BAN President Mongkum Jamir launching the Ao Lingo website.
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 9 (MExN): Ao vernacular daily Tir Yimyim celebrated its 22nd anniversary on Wednesday at the Business Association of Nagas (BAN) Conference Hall, DC Court Junction, Dimapur. The milestone also marked the official launch of an AI-powered translation website, Ao Lingo, designed to facilitate translation between the Ao and English languages.
Delivering a short address, Ningsangwaba Pongen, President of the Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD), expressed gratitude to God for blessing the Ao community with a visionary leader like K. Temjen Jamir, Editor-in-Chief of Tir Yimyim. He commended Jamir for his humanitarian service and commitment to the public, while congratulating Tir Yimyim on completing 22 years of impactful journalism.
In his welcome address, K. Temjen Jamir reflected on the newspaper’s journey over the past two decades, noting both challenges and achievements. Thanking readers and well-wishers, he remarked that “Tir Yimyim belongs to everyone.”
Introducing the newly launched Ao Lingo platform, Jamir explained that it is an AI-driven translation tool developed by Bendangnüksüng, a machine learning engineer based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He said the platform allows translation between Ao and English and urged the community to actively use it so the system can continue to learn and improve its accuracy over time.
The Ao Lingo website was officially launched by BAN President Mongkum Jamir. As part of the anniversary celebration, SDO (Civil) Peren and Bookipedia co-founder Sentilong Ozüküm facilitated the prize distribution for the Yimdangjem Otsü Zulu Toktep (Fiction Writing Competition), jointly organised by Bookipedia and Tir Yimyim.
Marnungtet Ozüküm won first place for the story Shiti, receiving a cash prize of Rs 20,000 and a citation. The second prize was jointly awarded to S. Aosüngküm Ozüküm (Kita Chir) and Imli P. Lemtur (Memenudang Kindangi Shilanangma), who each received Rs 15,000. The third prize went to M. Senthy Jamir (Medemer Tajung Ana) and Temjentenzük (Kiyimdang Sepokba Hon Keri Ayok), who received Rs 10,000 each.
Speaking at the event, Sentilong Ozüküm commended the participants and encouraged continued efforts to promote creative writing within the community. A pre-recorded video message from Bendangnüksüng was also screened, in which he urged users to make active use of the Ao Lingo platform to help refine its AI capabilities.
The event concluded with a note of gratitude to all supporters, marking a significant milestone for Tir Yimyim as it continues to promote language, literature, and innovation in the digital age.
