Siliguri, 14 June
When the fleeting Sunday afternoon storm and sudden rainfall was over, a large number of brainstorming hungry book-lovers, intellectuals, researchers, arriving from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Nagri, and Siliguri gathered curiously in the auditorium of Pragya Bhawan, Salbari, to witness an animated panel discussion on ‘Gorkhaland Diaries’, a bestseller English novel, organized by Buk Ant, a publication cum distribution organization having its office at Salbari, on June 12.
‘Currently, lots of non-fictions on Gorkhaland are being published, but who reads? We have to tell our stories in our own way. We have started telling our stories to the world. I appeal the 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 Dr. Satyadeep S Chettri, the author of ‘Gorkhaland Diaries’, probably the first-ever authentic English fiction based on Gorkhaland movement of 1980s led by Subash Ghising.
Responding to the question ‘As the statement – Darjeeling as a town with short term memory loss – appears frequently in your novel, how would your story be listened and remembered by a place with short term memory loss?’ posed by the moderator, he further asserted, ‘I could have written a non- fiction on this very theme but why I choose to write a work of fiction is because sometimes facts becomes too boring and monotonous for certain section of readers. I want 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.’
The veteran intellectual-politician Dr Harkabahadur Chhetri, Kalimpong; legendary Historian-medical practitioner Dr Sonam B Wangyal, Siliguri, and the author himself expressed their intriguing opinions on the book in the panel discussion smartly moderated by the noted young poet-photographer-artist and Assistant Professor, South Feild 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 moderator, Dr. Harkabahadur 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.’
Whether there is a fine line between writing history book and a literary book whether it is novel or a fiction based on history, eminent historian Dr. Sonam B. 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,’ although, he added, ‘Historical accounts gives 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 the English authors in a joint platform, Suraj Gurung, Director, Buk Ant, 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 plains of Siliguri including 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, published by Buk Ant, was released amid the event. Assistant Professor Dr. Anirudra 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 legend IB Rai, directed by Phurba Lama, was also screened in the event.
Rohan Chhetri, poet-researcher-translator currently based at USA, and the author of ‘Lost, Hurt, or in Transit Beautiful’, winner of the Kundiman Poetry Prize, was the honorary guest of the event, whereas, the event was witnessed by the distinguished personalities Parbat Portel (Bureau Chief – Kantipur), Dr. Mohan P. Dahal, Bhawilal Lamichhane, Dr. Rajkumari Dahal, Udhayan Rai, Mahesh Pradhan, Naina Singh Yonjan, Manoj Giri, Srijana Subba, Anuradha Sharma, Ashutosh Singh, Jit Bahdur Sunar, Phurba Lama, Rahul Sambhavi Sinha, Ruben Gurung, Pradip Sherpa, Chepal Sherpa, Suman Tolangi, Anupa Bhandari, among others.