Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a Felicitation Ceremony to honour those who have served the cause of literature. Among those who have made a difference to the literary and cultural atmosphere of the city are writers Gulzar Sandhu, Gursharan Singh. H.S. Nama, Indu Bali, Kashmiri Lal Zakir, Mohan Bhandari, Virendra Mehndirattaa, R.D. Sharma Taseer, and Yash Gulati, all of them well-known names in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu literature.
The Ceremony was presided over by the Sr. Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh, Shri Bhupinder Singh Badheri. The awards to the writers include a commemorative plaque and a cash incentive of Rs. 11,000 each.
The event took place in the Randhawa Auditorium of Punjab Kala Bhavan, Sector 16, Chandigarh, which was packed to capacity and reverberated with applause as the awards were received by veteran writers, often with a show of emotion. Some of them fondly remembered Dr M.S. Randhawa who had contributed a lot to the city of Chandigarh and also founded the three akademis of the Arts Council of Chandigarh.
Chairperson of the CSA, Manju Jaidka, welcomed all and enumerated the aims and achievements of the akademi. She explained that the function was not simply to honour established writers who had dedicated their lives to literature but also to award young achievers who had participated in creative writing competitions organized by the CSA and won prizes. Caring for upcoming talent in the city is an important agenda of the akademi. She reiterated the CSA’s intention to provide a platform to all lovers of literature in Chandigarh, not only to showcase their talents but to facilitate their interaction with writers from outside the city and from all age groups and creat a strong, vibrant culture in the city through the promotion of literature.
In his concluding remarks, Mr Bhupinder Singh Badheri, Deputy Mayor, who presided over the event, congratulated the awardees and also the organizers of the event, appreciating the idea that the young and old, both are part of the city and their talents need to be encouraged.
Madhav Kaushik, Secretary, CSA, ably conducted the function, brought it to a close and invited all to a photo session followed by high tea in the lawns outside.
Chairperson of the CSA, Manju Jaidka, welcomed all and enumerated the aims and achievements of the akademi. She explained that the function was not simply to honour established writers who had dedicated their lives to literature but also to award young achievers who had participated in creative writing competitions organized by the CSA and won prizes. Caring for upcoming talent in the city is an important agenda of the akademi. She reiterated the CSA’s intention to provide a platform to all lovers of literature in Chandigarh, not only to showcase their talents but to facilitate their interaction with writers from outside the city and from all age groups and creat a strong, vibrant culture in the city through the promotion of literature.
In his concluding remarks, Mr Bhupinder Singh Badheri, Deputy Mayor, who presided over the event, congratulated the awardees and also the organizers of the event, appreciating the idea that the young and old, both are part of the city and their talents need to be encouraged.
Madhav Kaushik, Secretary, CSA, ably conducted the function, brought it to a close and invited all to a photo session followed by high tea in the lawns outside.
