'Misty Mountain: English Authors from Darjeeling' penned by young researcher Royal Khati and published by BukAnt, Was also released amid the event. Assist ant Professor Dr Anindra Gurung presented a cover song of the masterpiece song by maestro Gopal Yonjan. The trailer of the movie 'Jaar', based on the story of the legendary I B Rai, directed by Phurba Lama, was also screened during the event.

Rohan Chhetri, a poet researcher-translator currently based in the USA, and the author of 'Lost, Hurt, or in Transit Beautiful, the winner of the Kundiman Poetry Prize, was the honorary guest at the event.