Wednesday, 20 January 2010 13:48 Kyaw Kha
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The birth centenary celebrations and a paper reading session in honour of late people’s journalist Ludu U Hla was held in Mandalay at the Mya Taung monastery Centenary Hall on Tuesday.
Food as alms was offered to monks at the ceremony.
Initially, the function was to be held at a hotel but the authorities did not give permission. It had to be shifted to Mya Taung monastery. The ceremony was monitored by intelligence personnel and recorded with still and video cameras.
Family members said the function was attended by writers and journalists including National League for Democracy (NLD) party Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Win Tin, friends, relatives and people from the literary circle. There were over 200 people.
“My father did a lot. We held this ceremony today in honour of his work, writer Nyi Puu Lay, the youngest son of Ludu U Hla, told Mizzima.
First, alms as food was offered to monks in commemoration of the birth centenary of the left-leaning ‘Ludu’ newspaper founder and journalist Ludu U Lha and then this meritorious deed was shared after the Sayadaw (abbot) preached a sermon at 10:30 a.m. Lunch was served to all guests at 11 a.m.
Papers on the life and works of Ludu U Hla written by Ludu Sein Win, writer Soe Naing (Mandalay University), writer Khin Hnin Oo (Rangoon University Librarian) were read out at the ceremony.
Writer Kyaw Yin Myint who read a paper written by Ludu Sein Win said, “The paper is called ‘Path breaker and Pioneer’, written on Ludu U Hla and politics, Ludu U Hla and youth, Ludu U Hla and literature and Ludu U Hla and charity works. Writer Mi Chan Wei read a paper written by writer Khin Hnin Oo. Writer Soe Naing (Mandalay University) read his paper - ‘Folk tales U Hla’ himself”.
Messages of felicitation sent by journalist U Win Tin, writer Dagon Tar Yar, librarian U Thaw Kaung, writer Win Nyein, writer Kalya (Arts and Science) were also read out.
Ludu U Hla was born to U Puu and Daw Khine on 19 January 1910 in Pazun Myaung village, Nyaung Lay Bin Township, Pegu Division. He was the youngest of his three siblings. He died on 7 August 1982 in Mandalay.
He began his writing career in 1932 in ‘Kyee Pwar Yay’ magazine. He first published the ‘Ludu’ journal in 1946 and was named Ludu U Hla since then. He devoted his life to journalism as of 1951-52 till 7 July 1967 when the Ludu newspaper was stopped by the authorities.
He was an executive member of the Journalists Association, Chairman of Asia Youth Association, Propaganda Department Chief of Upper Burma Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) and Chairman of Upper Burma Writers’ Club. British imperialists arrested him in 1945 for working as Chairman of Asia Youth Association during the Japanese occupation. He was also arrested five times during his involvement with AFPFL and the ‘Burma Socialist Programme Party’ (BSPP).
Ludu U Hla wrote many books and articles. He was awarded the Sarpay Beikman Literary prize in 1957, UNESCO Socio-economic prize in 1958, and his ‘Rakhine folk tales’ book won the Sarpay Beikman Children’s Literature second prize in 1963.
The 75-year old poet Kolay (Inn Wa Gone Yee) who attended the ceremony said that Ludu U Hla was respected not only by writers but also by many common people.
“He was a man of tolerance and a gifted person. This is the simplest and best way to portray him. His virtue was tolerance,” he said.
Ludu U Hla and Ludu Daw Ah Mar have five children. The eldest son was Soe Win (deceased) of the Communist Party of Burma, the second is Dr. Than Yin Mar, the third is comrade Po Than Jaung (CPB), the fourth is Daw Tin Win (Ludu printing press) and the youngest is writer Nyi Pu Lay.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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