The 10th edition of the Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award was conferred on noted poet and novelist Mamang Dai at a function held in Guwahati recently.
Yamin Hazarika was a 1977 batch NCT of Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli Police Service Services (DANIPS) officer and was DCP, Delhi Police when she passed away in 1999 at a young age of 43. She was one of the first few female police leaders of the country.
The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) has congratulated Mamang Dai, a distinguished poet, novelist, and former president of the APUWJ, on being awarded the prestigious Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award for 2024.
“Dai’s contributions to literature, journalism, and the preservation of Arunachal’s rich heritage have been nothing short of inspiring. Through her evocative works, she has brought the unique beauty, cultural essence, and environmental narratives of Arunachal to a global audience,” the APUWJ said in a congratulatory message.
“The APUWJ applauds her for this well-deserved recognition and celebrates her enduring legacy as a Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi awardee. Her achievements continue to inspire journalists, writers, and readers across the Northeast and beyond. We congratulate her on this remarkable milestone and look forward to her continued contributions to literature and social advocacy,” the union said.
Mamang Dai was a correspondent of the Hindustan Times, the Telegraphand The Sentinel newspapers and president of the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists. She also worked with the World Wide Fund for nature in the eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspots programme.
In 2003 Dai received the state Verrier Elwin Award for her book Arunachal Pradesh – The Hidden Land, featuring the cultures, folklores and customs of Arunachal’s different communities. She has featured in several national and international forums, and her poems, fiction and articles have been published in numerous journals and anthologies.
She was a member of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (2011-2017). In 2011 Dai was awarded the Padma Shri, in recognition of her contribution in the field of literature and education, and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2017 for her novel The Black Hill.
