Padmashri Rong Bong Terang, the scholar is worried these days. He thinks writers are in peril in the troubled north east. “The spectre of violence and killings has numbed the writers and almost dried up the ink of their pens”, he told a literary gathering at the Guwahati Press Club.

The author of popular novel ‘Rangmilir Hanhi’ set to the backdrop of his native Karbi Anglong hills, said “I have personal experience how the violence and killings can affect the creativity in a writer.”

“The nature and the people have been eternal sources of inspiration for writers all over the world to create literature worth the name. Every component of the nature like the land, sky, water, variety in people’s lifestyles and practices inspires me to write, but today finding myself amid a blood splattered phase in the history when men are taking up the gun to kill his fellow men I am devastated and the pen has gone almost dry. It might have happened to many others writers in the State.” Terang, who received the coveted Padmashri in 1989, said litterateurs belonging to tribal communities in the state must continue to write in Assamese while simultaneously striving for development their respective tribal literature.

 “If Assamese literature is compared to the mighty river Brahmaputra, tribal literature is comparable to its tributaries. Both have distinct courses like the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. However, as tributaries can’t meet the ocean without first merging with the Brahmaputra, tribal literature also can’t reach the mainstream sans judicious assimilation with Assamese literature,” Terang said.

He was at pains to admit that there was very insufficient readership of tribal literature among the different tribes in the State. It may be because of low rate of literacy, but it is hardly inspiring for tribal writers to continue to write new books. “It is a major problem plaguing tribal literature in Assam”..

Turning to militancy, Terang said the tribal youth particularly the educated were restive today because of lack of avenues to earn their livelihood. The situation, he said, has forced them to resort to either ‘party politics’ or militancy. He, however, struck a positive note while saying that the tribal political movements in the State would not hamper the continuous process of building the greater Assamese nation.

“The common man in every tribe in the State has remained above politics and an Assamese to the core. He still converses in Assamese by instinct while having to talk with anybody from outside his own tribe. This is strength of the greater Assamese society. As long as we are in Assam we will be considered Assamese. There is no denying to this fact,” he said.

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