Five from Assam bag Sahitya Akademi awards 2024

Our Bureau

Guwahati/Silchar: Five from Assam have bagged the coveted Sahitya Akademi awards, in the categories of Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2024 and Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2024. The awardees were announced by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi, following a meeting held today.

The five winners are Ranju Hazarika, Virgin Jekova Machahary, Nayanjyoti Sarma, Self-Made Rani Baro and Sutapa Chakraborty.

In the category of Children's Literature, there are two awardees from Assam. Ranju Hazarika has been awarded the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2024 for his Assamese novel titled 'Biponna Bismoi Khel', while Virgin Jekova Machahary has been awarded the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2024 for her poetry collection in the Bodo language titled 'Buhuma Boynibw'.

In the Youth Awards category, there are three winners from Assam. Nayanjyoti Sarma was honoured for his Assamese short story collection, "Jaal Kota Jui". Self-Made Rani Baro received the award for her Bodo short story collection, "Saikhlum". Moreover, Sutapa Chakraborty was accorded the honour for her Bengali poetry collection, 'Deraje Halud Ful, Gatajanma'.

In response to the news of his win, Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2024 awardee Ranju Hazarika told the media, "I did not write the novel expecting to win the Sahitya Akademi. Whatever I create, I write with my heart and soul. I try to become a child because only a child can understand another. 'Biponna Bismoi Khel' is an adventure story of two children. They love adventure, and whenever they come across a mystery, they try to solve it. They don't want to lose."

Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2024 awardee Nayanjyoti Sarma expressed his emotions by saying, "I am very happy to be chosen for the award. It will encourage me to be a responsible writer. My parents are teachers, and I cultivated the habit of reading from an early age. I started writing seriously in 2016, and my stories were published in different Assamese magazines. My Assamese short story collection 'Jaal Kota Jui' was published in 2022. Last year, the book fetched me the Munin Barkotoki award."

Sutapa Chakrabarty, the young poet from Silchar, brought laurels to the Barak Valley after she was selected for this year's Yuva Sahitya Puraskar. Sutapa won this prestigious award for her poetry collection  'Deraje Holud Ful, Gatajanme'. A budding poetess from a distant place from mainstream Bengali literature, Sutapa finally made it to the coveted award for her unique style.

A casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque for an amount of Rs. 50,000 will be presented to each awardee at a special ceremony to be held later.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated all the awardees on his official handle on X, expressing pride in their achievements.

The Sahitya Akademi awards honour exemplary contributions to literature in various Indian languages. The awards recognize literary works published between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. The selection process involved language-specific juries, each comprising three members, who carefully evaluate the submissions and make their recommendations based on unanimous or majority votes.

Also Read: Assam: Renowned Assamese Author and Sahitya Akademi Award Recipient, Dr. Pranabjyoti Deka, Passes Away at 84 (sentinelassam.com)

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