The Hijam Anganghal Singh Memorial Lecture 2020-21was held on Friday at the Artistes’ Dormitory of the directorate Arts and Culture in Imphal, during which noted critic and MSKA awardee Polem Nabachandra Singh delivered the lecture on the topic, ‘Manipur Literary Culture: Oral and Written.’
It was organised by the Manipur State Kala Akademi and the lecture was presided by renowned litterateur and MSKA awardee Longjam Joychandra. Nabachandra, while speaking on the brief history of Hijam Anganghal, stated that circumstances compelled Anganghal to leave his studies at an early age. In 1916, he became a petition writer at Cheirap Court and remained in that profession for the rest of his life.
“Anganghal started his literary career by composing lyrics and songs to be recited or sung at public occasions. In 1933, some of his poems appeared in a series in Lalit Manjuri Patrika. In 1938, he published ‘Shingel Indu’, a long narrative poem in blank verse. He was closely associated with the theater movement also,” he mentioned.
Mentioning that Anganghal’s early dramas ‘Nimai Sanyas’, ‘Thabal Chongba’ and ‘Ibemma’ were performed with great success, he added, this was followed by his novels ‘Yaithing Konu’, ‘Jahera’ and ‘Thambal’, an essay in allegorical form.
In 1939, the poet compiled ‘Khamba Thoibi Sheireng’, an epic poem running over 39,000 lines depicting the immortal love of Khamba and Thoibi and completed it in 1940, he further said, adding this work, considered as the masterpiece of all his literary works, justifiably earned him the title ‘Mahakavi’.
