Pahichan Puraskar, 2074 was conferred on author Yangesh for his debut book, Bhuiyan, amid a function held at Mandala Theatre in the Capital on Sunday. The award is given every year by the London-based Pahichan Puraskar Kosh.

The critically-acclaimed Bhuiyan is a compilation of a dozen narrative essays revolving around the stories of marginalised communities in the Tarai. In so doing, the book recounts the struggle of people as they fight against the feudal system that still plagues several Nepali communities.

Speaking at the award ceremony, eminent literrateur and the chair of Nepal Academy, Bairagi Kainla, said, “In our country, there is not only the problem of the powerful class oppressing the powerless, but there is also the oppression within members of an oppressed community. There is not only the ‘vertical’ oprression but also the ‘horizontal.’”

Kainla added, “The state should have brought about a policy that would ensure equality but the rulers of the state seem to have embraced the policy of ‘divide and rule’.”

Speaking at the function, senior litterateur Khagendra Sangroula said that Bhuiyan has laid bare the ‘hellish’ aspects of the Nepali society.

Author Yangesh said that there is still a lot more to be written about the issues the book centres on.