Four Assam writers win Sahitya Akademi’s Yuva and Bal Sahitya awards

Staff Reporter, Guwahati, June 15: The prestigious Sahitya Akademi awards brought cheer to the Northeast literary scene on Saturday, with six writers from the region bagging the Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar.Assamese literature finds recognition with Nayanjyoti Sarma winning the Yuva Puraskar for his short story Jal Kota Jui, while Ranju Hazarika lights up the Bal Sahitya Puraskar category with his Assamese novel “Bipanna Bismoi Khel.”Bodo language also shines with Rani Baro receiving the Yuva Puraskar for short story collection “Boro Saikhlum” and Virgin Jakoba Mochahary winning the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for poetry collection “Boro Bhuma Boinibw.”In its recent meeting chaired by President Madhav Kaushik, the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi approved the prestigious Bal Sahitya and Yuva Puraskar Awards for 2024. The awards recognize outstanding literary works published between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022.The recipients will receive a casket containing an engraved copper plaque along with a cheque of Rs. 50,000 at a special ceremony to be held later.The announcement for the Award in Sanskrit will be made separately on a future date.This marks another significant recognition by the Sahitya Akademi, celebrating literary excellence across diverse Indian languages.Manipur adds to the tally:Waikhom Chingkheinganba from Manipur adds to the Northeast’s success with his Yuva Puraskar for the poetry collection “Ashiba Turel.” Continuing Manipur’s winning streak, Kshetrimayum Subadani receives the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for the novel “Malem Atiya.”The Yuva Puraskar awardees will be presented with a casket containing an engraved copper plaque and a cheque of Rs 50,000 at a special function to be held later. The Bal Sahitya Puraskar ceremony will be held in New Delhi on November 14, where awardees will receive a similar casket.This edit condenses the information while highlighting the achievements of the winners and the regional languages represented. It also clarifies the award ceremony details for each category.