A noted literary figure of the valley, Mohi-ud-Din Reshi was selected for the Sahitya Akademi Academy award 2013. He was awarded for his book of short stories in Kashmiri ‘Aena Aatash’.
The award in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cheque for Rs 1,00,000 will be presented to Reshi at a function organised by the Sahitya Akademi inNew Delhi on March 11, 2014.
The book of short stories written by Reshi has been highly acclaimed by various circles in and outside the state. Besides, several of its other short stories have received commendation from critiques like Prof Rehman Rahi, MY Taing, Prof Mohammad Aslam and others.
Apart from Reshi, Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar, Bengali poet Subodh Sarkar, and Bodo poet Anil Boro are among those selected for this year’s Sahitya Akademi Awards.
This year, eight poetry books, four essays, three novels, two short stories and travelogues, and one each of autobiography, memoirs and plays selected for this prestigious literary award.
The awards were recommended by jury members representing 22 Indian languages and approved by the executive board of the Sahitya Akademi which met Wednesday under the chairmanship of Akademi president Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. Each team of jury members comprised of three people who deliberated over the literary works of these writers before finalising the list.
Many of Reshi’s short stories have also been translated and published in different classical and international languages. His stories were also published in English studies in India, a literary journal of University of Kashmir.
One of his short stories ‘Nakh’ (pall-bearing) has been included in the text book of 10th standard by J&K Board of Secondary Education.
Born in 1951, Reshi who lives in Srinagar has worked as assistant editor in the Information Department, Govt. of J&K. He has earlier worked as Editor ‘Aalove’ (Kashmiri), ‘Tameer’ (Urdu), Kashmir Today (English) and also the Aalove has been included in the syllabus of post graduate degree in Kashmiri in the Kashmir University.
The Sahitya Akademi Awards have been given annually since 1955 by the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters. Zinda Kaul “Masterji” was the first Kashmiri to receive this award in 1956 for his poetry “Sumran”. The famed Kashmiri figure, Akhtar Mohiuddin was bestowed with the award in 1958 for his short stories “Sat Sangar”.
-Bilal Handoo
