Saturday, Mar 29, 2025 10:00 [IST]
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Eminent litterateur, Padma Shri, a retired professor of Arya Vidyapeeth College, the first Nepali novelist of the NE region Lil Bahadur Chhetry was born on March 1, 1933 at Police Reserve in Guwahati. Prem Bahadur Chhetry and Pabitra Devi were his parents. He did his degree from Cotton College in 1956 and masters from Gauhati University in 1958 in economics. He had joined the Arya Vidyapeeth College as an assistant professor in 1962 and superannuated as a head of the department in 1994.
A versatile writer, Chhetry was well versed in all the genres of literature such short story, novel, drama, essays and poems. Basain was his first novel published in 1957 and has been translated into various languages across the globe. Prof. Dr Michael Hutt, University of London had translated his Basain into English language in 1995. A film was made on the theme and story of his globally acclaimed novel Basain which was nominated for the Oscar award. His other novels are Atripta (1968), Brahmaputra Ko Chew Chaw (1986), PratidhwaniharuBismritika (2004). He was awarded with the Sahitya Akademy award for his Brahmaputra Ko Chew Chaw in 1987 in Nepali language. His short story collections are ‘Tin Dasak: Bis Abhibyakti’, ‘Lil Bahdur Chhetry Ka Kathaharu’, ‘Chariyeka Biskun’, ‘Kahile Naphukne Gatho’ (edited) etc. His collection of essays include ‘Asam ma Nepali Bhasako Saro Garo’, ‘Purvanchal Bharatiya Nepali Katha Sahitya Ra patra-patrikako Itibritta’, ‘Jhyaure Party Ma lagda’ etc. His published dramas are Dobato, SurkoSuru and Mang.
Lil Bahadur Chhetry, a towering figure of the Assamese and the Gorkha community who was first Gorkha from the entire NE region to receive the Padma Shri award. His distinguished career as a faculty member in economics department at Arya Vidyapeeth College for over three decades speaks volumes about his dedication to the academic upliftment of our state. This iconic legend breathed his last at the age of 93 on March 13 at his Guwahati residence. Today, on the occasion of adhyadhradha, I pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul.
