Writer B Jayantakumar Sharma no more

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL April 9: Bachaspatimayum Jayantakumar Sharma who needs no introduction expired on Thursday. With his death a void was created in Manipur and it will be no easy thing to fill it up. Born on January 14, 1935 he had graduated in 1958 from the Gauhati university.

He had started his career as the assistant teacher in CC High school in 1957. However he joined the All India Radio, Guwahati as a staff artiste on July 9, 1961 where he stayed for a long time. He was sent to the AIR Imphal as a programme producer in 1972. He joined the AIR Kohima as the assistant director in 1989 where he retired on August 31, 1991.

He had been a writer, jourlist and lyricist all along.  He had written 26 All India Radio features, 5 radio plays, 1300 songs many of which were immortalized in ten films. Besides he had written several articles on music and doing running commentary on Rath Yatra. He was associated with the Film Forum as a juror  and resource person  of the SCERT and was the exterl examiner of Manipur university in art and culture subjects.

During his life time he had written and published 15 books. Because of his prolific activities it was not surprising that he had bagged various awards totaling 19. He was also the founder member of four musical organisations and a literary group. He had been the president of the cultural forum, Sangeet Mandal, AMMIK, all Manipur music association and Manipur Sahitya Parishad. He was also a life member of several literary, cultural organisations. He was also a regular contributor of Hueiyen Lanpao (Manipuri edition) for a long time.