Oi Appun Ganesh Pegu

Oi Appun Ganesh Pegu was a person who paved the way of Mising culture and society. He was a Mising lyricist, singer, social worker who devoted his entire life in promoting the Mising culture. He was born on 20th August 1936 in Bheuchuk village of Jengraimukh, Majuli. His father's name was Halidhar Pegu and his mother's name was Mala Pegu. He started his high school education at Jengraimukh High School. He was a teacher at Gogamukh High School. He grew up in a very common mixing society with green farming paths, stagnant water, rivers, and birds. From an early age, he enjoyed singing, dancing, and writing. His desire to advance the Mising society and Mising culture inspired him to keep going . In small Kebang (meeting) in the Mising society, Ganesh Pegu took the lead in completing the Kebang smoothly.
 
In the year 1958, he came in contact with Dr. Numol Pegu, a historian of the Mising community and the first Doctor of the Mising tribe. Dr. Nomal Pegu first offered him the opportunity to sing at the Shillong Orphanage. Pegu didn’t have to stop after the song performance at the Shillong Orphanage. He performed in various platforms in different places like Guwahati, Itanagar Doordarshan, Orphanage Center, Dibrugarh, Jorhat Orphanage Center.
 
He also had the privilege of performing songs together on many stages, with Artist Vishnu Prasad Rava, World Renowned Artist Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. He also had the opportunity to perform in Dr. Hazarika's Erabatr Sur and Jeevan Bora's movie  Palash Rang. Pegu was the first ever Mising artist to perform Oi Ni:tom in a Assamese movie. He has also acted in many Mising VCD movies. He also played a role in the Mising first full-length film, Panoi-Jonkie. He has composed about 400 songs in Mising and Assamese language. Two audio Album produced by him are “Oi Appuna” and “Dirbi Appuna”.
 
Some of the Mising Oi Ni:tom written and sang by him are –
 
Kouwau dodok sí:sangko, Punpé punpé mé:la:sin oi, Oko ni:tom moyéné aína, Odiya lokké buruli:lo:pé, Obonori a:nélé, Do:nyi lí:len dokkébong, Adi assé bidyi:dung, Saru-Muhi-Karko bul, Appunpé punmanna, Linge lingeyé, Díiyé a:dung, Géryi: gérsa:l, Pi:mug appun, Ai ai kouwu: péttanga, Ngoluk du:té:sé, Kai kai gikumsulai, Punmé punma:n appuné.
 
He also had a huge contribution in Mising literature which includes regular writing in various news papers, discussions in Assamese and various reading material in Mising language. He has written a total of 12 books. Tani Agom is his first published book. He started writing the book in 1951 and turned it into a book in 1974 .
 
His books are: মিচিং সংস্কৃতিৰ ৰেঙনি, মিচিং সংস্কৃতিৰ গতিবিধি, চংকিত, মিচিং সাধু আৰু কিংবদন্তীৰ হিতোপদেশ, লেকে নিঃতম, সোৱণশিৰিৰ উচুপনি, মোৰ জীৱন-যৌৱনৰ ৰং ৰূপ, মইয়ে অই আপ্পুন গণেশ পেগু etc.
 
Among his the book titled 'Rangni of Mising Culture' was publishes by Assam Sahitya Sabha and officially recognised the literary work of artist Ganesh Pegu. He has been honored by more than two hundred Assamese groups and organizations in recognition of his artistry and literary work.
     In 1997, he was honored by the Government of Assam as an artist and in the year 2007 he was awarded the Artist Award by the Cultural Affairs Department of the Government of Assam. In the same year, he also received the Bakul Forest Award from the Jorhat Bakul Forest Trust Society.
 
       Ganesh Pegu Dangriya, who devoted his entire life to the cause of Mising community & culture, did not even think of his personal life and family and remained b. He breathed his last on January 13, 2010 at his home in Karpunpuli, Gogamukh.