Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 30: Three eminent writers from Jammu have won prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award-2021 for their literary works in Dogri, Kashmiri and Punjabi languages.
Raj Rahi from Reasi, Khalid Hussain from Ustad Mohalla in Jammu and Wali Mohd Aseer Kashtawari from Kishtwar, presently putting up at Sunjwan, Jammu, have been selected for the Sahitya Akademi Awards for their works in Dogri, Punjabi and Kashmiri, respectively.
Raj Rahi’s short stories book in Dogri, titled ‘Namme Tunnel’ has won the Sahitya Akademi Award while Khalid Hussain’s short stories in Punjabi `Sullan Da Salan’ and Aseer Kashtawari’s literary criticism in Kashmiri language, ‘Tawazum’ have been awarded this prestigious award for the year 2021.
The Sahitya Akademi Awards in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs one lakh, towards cash content will be presented to the awardees at the award presentation function, which will be held at a later date.
The awards, recommended by distinguished Jury members in various Indian languages, were approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi, which met today under the chairmanship of Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar, president of the Sahitya Akademi.
62-year old Raj Rahi has five collections of short-stories and a Play to his credit. His short story ‘Kala Titter’ is included in school curriculum and two scholars have done PhD on his works and personality.
Before his superannuation as Section Officer, he served the Forest Department for three decades. A tele-film for Doordarshan was also made on his play `Faisla Apna Apna’.
Khalid Hussain, a former bureaucrat, who has been awarded Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of short stories in Punjabi ` Sullan Da Salan’, is a well known name in literary world not only in Jammu Kashmir and other parts of India but in neighbouring Pakistan also.
He has written six short story books in Punjabi, an autobiography, one Novel, critical essays and four books in Urdu. In 2015, he was awarded Shiromani Punjabi Sahitya Lifetime Achievement Award.
Wali Mohd Aseer Kashtawari is also a former bureaucrat, who retired as Director General Accounts and Treasuries. He has 47 publications to his credit. His several works have won Best Book Awards.
Meanwhile, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has congratulated to all three winners of the Sahitya Akademi Awardees for their rich contributions to Dogri, Kashmiri and Punjabi literature and said that it was a proud moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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