Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi

Born on 13 June 1952 to late Tashi Phuntsu Thongchi and late Rinchin Chojom Thongchi at village Jigaon of present day West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, previously a part of NEFA (North East Frontier Agency). Yeshe Dorje Thongchi started his literary pursuit from his childhood school days. Although his mother tongue is a dialect called Sherdukpen spoken by few thousand people, he started practicing his writings in Assamese Language which was the medium of instruction in NEFA schools in those days and acted as a lingua franca among the various indigenous masses.

His first poem Jonbai was published in 1967 in an Assamese Children's Magazine of same name when he was followed by some patriotic poems in some leading Assamese News Papers and magazines. It increased his popularity as a poet amongst his teachers, fellow students, friends and other residents of town of Bomdila, the headquarter town of the Kameng Frontier Division. Due to encouragement received from his teachers for writing one act plays on the life of tribal people of NEFA and on patriotic theme, Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi wrote several such one act plays and staged at several places. "Himantar Dabanal Fire" at Border one of his another one act plays, was amalgamated with another such drama and represented the state at National Dramatic Festival held at Bangalore. Thongchi gains immense popularity amongst the readers for the unique background of his writings as people are more connected to simple and applicable language.

In 1977 he was appointed as Arunachal Pradesh Civil Service Officer. Thongchi was inducted to Indian Administrative Service in 1992.

• Sahitya Akademi Award, 2005 for Assamese novel Mauna Outh Mukhar Hriday (Silent lips, Murmuring Heart)[4]
• Phulchand Khandelwal Sanghati Bata award, 2001 [4]
• The Bhasha Bharti Award from the Central Institute of Indian Language (CIIL, Mysore), 2005 [4]
• Basudev Jalan Award from Asom Sahitya Sabha.[4]
• Bhupen Hazarika Award 2017 from Sarhad (a Pune based NGO).[5]

Novel:

• Mauna Outh Mukhar Hriday (Silent lips, Murmuring Heart), 2005
• Sonam, 1982
• Lingjhik
• Bih Kanyar deshat
• Sa kata Manuh
• Mishing
• Moi Akou janam lom
• Janahamudrat akalshare Ejoni adibahi

Collection of Short Stories:

• Papor pukhuri (A Sinful of Pond),
• Bah Fular Gundh
• Anya Ekhan pratiyugita

Folktales:

• Kameng Simantar Sadhu
• History of Community:
• Sherdukpen Janajatir Itibritya