Artikel
From the Land of ‘Half–Humans’ and ‘Nameless Citizens’
13 april 2006
TIS: Thank you for the kind words, Dr. Nongkynrih. I didn’t have a happy childhood and adolescence. It was a life of problems and hardships — my family was never free from financial problems. I suffered a lot and always felt like I was walking in a dark tunnel of mental turmoil. The readers will find this phase of my life reflected in my early poems. My career as a poet began at the age of fourteen. You can say that my achievement in the field of writing is the result of 43 long years of hard struggle.
KSN: What are the sources of your inspiration? What are the themes that recur most in your poetry?
TIS: The socio-political problems of Manipur form the major source of my inspiration. I’m always caught up in this issue. Naturally the misery and hardship of the common people, caused by the rotten system, corruption in all sections of the society and the government; the evil nature of man and the resulting moral bankruptcy; insurgency and its repercussions; ethnic crises and the consequent killings; fanaticism and terrorism are some of the major themes of my poetry.
I also write on nature and death. But you won’t find any religious elements or influence in these poems. You see, I don’t believe in God or in any form of religion.
KSN: Since you have won the Sahitya Akademi Award for your contribution towards Manipuri literature, can you tell us more about the Manipuris and their literature?
TIS: The Manipuris have a rich cultural heritage going back to time immemorial, and with it, a long tradition of ancient literature. But the growth and development of modern Manipuri literature is a fairly recent phenomenon; it is only about eighty years old, so it cannot be on a par with the literature of other advanced states of India.
KSN: As a discerning reader and critic, what do you think of contemporary Indian poetry?
TIS: I haven’t read all the contemporary Indian poetry. But some of the poems I did read have had a deep influence on me. Besides helping me broaden my range of experience, they have been a tremendous source of inspiration for my art and creativity.
KSN: Questions have been asked about poetry: “What is it good for?” As a man who has devoted his entire life to poetry, what do you think of its role in modern society?
TIS: In my view, poetry is an art like any other art form — sculpture, painting, dance, music, and so on. Just like the others, poetry also has a functional value in contemporary society; besides this, I don’t believe it has any bigger role to play.
January, 2006, previously unpublished.
Leading Manipuri poet Thangjam Ibopishak Singh seems to be a man of few words. But in this brief conversation with Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih, the reticent poet offers a few glimpses into his early years and his sources of inspiration.
KSN: Thangjam, your poetry is well-admired in the Northeast and the countryside, but you are truly, to use the words of Shelley, “a poet hidden/ In the light of thought”. Can you tell us a little about your life, career, and achievements as a poet?TIS: Thank you for the kind words, Dr. Nongkynrih. I didn’t have a happy childhood and adolescence. It was a life of problems and hardships — my family was never free from financial problems. I suffered a lot and always felt like I was walking in a dark tunnel of mental turmoil. The readers will find this phase of my life reflected in my early poems. My career as a poet began at the age of fourteen. You can say that my achievement in the field of writing is the result of 43 long years of hard struggle.
KSN: What are the sources of your inspiration? What are the themes that recur most in your poetry?
TIS: The socio-political problems of Manipur form the major source of my inspiration. I’m always caught up in this issue. Naturally the misery and hardship of the common people, caused by the rotten system, corruption in all sections of the society and the government; the evil nature of man and the resulting moral bankruptcy; insurgency and its repercussions; ethnic crises and the consequent killings; fanaticism and terrorism are some of the major themes of my poetry.
I also write on nature and death. But you won’t find any religious elements or influence in these poems. You see, I don’t believe in God or in any form of religion.
KSN: Since you have won the Sahitya Akademi Award for your contribution towards Manipuri literature, can you tell us more about the Manipuris and their literature?
TIS: The Manipuris have a rich cultural heritage going back to time immemorial, and with it, a long tradition of ancient literature. But the growth and development of modern Manipuri literature is a fairly recent phenomenon; it is only about eighty years old, so it cannot be on a par with the literature of other advanced states of India.
KSN: As a discerning reader and critic, what do you think of contemporary Indian poetry?
TIS: I haven’t read all the contemporary Indian poetry. But some of the poems I did read have had a deep influence on me. Besides helping me broaden my range of experience, they have been a tremendous source of inspiration for my art and creativity.
KSN: Questions have been asked about poetry: “What is it good for?” As a man who has devoted his entire life to poetry, what do you think of its role in modern society?
TIS: In my view, poetry is an art like any other art form — sculpture, painting, dance, music, and so on. Just like the others, poetry also has a functional value in contemporary society; besides this, I don’t believe it has any bigger role to play.
January, 2006, previously unpublished.
© Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih
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