ITANAGAR, May 17: The Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS) has announced the names of two eminent literary figures—Shri Ramchandra Chutia and Dr. Ashok Kumar Pandey—as the recipients of the prestigious Luminous Lummer Dai Literary Award (LLDLA) 2025. The announcement was made following the recommendation of the selection committee comprising Er. H. Rokom Bado (Chairman), Er. Banta Natung, and Ms. Gumpi Nguso.
The award ceremony will take place on June 1, 2025, at Lummer Dai Bhawan, Tezpur, Assam, in celebration of the 85th birth anniversary of Lummer Dai, the doyen of Arunachal literature.
Shri Ramchandra Chutia, born in Dhakuakhana, Assam in 1952, is an acclaimed writer who has authored 29 books, including 8 volumes on socio-anthropological aspects of various tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. His literary journey spans across genres like poetry, novels, short stories, travelogues, articles, and memoirs in both Assamese and English. Having begun his career as a primary school teacher in Sartam Village of Tali Circle in 1971, he retired as Principal of Govt. Higher Secondary School, Doimukh in 2010, after dedicating 40 years of service to the education sector in Arunachal’s interior regions.
Dr. Ashok Kumar Pandey, born in Uttar Pradesh in 1967, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Commerce at Dera Natung Government College (DNGC), Itanagar. He moved to Arunachal Pradesh in 1992 and has since made significant literary and academic contributions. Dr. Pandey has authored 11 books, including five widely appreciated academic texts. His creative works include poetry, short stories, and drama, establishing him as a versatile and respected figure in the literary community.
Since its inception in 2016, the LLDLA has honored 11 prominent writers for their outstanding contributions to the literary landscape of Arunachal Pradesh. Past recipients include Shri Kaling Borang (2016), Ms. Mamang Dai (2017), Dr. Jogendra Nath (2018), Shri Tagang Taki (2019), Shri Chandra Kanta Borpatra Gohain and Shri Ramendra Nath Koley (2020, jointly), Shri Yumlam Tana (2021), Ms. Ajanta (2022), Shri Jumsi Siram (2023), and Shri Wangsam Zongsam & Shri Thajam Aboh (2024, jointly).
