NEW DELHI, Dec 21 - Three writers, including two poets, from Assam have won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2016 making the State proud. The annual literary awards were announced here this afternoon.
The award winning writers from the State are Jnan Pujari for his Assamese poetry collection Maghmalar Bhraman, Anju (Anjali Narzary) for her Bodo poetry book Aung Maboroi Dong Dasong and Gita Upadhyay for her Nepali novel Janmabhumi Mero Swadesh.
Eight books of poetry, seven books of short stories, five books of novel, three books of criticism, one book of essay and one book of play have won the Sahitya Akademi awards this year, announced Akademi secretary K Sreenivasarao.
The awards were recommended by jury members representing 24 Indian languages and approved by the executive board of the Sahitya Akademi, which met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Dr Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.
The award that carries an engraved copper plaque, a shawl, a cheque of Rs 1 lakh will be presented at a function in the national capital on February 22.
Meanwhile, replying to questions, Sreenivasarao clarified that awards returned by few authors from Assam have not been accepted by the Akademi. He said the awards handed out by the Akademi are not taken back. The cheques returned to the Akademi were not deposited in bank which implies that they were not accepted, he added.
Last year, joining the growing band of protesting writers, Assamese authors Nirupama Borgohain and Homen Borgohain returned their Sahitya Akademi awards to express disapproval of the �growing intolerance� and Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s �silence� in this connection.
