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.
