Sahitya Akademi awardee Brajendra Kumar Brahma has conferred the 16th Upendra Nath Brahma Soldier of Humanity Award (UNBSH) 2019 at a ceremony held at Bodofa House, Baganshali in Kokrajhar district on Sunday.
The award is conferred every year by the Upendra Nath Brahma Trust (UNBT). It is the most prestigious award conferred in memory of Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma, former president of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU). The award was conferred to Brajendra Kumar Brahma for his contribution to the development of the Bodo community and for promotion and development of literary works in Bodo language.
Brahma has written many books and is also a noted poet, More than 300 poems of his have already been published. His first collection Okhrang Gongse Nangou was published in 1975 and received the Someswari Brahma Literary Award in 1994 which was constituted by Bodo Sahitya Sabha. Some of the prominent works of Brahma includes Thunlai arw Sansri(Raithai) in 1986, Raithaimala (1992), Nwjwr arw Swrji (1994) and Ang Pwipingwn (1994).
Brahma was awarded by the Sahitya Akademi in 2009 for Baidi Dengkhw Baidi Gab and he received the Pramod Chandra Brahma Literary Award in 2013 from the BTC administration. He was the president of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha for six years from 2002 to 2008. Currently, Brahma is in a private hospital in Siliguri of West Bengal undergoing treatment. He was admitted in the hospital on September 29. His wife Kaushlya Brahma received the award on his behalf. Vice-Chancellor of Bodoland University, Prof Laishram Ladusingh was the chief guest and he handed over the award. The award consists of a memento, a citation, and a cheque of Rs. 1,00,000.
Chairman of UNB trust, Dr Subung Basumatary said that the award ceremony was started in 2004 and noted writer and former president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Jogendra Kumar Basumatary was given the award for the first time.