Ukhrul gained a new poet, a new author today with the release of ANGAYUNG, a poetry collection in Tangkhul dialect by a young poet Iknguira L Shimray. The book was released at Phungyo Baptist Church (PBC) today by Rev Zaklei Kaping, Pastor PBC.
Iknguira is a graduate from Delhi University who is now engaged as an educationist in Ukhrul. Aged only 24, she is among the youngest (female) poets (if not the only) to have published an entire poetry collection in Tangkhul dialect. She stressed the importance of young people embracing our own dialect, the richness of our culture. She hopes that her poetry collection would inspire the readers to explore the Tangkhul dialect and learn a new word or two every time they read the poems. Each poem in the book comes with its own glossary, making it easy to understand.
The book release also had a session on the necessity to preserve Tangkhul dialect by Mr Mark Chiphang, a committee of Tangkhul Literature Society. He lamented on the growing disinterest among youth in our own dialect and emphasised on the importance of the dialect, academically and culturally as well. He further urged the young attendees to take more interest in learning Tangkhul dialect which will prove to be fruitful in the near future.
The book will be available at Iwui Book Store (Ukhrul), and Phungyo Baptist Church (Ukhrul).