Shillong, Nov 26: It was not John F Kennedy, as many people would believe, who had first said what today has become a famous passage, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country” but the Khasi poet laureate U Soso Tham way back in 1931, twenty-seven years before Kennedy utter the famous passage immediately after taking presidential oath of office in January 20, 1961.
This surprising revelation was made by the St. Edmund College principal Dr. Sylvanus Lamare during the prize distribution ceremony Monday of the 3rd Meghalaya Poetry Competition, 2012 organised by the All India Poetess Conference, Meghalaya Chapter on the “Theme- cultural heritage of Meghalaya-legends and myths” at the Arts and Culture hall.
Elaborating on this particular revelation, the All India Poetess Conference, Meghalaya Chapter president and NEHU professor of Khasi Language of Khasi department Streamlet Dkhar this particular lines was written by U Soso Tham in the last stanza of “ Ki Sngi U Hynniew Trep” in the book “Ka Duuitara Ksair” in 1931.
Giving details of the lines, Dkhar said the lines in Khasi in that particular poem written by U Soso Tham reads as follows, “ Ngi im ha kiwei pat ki sngi/Aiu ngin leh namar ka Ri.” which when translated reads as “ We live in other days, what can you do for your country.”
During the prize distribution function Dr Lamare lamented that even as we proudly quote Kennedy’s famous passage; we have neglected and forgotten that the same passage said by U Soso Tham in his poetry twenty-seven years before Kennedy made it famous. He informed that the Khasi poets did not have the forum to showcase their poetry and use to get it published in Khasi newspapers like “ U Lurshai” “ U Khasi Mynta” and other of those bygone era.
According to Dr Lamare the Khasi Author Society (KAS) had been able to collect all the poetries published in these Khasi newspapers and compiled them in a book form entitled “ Na Ka Phiar U Longshuwa.”
In the function prizes were distributed to those who were declared the twenty-one winners in seven different categories by additional deputy commissioner R Marak. The All India Poetess Conference, Meghalaya Chapter president Streamlet Dkhar said that the competition was organised to encourage and provide a forum to talented poets of the state. – By Our Reporter
And as Mr. Sylvanus Lamare is a bore and Streamlet Dkhar a know nothing Kennedy’s line is taken from Khalil Gibran – And anyway the sentiment offered by kennedy or tham or gibran is all bunkum
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/JFK_is_attributed_to_saying_Ask_not_what_your_country_can_do_for_you_but_what_you_can_do_for_your_country_didn't_Kahlil_Gibran_first_say_that_regarding_his_homeland_Lebanon_can_anyone_confirm
You must be a true Khasi who behaves like a crab.