Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 10: Shailender Singh from Jammu received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his Dogri novel “Hashiye Par” at a glittering and impressive literary star-studded function held at Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi on Monday.
The English version of the novel was published by the world renowned Oxford University Press across the globe last year.
Veteran literary personality, Gurdial Singh, who was chief guest at the function, presented the award to Shailender Singh amidst thunderous applause for receiving this highest honour for his very first literary creation.
The novel ‘Hashiye Par’ (literally translated as ‘On the Margins’) is located in Jammu near around Akhnoor where the River Chenab descends from the mountains. ‘Hashiye Par’ describes the life and dynamics of struggle of Madan and his family.
Madan’s story and that of his family has been one of enduring poverty. The friction and humiliation of caste injustice is now no longer that open as it used to be in Madan’s childhood when the local landlord pilloried Madan’s father for thinking of educating Madan. Madan too is not well-treated by his acquaintances or those in positions of authority. Indeed, there is no visible villain in this story and yet there is cruelty and pain.
Singh who is a civil engineer by training and opted police as his profession is now serving as SSP in the J&K Police. However, besides performing his professional duties with utmost zeal and zest, he has been taking keen interest in matters that pertain to socio-economic conditions that prevail in the society.
It is pertinent to mention here that Singh was also conferred with the first Prof Ramnath Shastri Memorial Award for this novel by the Dogri Sanstha in 2014 and was honoured by Rashtra Bhasha Samiti, J&K Chapter, at a felicitation function held at Jammu recently for his literary achievements.
Speaking during the Awardee Writers’ Meet organised by the Sahitya Akademi, Shailender Singh expressed his gratitude to the Sahitya Akademi for bestowing upon him this Award.
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