The official release of the English fiction novel, “Posthumous Nirvana of Tojo’s Father,” with the subtitle ‘French lady,’ authored by Dr Soyum Potom was held at Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh on Monday. The novel has garnered significant attention for reviving the long-forgotten history of the Second World War’s China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre, specifically focusing on the monumental ‘Hump Operation’ and the ‘Stilwell Road.’
The release ceremony took place at the Director’s office of Information and Public Relations (IPR) in Naharlagun. Director IPR Gijum Tali and Deputy Director IPR Denga Bengia formally unveiled the book in the presence of DIPR officials and media representatives.
Director Tali, welcoming Dr. Potom, highly praised the author’s exceptional commitment to literature despite his rigorous professional life as a doctor.
“Seeing a doctor like Dr Potom, who maintains such a busy schedule, dedicate time to writing and publishing gives a tremendous boost and inspiration to our younger generation to pursue creative writing and share their stories,” stated Director Tali.
He commended the novel for its unique focus on critical but overlooked historical chapters. He requested the author to continue his literary contributions, participate in the Arunachal Literary Festival, and suggested he take a leading role in the district-level works of the Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS).
In his address, Dr Soyum Potom thanked the Director IPR for the significant platform. He detailed his efforts to infuse the novel with a local touch by adopting popular Galo inclusions of native dialect in the form of proverbs, idioms, and phrases.
“Forgotten names of social workers like Tamik Dabi and others have also found mentioned in the right places,” Dr Potom stated, highlighting the novel’s deep connection to the regional cultural heritage.
The novel’s layered narrative spans centuries, beginning with a 170-year-old letter from a French anthropologist who visited the Siang frontier in 1855, and traversing through the 1940s up to modern-day Arunachal Pradesh, blending humour, mystic elements, adventure, and wisdom. This fiction novel is Dr Potom’s first published work and is available across the world on all major online portals.
The author, who currently serves in the state health service, concluded by appealing to all citizens to read the book, emphasising, “the story is for all to read.”
The author can be reached at soyumpotom72@gmail.com
