Story reading session in honour of Dogri writer held

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 13: A story reading session organised in the memory of noted figure in Dogri literature, Bandhu Sharma, became a highly emotional event.
Friends and family stayed riveted to their seats throughout the function. Chattar Pal, writer and author of several Dogri books, was moved to tears while reading “Agg te Lau”, the first story in Bandhu Sharma’s Keengre.
Writer and news reader, Nirmal Vikram Jain’s poignant narration of “Parshamein”, a sensitive story on a child widow left the audience mesmerized. Sugam Bral, a young boy from Reasi, read a humorous story “Khar Khakkar”. The story sessions were punctuated with honest, emotional and heartfelt accounts of family members.
Among the friends, Abdul Majeed Khan, president of All J&K Low Paid Employees Association, Dogri writer, ND Jamwal, Dr Lalit Magotra, poured out their hearts. Noted Hindi writer, Dr Aruna Sharma masterly tied the event together, and also remembered Bandhu Sharma, as a writer and as an uncle. She has also translated his Sahitya Academy Award winning book, Meel Patthar, into Hindi.
Many of Bandhu Sharma’s close family were present in the audience and left the hall with tears in their eyes.
The event in Jammu was the most elaborate one the multi-city global reading organised by Voice of Dogras (V0D), an NGO working towards upliftment of Dogri language and culture. Reading of Bandhu Sharma’s other stories were done in Muscat (Oman), Perth (Australia) and London (England). VoD will hold more readings, at San Jose (USA), Zurich (Switzerland), Delhi and Mumbai.