Sahitya Akademi honours 'Bal Sahitya Award' winners

Lucknow: The Sahitya Akademi presented its 2024 Bal Sahitya Awards here on Thursday, recognising 23 authors across various Indian languages for their significant contributions to children's literature.

Each awardee received a copper plaque and a cash prize of Rs 50,000, according to an official statement issued after the presentation of the honours.

The awardees included Ranju Hazarika (Assamese), Dipanwita Roy (Bengali), Bharjin Jacob Mosahari (Bodo), Bishan Singh Dardi (Dogri), Gira Pinakin Bhatt (Gujarati), Krishnamurthy Biligeri (Kannada), Muzaffar Hussain Dilbar (Kashmiri), Harsha Sadguru Shetye (Konkani), Narayanji (Maithili), Unni Ammayambalam (Malayalam), Kshetrimayum Suvadani (Manipuri), Bharat Sasne (Marathi), Vasant Thapa (Nepali), Manas Ranjan Samal (Odia), Kuldeep Singh Deep (Punjabi), Prahlad Singh Jhora (Rajasthani), Harshdev Madhav (Sanskrit), Dugai Tudu (Santali), Yuma Vasuki (Tamil) and Pamidimukkala Chandrashekhar Azad (Telugu).

Nandini Sengupta's award for English was accepted by a representative, while some winners, including Devendra Kumar (Hindi), Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (Urdu) and Lal Hotchandani (Sindhi), were unable to attend the programme due to health reasons.

The event was inaugurated by Prof. Suryaprasad Dixit, who highlighted the importance of creating children's literature that is engaging, visually appealing and reflective of child psychology.

He emphasised the need for relatable content that fuels children's curiosity and interest in diverse subjects, from adventure to the lives of inspiring figures.

Sahitya Akademi Vice President Kumud Sharma thanked the awardees, underscoring the role of children's literature in fostering psychological resilience and creativity.

Secretary K Srinivas Rao noted that it was the first time that these awards were presented in Lucknow, known for its rich cultural heritage.

The Bal Sahitya Akademi awards were started in 2010 by the Sahitya Akademi, which was formed in 1954 as India's National Academy of Letters --“ a central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country.