Sahitya Ratna, Vibhushan, Bhushan, and Shri Awards Presented to Writers Making Outstanding Contributions to Hindi Literature and Journalism

New Delhi: The prestigious literary organization of Delhi, Delhi Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, honored 12 writers this year across various categories. The awards included Sahitya Shri, Sahitya Bhushan, Sahitya Vibhushan, and Sahitya Ratna, recognizing individuals for their contributions to Hindi language, literature, and journalism. The award series had been paused for a few years due to unavoidable reasons but was revived in 2024 based on active participation.

At the award ceremony, Dr. Sacchidanand Joshi, Secretary of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and the chief guest, stated that the award is not just a recognition but a responsibility for writers. He further emphasized that in today’s era of artificial intelligence, the challenges to creative writing are growing, making such awards a source of motivation for original literary work.

Prof. Harish Arora, General Secretary of the Sammelan, highlighted the history and objectives of the organization, noting that the awards scheme continues the vision of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Rajshri Tandon. Senior writer Bal Swaroop Rahi said that the awards inspire writers to enhance their craft, while veteran lyricist Indira Mohan described it as a celebration of creativity and congratulated the awardees.

Special guest Somdatt Sharma remarked that in a rapidly changing world, writers must maintain their identity while guiding society and the nation.

This year, the Sahitya Ratna award was presented to Naresh Shandilya and Shakuntala Kalra. The Sahitya Vibhushan awardees included Suman Bajpai, Shashikant Sharma, Sanjay Kumar Swami, and Tarachand Nadan. Sahitya Bhushan was awarded to Sadanand Pandey and Rajeev Kumar Pandey, while Sahitya Shri recipients were Vinod Babbar, Renu Agrawal, Ankit Sharma, and Arvind Kumar Singh.

The awardees expressed their gratitude towards the Sammelan. Naresh Shandilya said the award was a matter of pride, while Sanjay Kumar Swami dedicated his prize money to the Sammelan. On the occasion, Dr. Veena Gautam and Dr. Neelam Singh edited the commemorative publication.

The event was conducted by Prof. Rachna Bimal, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Ravi Sharma. Members of the Sammelan, writers, researchers, and students attended the program.