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SIVASAGAR: Imran Shah, former president of Axam Xahitya Xabha, received Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, from Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner Megha Nidhi Dahal, at his Dhaiali residence in Sivasagar on Saturday. Dahal handed over the citation and the medal to Shah, who couldn't attend the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi due to health issues.
"I am very honoured to have been given the Padma Shri Award," said Shah after receiving the award. Thanking the central government for conferring the coveted Padma Shri Award, Shah said, "The central government has recognized my works, and I greatly cherish the award." Imran Shah was born in Sivasagar on November 23, 1933. Muhammad Shah and Mariam Nessa have him as their youngest kid.
Shah began his career as a substitute teacher at Konwarpur High School in Sivasagar, and after completing his ISC, he became a member of the faculty at Sivasagar High Madrassa School. After getting his M.S. degree from Gauhati University, he joined Gargaon College as an Assamese lecturer in 1962. A year later, he was hired as an Assamese instructor at Sivasagar College, where he remained as Head of the Department till 1993.
Shah started to write when he was still in high school. "Banvashi", his first collection of poems, was printed while he was in ninth grade. "Sangeetor Hkhipare", his debut novel, was released the next year, when he was in tenth grade. Under the pen name Ishan Dutta, he authored poems in "Ramdhenu". "Aparicheeta," his debut short tale, was published in "Natun Asomiya" in 1958, edited by Kirtinath Hazarika. He edited "Bosoror Galpa", an anthology of selected Assamese short stories, from 1982 to 1984, and "Kalantarar Kathakata, another anthology of Assamese short stories, from 1961 to 1975, alongside Arun Goswami.
Two of his writings have been turned into various forms of media. His novel "Jabanbandi" was broadcast as a radio recital by Akaashvani, Dibrugarh. Prafulla Baruah also produced the Assamese film "Rasmirekha", which was released in 1973 and is based on his novel "Rajanigandha". He was elected president of Axom Xahitya Xabha, the state's literary organization situated on Barpeta Road, for the 2013-2015 term.
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