Manipur Novelist Maisnamba gets Sahitya Akademi award

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Twenty-four eminent writers were conferred upon the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2007 for their contribution to literature by newly-elected president of the Akademi and noted Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay last evening here.

Veteran Manipuri novelist B M Maisnamba was among the writers who received the award for his Manipuri novel 'Imasi Nurabee' (Royal Virgin Mother). The citation for the award said ''It is a novel written in a genuinely new style and is based on Freudian psychology. The novel centres around the Manipuri Laiharaoba culture against the back ground of the royal family.'' In the writers' meet held yesterday at the Sahitya Akademi Auditorium here, Mr Maisnamba said, ''Songs and poetry are my heart and soul, and novel is my life.'' ''In my writings and expression, some experiments were made to give a new taste to readers with the use of prosaic-poetry or magic of words. It is not creative art unless the presentation is readable with taste,'' he said.

About his award-winning novel- Imasi Nurabee, Mr Maisnamba stated that it was based on the lives of Bengali and Meitei communities inhabiting together in Bangladesh. The Bay of Bengal and its surrounding areas from Chittagong hill tracks to Digha beach of West Bengal up to the Wheeler island of Utkal Desh (now called Orissa) were the location of the novel.

Narrating his keen interest in studying the ancient Puyas (old texts) of Manipur and its history, he said, ''With the historical re-creation of some events and stories, I wrote some novels on contemporary theme. My latest novel- Ningthem Nubee (Woman in the Palace) was one of such type.'' Lamenting the less number of women awardees, Mr Gangopadhyay said, ''I always feel that there are much less number of women awardees'', adding that from next year ''We will research more on lady writers.'' UNI BKS BDP KN1658