Manipur Information Centre
NEW DELHI , Nov 14: Children literateur Ngathem Ningol Kongbam Ongbi Ibeyaima from Manipur was among 24 awardees of the first Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2010 of the national Sahitya Akademi who received the award this evening at Meghdoot Open Theatre, Rabindra Bhavan, Copernicus Marg here. She received the award for her collection of 20 Manipuri folk tales- Sorarengee Machanupi Atonbee Leimashang Amasung Atei Phunga Wareeshing (Soraren’s youngest daughter Leimashang and other folk tales) published in 2008 under the support of Writers Forum, Imphal.
The Award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs. 50, 000/- was presented to the awardees by the Sunil Gangopadhyay, President, Sahitya Akademi at the special function.
Other awardees are Gagan Chandra Adhikari(Assamese), Saral De (Bengali), Nabin Malla Boro (Bodo), Gianeshwar (Dogri), Mini Srinivasan (English), Yashwant Mehta (Gujarati), Prakash Manu (Hindi), Boluvaru Mohammad Kunhi (Kannada), S. Razi(Kashmiri), Prakash S. Pariekar (Konkani), Tara Nand Viyogee (Maithili), Sippi Pallippuram (Malayalam), Anil Awachat(Marathi), Naina Singh Yonzan(Nepali), Punyaprabha Devi (Oriya), Jasbir Bhullar (Punjabi), Damyanti Jadawat Chanchal (Rajasthani), Padma Shastri (Sanskrit),Bouyha Biswanath Tudu(Santhali), Khiman U. Mulani (Sindhi), Ma. Kamalavelan(Tamil), Kaluvakolanu Sadananda(Telegu) and Ghulam Haider(Urdu).
One book of folk tales, two books of poetry, seven short stories, seven of novels, one play, one travelogue and five writers for their total contribution to children literature were selected for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2010.
Born on November 8, 1937 in Imphal, Kongbam Ongbi Ibeyaima is a homemaker and began writing the Manipuri folktales narrated by her elders when she was 8 to 11 years old since 1969. She is a member of the Writers’ Forum, Imphal.
She said, “My first volume of folk tales entitled, “Umaibee Amasung Atei Funga Warishing” (Eagle and other Folk Tales) containing 12 folk tales was published in the year 2004. Further with support from Writers’ Forum, Imphal, I materialised this very book containing 20 Folk Tales in the year 2008. At present, I am working on my third volume of another collection of 22 folk tales.”
Her first folk tales- Umaibee Amasung Atei Phunga Wareeshing received Telem Ongbi Atoibemma Award for Children Literature 2009 instituted by the Naharol Sahitya Premee Samity.
Her second folk tales- Sorarengee Machanupi Atonbee Leimashang Amasung Atei Phunga Wareeshing has also been selected for the Asangbam Minaketan Angang Nawa Sahitya Mana 2010 instituted by the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Imphal which is to be presented to the awardees on the occasion of Platinum Jubilee celebration of the Parishad in November 2010 in Imphal. Both the folk tales contained a good number of sketches drawn by Ningombam Oken of Brahmapur Lalji Lakpa Leikai to attract the children.