“A Voice of Culture and Compassion: An Exclusive with Poetess Promila Devi Sutharsan Huidrom”

Featuring Poetess Promila Devi

 

Promila Devi Sutharsan Huidrom—renowned poetess, cultural ambassador, and philanthropist—masterfully blends poetic elegance with heartfelt social advocacy. Born in Manipur and now based in Norway, she is the only Meitei-Manipuri poet writing in Hindi abroad blueroseone.com+13fishpond.com+13amazon.co.jp+13. She holds a background in computer science and an MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Oslo amazon.co.jp. Promila’s works—such as Mera to Yeh Mai Bhi Nahi and Ayushya—have received critical acclaim, earning her prestigious honors like the Best Author Award in Hindi (Saraswati Samman) and the Rashtriya Pratibha Samman fishpond.co.nz+9interviewtimes.net+9interviewtimes.net+9. Her poetry, rooted in philosophy, patriotism, and cultural resonance, is featured on international platforms—from the Khajuraho and Tokyo literary conferences to the Vietnam Education Summit bigbuzznews.in+5interviewtimes.net+5bigbuzznews.in+5. Beyond her literary achievements, Promila devotes herself to social reform, education, and empowerment initiatives—particularly for women, children, and the elderly—quite literally making waves across continents interviewtimes.net+13interviewtimes.net+13bizcreators.in+13.

1. What inspired you to begin writing poetry, and how did your early life shape your voice as a poet?

Answer:

My love for writing got invoked from a very young age. By the age of 15 yrs I started writing fully flegedly. My Hindi teachers in school who were a true pioneers for me in the field of poetry. My mother who herself was a literature enthusiast always encouraged me. She used to make her own songs with lyrics and music and we – as an early age learnt a lot from her. Poetry is in my blood and art is a form of expression for me.

2. Your books Mera to Yeh Mai Bhi Nahi and Ayushya explore deeply philosophical and patriotic themes. What motivated you to tackle these subjects?

Answer: 

Love for my motherland, and love for literature gave me the opportunity to write in these topics. Love for life and love for humanity makes me ardent love for poetry and my genre in writing are basically revolving around life and existence of life and living.

3. How do you balance writing with your philanthropic work, and in what ways do these two passions feed into each other?

Answer:

Writing is also a kind of philanthropy in the sense that I aid the hunger for thoughts and those who enjoy poetry gets that via my poems. Whereas I do actual philanthropy by helping the needy kids and window women and so on. I believe in giving back to the society and this is the best way to give back. 

4. As a Meitei poet writing primarily in Hindi and based in Norway, what cultural identity challenges have you faced, and how have you embraced them?

Answer:

I think being a Meitei is my pride, and culturally there is not much difference as Meiteis mainly are pure Vaishnavi Hindus and are very much followers of it. Living in Norway I did had to learn the language Norwegian but that enhances my cultural richness and make me more literature influenced. Hindi has been in me since birth so I am a Hindi lover and Hindi is my core language since I was born as I am raised in Pune in a defence school.

5. What role do you believe literature, especially Hindi poetry, plays in addressing contemporary social issues in India and beyond?

Answer:

I believe Hindi cinema is a classic example of Hindi as a language and art form. There is no bigger form of art than Indian Cinema in India. For India Hindi is the core language, I think like English is globalized in the world no matter what could be the cause – Hindi, I mean the Sanskritised Hindi should be celebrated in India and should be made it such that everyone atleast understands it.

6. What advice would you give to aspiring poets and writers seeking to preserve cultural heritage while reaching global audiences?

Answer:Embrace your heritage, India is a country of one of the richest heritage. Mention our heritage and history in poetries and writings which many has done it and I am proud of it.