Writers must revolt through their literary works: Sanjit Mahanta

A Correspondent

PATHSALA: “Writers must revolt through their literary works and the present turmoil in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act calls for a genre of literary works similar to proletarian novel,” said writer, poet, and dramatist Sanjit Mahanta who is known in the world of Assamese literature by his pen name ‘Alex Di Figo’. He has penned no less than 25 books on drama, biography, poetry and short story.

In an interview with The Sentinel, he said, “In the ongoing protest over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, both emotion and rationale have been fused together as the Act goes beyond redefining citizenship on religious lines and poses a threat to the identity of ethnic indigenous communities that make the Assamese nationality.”

He said, “We have a distinct identity and we cannot put it at stake and shatter the foundation of the Assamese legacy tracing back to the days of Ahom commander Lachit Borphukan who fought the mighty Mughals and chased them back from this land. But this revolt is different as it is internal aggression. The writers should take a positive role by penning down their thoughts and feelings in a rationalistic manner. The Assamese are warriors who have always been indomitable and spirited as the issues of immigration, land, and identity have been core issues plaguing the Assamese indigenous populace and history will remember us as the jati-mati lovers. The history in the past was tampered and selectively noted but the history of the present will remain as true, unfettered and untampered.”

Lamenting the decline in readership and lack of taste for novels and other genres of literature among the young generation, he said, “Everyone is glued to the screens of their gizmos busy in their virtual world, but we need to give a spiritual ambiance to our body and mind and for that only books can only be the ultimate source. The young generation must be accountable to their family, society, and language and must keep the literature alive.”

He also ruled that the writers in Assam could not sustain and live by writing alone as the government had not formulated any genuine policy for the welfare of litterateurs. Regarding the Bhasa Gaurav scheme where the Assam Government would provide a one-time grant of Rs 50,000 to 1,000 new writers, he questioned, “Will this be sufficient? What are the eligibility criteria? There are high chances of nepotism. Writers are always independent persons and enlightening the people from the realms of darkness is the only politics of the writers,” he said.

Some of the widely acclaimed works of the writer include The biography of Achyut Lahkar-the pioneer of Mobile Theatre in Assam, Dramatics: Theory of Relativity and Tapan Das, Love and Street (poetry) and Love’s Tragic End Marilyn Monroe.

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