“Sachhi” published in Jhapa
At least four books on the Bhutanese refugee issue have arrived in bookstores in less than a year with the Y.N. Chamlagain’s book, Sachhi, officially launched on Saturday in Jhapa.
Of the four, two books are authored by the Dutch writers Alice Anna Verheij and Eveline van de Putte. The ‘Headwind, Laxmi’s Story‘ is a novel by Alicej, while ‘Unforgotten‘ is a photobook by Eveline and Alice. A Dutch NGO Empowerment Foundation has published these books.
The ‘Sapanako Samadi‘ is a research-based fiction by Dr Tara Lal Shrestha, a lecturer at the Tribhuwan University from Kathmandu.
While, ‘Sachhi’ is a reminiscence of the true history, narrated by Chamlagain, a Nepali-speaking Bhutanese in exile.
Presenting his views earlier today during the book launching program organized at Damak, author Chamlagain said the book was his first attempt to narrate various sufferings and situations of the thousands of fellow citizens that he witnessed from close quarters.
Chairperson of the Jestha Nagarik Pratisthan of Damak, Bhawani Dahal, chaired the program, where Sapanako Samadi’s writer Dr Tara Lal Shrestha was present as chief guest. Dr Shrestha has edited the Chamlagain’s book.
Rights activist Dr K P Subedi and lecturer from Damak Multiple Campus Dhananjaya Baskota critically reviewed the book during the program, also attended Dr Bhumpa Rai, and 100 plus participants.
The speakers have even claimed that ‘Sachhi’ could be the first significant book on capturing the firsthand history of Bhutanese refugees’.
Reviewing the ‘Sachhi’, Baskota said the scenes of the Maikhola of Jhapa, where the first four families arrived and stayed there as Bhutanese refugees and their pains, depicted by author Chaulagai were no less than the sterile land and situation presented by T.S. Eliot his poem ‘The West Land’.
While, Dr Shrestha expressed his joy for getting such an opportunity to edit the book, published by the Discourse Publications.
The 239-page book is priced Rs 275 in the Nepali book market.
According to Chamlagain, arrangements to distribute books to interested readers around the world would be channelized very soon.
Courtesy: Bhutan News Service