AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Interview with Dipak Kumar Barkakati, the author of "The Highlanders"

Greetings Sir..

Hope you are doing good. Let me begin the interview.

Can you tell us about yourself?

I am a retired professor of Physics. Before becoming a teacher, I was an inquisitive student. When I became a teacher, I kept the student in me alive. And now, even after retirement, the curiosity of the student remains. I like to share the thoughts, ideas, and experiences that intrigue me. The medium to share is my writing, through which I communicate with my readers.

When did you first start writing?

I started writing at the age of 12. It took another 2 years to get a couple of my pieces published in the children's section of an Assamese magazine. But my first major publication happened in 1965 when I was 17. It was a short story in the Durga Puja edition of Amar Pratinidhi published from Calcutta (present day Kolkata). I was thrilled because my story had found a place among eminent writers of Assam and was edited by music maestro Bhupen Hazarika.

Do you remember what you wrote first?

I do.

It was published in the children's section of an Assamese magazine and was about my experience in a picnic in Karbi Anglong. I met a tribal boy who had made a bamboo cup to help me drink water from a river stream. He let me keep the cup and continued to smile as we departed from the river bank. The title of the story was "The Invisible Thread".

As far as the first major published story is concerned, it was about an elderly man who helped people cross a river on a boat in the midst of heavy fog on winter nights. He talked about the winters of his life. It was named "Agony of the Last Part of the Night".

How did you get interested in writing?

It is difficult for me to answer this question in a few words. Getting interested in writing was a gradual process.

In lower primary school, reciting rhymes thrilled me because of the words and stories in them. I further realized the power of words when I was in the 1st standard. After a class picnic on the bank of a large pond, we were asked to write about our experience. After reading my essay, our teacher asked me to repeat the last sentence of my essay – "Khai bor tripti palu (The food was blissfully satisfying)." The teacher particularly applauded the apt use of the word "tripti" and encouraged the rest of the students to use similar words while writing.

Later, I was inspired by a 19th century poem written in Assamese. It goes like this –

"O pedestrians

Dear brothers on the street

Go slowly

Don't leave me alone

Don't leave me alone in the midst of Maya Bazaar."

When I read these lines, I asked myself – What is Maya Bazaar? Why these painful utterings? All these questions and thoughts were mystic to me, and at the same time, touching and inspiring.

As I grew up, I became interested in writing because of my exposure to translated versions of national and world literature. Quotations like "I think, therefore I am." by René Descartes and the first paragraphs of A Tale of Two Cities and Les Misérables stirred my thoughts.

Who are your favourite authors? Why?

During my school days, I read some of the works of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Kalindi Charan Panigrahi, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Premchand, Rabindra Nath Tagore and many others in Assamese, including the translated books of English, German, French, and Soviet literature. Among my international favourite authors are Milan Kundera, Gabriel García Márquez, and Leo Tolstoy. I like the national authors because they depicted a society that was not different from the society I grew up in. I like the foreign authors because their books expanded the horizon of my imagination enormously.

Tell us about your book, sir.

My book is about Mizo society in transition. Over the last century, the people of Mizoram have undergone many changes. Their clothing, food habits, and even their vocabulary changed. I have tried to depict this transitional stage in the backdrop of the insurgent movement that prevailed for 20 years from 1966-1986, covering the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of the people.

What is the purpose of writing this book?

I have been living in Mizoram since 1976. The people I met in this beautiful state inspired me. After writing this book, I realized that I made the right decision, as some parts of our country are occasionally known for the wrong reasons. The readers will now know about a place called Mizoram where slices of humanity still exist in their original form.

Is this your debut book?

The answer is yes as well as no.

Yes, because it was my debut novel in Assamese, published serially in a magazine from 1990-1992; it was published in the form of a book in 1998. "The Highlanders" is the first English version of this novel.

No, because 6 other novels in Assamese have been published since the Assamese version of this novel first came out.

If no, can you tell us about your previous works?

My first book in English was "Doorway to Science". As I was teaching Physics in Pachhunga University College in Aizawl, I realized that a book of this kind was necessary for children between the ages of 12 and 18.

Is this a fiction or inspired from real life?

The novel is basically a work of fiction, but inspired by true events that happened in Mizoram during the insurgent movement from 1966-1986.

In what all languages is this book available?

Apart from the English version, the book is also available in Assamese as "Diktawn".

Who has been your inspiration?

Nature and people inspire me. As I mentioned in the Author's Note for The Highlanders, my main inspiration was the continuous flying of butterflies on May 30, 1989 across the city of Aizawl. I wanted to record this phenomenon in black and white.

What is your passion?

Writing, of course!

How do you feel when you write?

When I write, I feel a rush. I feel pain. I feel excited and nervous at the same time. I feel restless till I finish writing my piece. And once I am done writing, I feel content.

What are your other hobbies?

I like to travel and see people and places. I like to visit libraries, landmarks, and great monuments. Even touching the books and sculptures makes me feel connected to the great minds that wrote and shaped them.

How was your publishing journey with blue rose publishers?

In one word – fantastic. They are thorough and highly professional. They understood my needs and took my opinion into consideration from the beginning till the end. They helped me fulfil my dream of publishing the English version of a story that is close to my heart.

When can we expect your next book?

It's difficult to say, as I am a slow writer and I often tend to live in a world of imagination. One of my books took 20 long years to materialize from conception to publication!

Where can readers find your other writings?

In various book stores of Assam, the Sahitya Akademi library in New Delhi and the National Library in Kolkata. Some books are available In Amazon.com as well.

Where can readers connect to you?

Via email at . I am old school, so I am not regular on Facebook or any other social media platforms.

Few words you would like to say to your readers.

No book is worthless; every book has a point. Spend some time to read, think and imagine. Quoting William Wordsworth, it will be a "bliss of solitude".

Thank you for your time sir... All the best for your future endeavors..