Lily Mazumder: No formal education, yet author of 5 books, an exemplary women, writes Tamal Chakraborty & Panna Paul

March 9: Lily Mazumder… A blessed writer. Her magical power lies in the fact that though she has not received any formal education, has no chance of knowing the essence of letters and their combinations that form a word, a phrase or sentences ; she made it possible which has made her presence glittering among other literary ‘stars’ of this valley! She is a writer now.

“How come ?” With five published books and innumerable thoughts in her mind, she has answered with a smile ” all because of almighty Allah ! My Abba and Amma have supported me a lot. Still feel their presence. They were my inspiration! ”

Just a writer ? No! A write-survivor , a protest in her own self. Who survives by writing, who survived through writing. ” At the age when a child plays with his/her mother with letters and play toys, my mother got separated from my father and so from me. Though my aunt and stepmother were very affectionate, their love could not win over my misfortune. Lost my father and my elder son at a very young age. I was just 15 then, When my elder son left me.”

“Actually you know, when your life is all about just sufferings, sorrow does not feel like ‘sorrow’ then. It becomes a part of life. During those tougher phases of my life, my Allah was so benevolent to me that he gave me the idea of expressing my grief, my complaints on paper, in poems, in sonnet, with his magical letters and words. Can you imagine ? A lady, who has not received any formal education, writes her pains on papers ! That too with rhymes and rhythms” she continues.

For her, writing is a blessing of almighty. “When I started writing, very few accepted it gladly. But conviction was clear to me – Allah has ordered me ; my father , my mother awaits to hear, hence I have to write.”

She highlights, ‘we have to work a lot. Women in Indian families must come forward for more creativity. Miles to go… Miles….to go…”

A resident of Balighat at Arunachal (Mashimpur), Lily Mazumder has not changed her surname and rather preferred to use her maiden surname. In a candid talk with us, she said that whatever money she gets by selling her books, she donates the amount to Cachar Cancer Hospital.

It’s an honour for us to have a quality chat with this talented personality. On this International Women’s Day, 2020, we the members of Leo Club of Silchar Vision felt privileged to felicitate such a lady who overcoming all odds went ahead in life and created a niche for her own.

(Tamal Chakraborty is the President of Leo Club of Silchar Vision and Panna Paul is its Adviser ).