https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Padma Shri & Arunachal’s 1st Women IAS Mamang Dai to Receive Sahitya Surja Lummer Dai Award on June 1 in Pasighat

Indian Masterminds Stories

Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh: Acclaimed poet, novelist, and journalist Padma Shri Mamang Dai, an EX IAS officer of 1979 batch, will be honoured with the Sahitya Surja Lummer Dai Award on June 1, in a ceremony organized by the Asam Sahitya Sabha to commemorate the 85th birth anniversary of renowned Assamese literary icon Lummer Dai.

The event will take place at Gandhi Secondary School, Tin Ali, Pasighat, where the award will be presented by Asam Sahitya Sabha President Dr. Basanta Kumar Goswami. The award recognises Dai’s profound literary contributions that have enriched the cultural fabric of the Northeast and elevated the voices of its indigenous communities.

“A Symbol of Brotherhood Between Assam and Arunachal”
Announcing the award, Sabha principal secretary Debajit Bora remarked, “The award to Mamang Dai will strengthen the bond of brotherhood between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.”

A Pioneering Literary Voice
Born on February 29, 1957, in Pasighat, East Siang district, Mamang Dai is a member of the Adi tribe. In 1979, she became the first woman from Arunachal Pradesh to be selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) but soon left the service to pursue her passion for writing and journalism.

Over the years, she has written for leading publications like The Telegraph, Hindustan Times, and The Sentinel, while also working with All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra Itanagar. Her journalism often reflects the intersections of politics, identity, and culture in the Northeast.

Awards and Literary Achievements
Dai was conferred the Padma Shri in 2011 and received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2017 for her novel The Black Hill. Her literary portfolio includes a diverse body of work:

  • Novels: The Legends of Pensam, Stupid Cupid, The Black Hill, Escaping the Land
  • Poetry Collections: River Poems, The Balm of Time, Hambreelmai’s Loom, Midsummer Survival Lyrics
  • Non-fiction: Arunachal Pradesh: The Hidden Land, Mountain Harvest: The Food of Arunachal
  • Folklore and Children’s Literature: The Sky Queen, Once Upon a Moontime

Her work is celebrated for its lyrical style, rootedness in indigenous storytelling, and the weaving of personal narrative with collective cultural memory.

Leadership and Conservation Work
Beyond literature, Mamang Dai has played key roles in the cultural and journalistic landscape of Arunachal Pradesh. She has served as-

  • General Secretary, Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society
  • President, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists
  • Member, General Council of the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi

She was also a Programme Officer with WWF, focusing on the Eastern Himalayas Biodiversity Hotspots, underscoring her deep commitment to environmental conservation and indigenous knowledge systems.

Honouring the Legacy of Lummer Dai
The Sahitya Surja Lummer Dai Award, named after one of Arunachal’s most influential literary voices who wrote in Assamese, is conferred annually to recognize outstanding contributions to literature that foster understanding across linguistic and cultural borders.

Dai’s selection, approved during a Sabha meeting chaired by Dr. Basanta Kumar Goswami, is not only a tribute to her distinguished career but also a reaffirmation of the literary and cultural solidarity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Lamchonghoi Sweety (L S) Changsan
Sweety Changsan IAS Takes Charge of Revenue, Tribal Affairs & ASDMA in Assam
chandrachud1
SC Administration Asks Ex-CJI Chandrachud to Vacate Official Bungalow After Deadline Lapses
cji-br-gavai-supreme-court
CJI Changes 64-Year-Old Rule, OBCs to Get Reservation in Supreme Court Recruitment
Screenshot 2025-07-06 092240
Global Firefly Count Begins with India’s Lead: Conservation Policy in the Works - Details Inside
Raj DGP
Rajasthan: New DGP Rajeev Sharma Aims to Make Rajasthan a Model for Policing in India – Know His Future Plans for Policing in State
Leopard Threat on Kanwar Yatra
UP: Leopard Threat Looms Over Kanwar Yatra in Bijnor; Administration Steps Up Vigil with Drones and Patrolling
Ladli Behna Yojana Housing
Ladli Behna Yojana: 1.30 Crore Urban Beneficiaries to Receive Houses Alongside Financial Aid, Announces MP CM Mohan Yadav
Mohan Yadav
Rs 8,682 MSP for Moong: CM Dr Mohan Yadav Requests 40% Procurement Amid Surge in Cultivation
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
IRS Sanjay Bahadur: The Officer With a Pen That Bites | Video Interview
Inderjit Singh Air India
Is Air India Carrying The Burden of Split Before Privatisation?
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS SHWETA BHARTI Bihar
From Wipro to Civil Services: How Bihar's IAS Shweta Bharti Juggled a BPSC Job While Preparing for UPSC
IAS Shweta Bharti, from rural Bihar, balanced a full-time job and UPSC prep with discipline, cracked...
IPS Deepak Meghani
Deepak Meghani, IPS: A Journey of Focus, Failure, and Quiet Discipline
A passionate writer, he has authored several books in Gujarati, ranging from exam strategy guides to...
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Social Media
PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu’s Visit to NADT Turns into a Wholesome Tribute to Legacy—and ‘Moolchandj
The Olympic champion shared nostalgic memories, met aspiring IRS officers, and sparked viral laughter...
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-05 at 18.56
Where a Mine Once Lay, Minds Now Grow, Thanks to An IPS with A Vision
Lamchonghoi Sweety (L S) Changsan
Sweety Changsan IAS Takes Charge of Revenue, Tribal Affairs & ASDMA in Assam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
Inderjit Singh Air India
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT