Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: Renowned Kashmiri writer, Pran Kishore Kaul, was today honoured by Sahitya Akademi with its highest fellowship, a prestigious honour in Indian literature.
Expressing his gratitude, Koul said, “This award is not mine alone. It belongs to the Kashmiri people, their language and culture.”
“I never imagined I would receive this fellowship in my lifetime. Since India’s independence, Sahitya Akademi has played a vital role in promoting regional languages. My book was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1998 and I have continued my association with the academy through my writing. It is a moment of pride for me that a film was made about my career,” he said.
He also reminisced about Kashmir during his childhood, “When I was born, Kashmir was in darkness, there was no electricity or drinking water. Despite this, the Kashmiri people shared a loving bond. Kashmir has a rich tradition of sages and saints, whose philosophies have been kept alive through efforts like those of Sahitya Akademi.”
Dr Madhav Kaushik, Sahitya Akademi President, said, “Pran Kishore Kaul has expressed his creativity not only through writing but also through films and paintings. His work captures the essence of Kashmiri culture. His prose, which read like poetry, is as majestic as the Himalayas and as powerful as the roar of a river.”
Earlier, Dr K Srinivas Rao, Secretary outlined Kaul’s remarkable contributions to literature.
The Delhi-based Sahitya Akademi presented the fellowship to Kaul at his residence in Pune, marking him as only the second Kashmiri writer to receive this honour, after Prof Rahman Rahi.
Past recipients of this esteemed fellowship include Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
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