Mizzima News
July 9, 2003
New Delhi

Mr. Mawthiri (Mr. C.P. Prabhakar)
Radio Broadcaster and Author
25/2/1934 - 9/7/2003

Hindi-Burmese writer Mr. C.P. Prabhakar, better known as Mr. Mawthiri,
passed away in his Delhi residence today at 4:00am, due to old age. Mr.
Mawthiri was 70 years old and is survived by his wife, seven children
(Three sons and Four Daughters) and grand children.

A Supervisor of the Burmese Unit of All India Radio (AIR), Mr. Mawthiri
broadcast the facts and real life situations in Burma, and was
especially prominent during the nation-wide uprising in Burma in 1988. He used
his influence and all his energy throughout his life in order to create
awareness of the Burmese democracy movement.

Right up until the moment of his passing, Mr. Mawthiri had published
books and pamphlets on the Burmese democracy issue and supported the
movement not only morally but also physically. The last book that he
published was a biography of former Prime Minister of Burma, U Nu, called
"Myittha Gayuhna Shin U Nu". Moreover, in 2003, he started publishing a
magazine titled "Irra-Ganga", which had both English and Hindi sections.

Mr. Mawthiri, the only son of Mr. Hans Raj Prabhakar and Smt Sushila
Hans Raj, was born on February 25, 1934, in Lashio Town, north of Shan
State in Burma. He served as a head master in the Lashio Indian Public
School from 1954 – 1965 and was awarded a Gold medal for outstanding
service by the school management committee. During his lifetime he
translated over 50 novels from Hindi to Burmese. With the ambition to
highlight Shan State through his literary works, he changed his name to Mr.
Mawthiri. In 1964 he was awarded the "literary national award" for his
translation work of Munshi Prem Chands' "Godan" into Burmese. Due to the
nationalisation policy in 1962 of all private schools, business houses,
trading and industries, nearly 200 000 Indians were uprooted and
repatriated to India. Mr. Mawthiri moved to New Delhi on May 8, 1965.
Starting on the 4th February 1966, he served the Burmese Unit of the All India
Radio's External Services Division as a Translator /Announcer". In 1981
he was promoted to Supervisor of the Burmese Unit of All India Radio
(AIR), and he served in that post until his retirement on 29th February
1992.

During his service at AIR from 1966 to 1992, he wrote over 100 radio
plays, and aired multiple Burmese songs with Indian tunes, which drew a
large and dedicated Burmese audience. In 1985, with the objective to
uplift Burmese literature in India, he established the "Irrawady
Publishing House". This publishing house went on to translate and publish over
150 books written by famous Burmese writers such as Thakhin Kodaw Mine,
Phe Ya, Shwe Uh Daung, Dagon Shwe Mya, Ngwe Uh Daung, U Nu, Muang Htin,
Min Thuh Won and Thein Phe Myin. Most of the books were published in
Burmese, English and Hindi.

During the general uprising for democracy in Burma in 1988, Mr.
Mawthiri aired radio programmes, which educated people as to what was really
happening on the ground in Burma. In particular a program called "Future
Burma" was greatly informative and attracted a wide following amongst
the people of Burma. Due to his wide support for the restoration of
democracy, the Burmese military rulers criticized him in various ways and
declared their strong opposition to his views.

Following the nation-wide crackdown on pro-democracy activists after
1988, many students and democracy supporters fled Burma. Mr. Mawthiri
extended all possible help to students and democracy activists who had
come to New Delhi. On 18 September 1988 he founded an organisation called
Friends of Democracy in Burma in order to support the democracy
movement and those fleeing repression. Since 1988 till the time he passed
away, he helped students and refugees to study at his Oxford Senior
Secondary School, which is recognized by the Government of India in New Delhi,
which was under his administration.

He was awarded the first Rajeev Smriti Prize in 1992 for "his
meaningful contribution to fostering friendly relations with neighboring
countries and his role in strengthening democratic forces through the media of
art and culture". He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Haridwar
University in 1998.

The legacy of Mr. Mawthiri lives on in the books that he wrote in
Burmese: Mong Thuh Myitthar, Bawa Abiddamma, Kalingar Victory, Khet Pyuang
Taw Lan Ye, Thetsa Akathah (excerpts of All India Radio programmes) and
Myit Thar Gayuhna Shin U Nu.

Mr. Mawthiri was a noble man whose kindhearted deeds and fierce support
of the Burmese democracy movement will never be forgotten.