A well-known story writer Madhu Kankariya was awarded IFFCO’s ‘Shri Lal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Sahitya Samman 2023’ in a glittering function organized at the NCUI Auditorium in New Delhi on Saturday.
The award was given away by senior litterateurs Dr. Vishwanath Tripathi and Mridula Garg in the presence of IFFCO MD Dr U S Awasthi and others.
The winning litterateur was presented with a memento, a citation and a cheque for an amount of Rs 11 lakh.
The jury committee was headed by senior litterateur Prof. Asghar Wajahat and the members included Murli Manohar Prasad Singh, Dr. Anamika, Priyadarshan, Ravindra Tripathi and Utkarsh Shukla.
Extending his greetings to Madhu Kankariya, IFFCO Managing Director Dr. U S Awasthi said, “She has raised issues of several nagging social concerns on a broad canvass which encompassed whole gamut of issues ranging from the life of a prostitute to the menace of drug abuse among the youths.”
Referring to Madhu’s works, Awasthi said her story has tried to capture the cruel reality of time. He said that IFFCO is associated with 35,000 cooperative societies, which are always working for the welfare of farmers as well as to save soil and the environment.
On this occasion, Awasthi also informed the participants about the IFFCO Nano fertilizers. The IFFCO MD urged the gathering to keep literature alive in the country, every family should take a pledge to buy at least one book every year. This will not only benefit litterateurs but also encourage them to write more.
The Chairman of the Selection Committee, Prof. Asghar Wajahat gave detailed information about the selection process.
The chief guest of the program litterateur Dr. Vishwanath Tripathi expressed happiness over honouring Ms. Madhu Kankaria and described her writings as extremely important. He said that the work Madhu Kankaria has done by articulating the reality of society through research-based writing is indeed commendable.
Expressing her happiness while receiving the award, Mrs. Madhu Kankaria said that she is overwhelmed by receiving the award. Thanking IFFCO and Managing Director Dr. Uday Shankar Awasthi, she said that IFFCO has a special role in keeping literature alive in the anti-literary era, which will be remembered by the coming generations.
Kankariya was born on 23rd March 1957 in Kolkata. She has penned several works of prose, novels and poems. Her novel, ‘Hum Yahan’, is based on the struggles of the tribal people in Jharkhand. It also provides an insight into the culture, society, and economic conditions of Kolkata.
Kathakram Puruskar, Hemchandra Smriti Sahitya Samman, Vijay Verma Katha Samman, Pratham Vidya Sahitya Samman and many more have already been conferred on her. Among the books written by the 65-year-old are Pattakhor, Khule Gagan Ke Laal Sitaare, Salaam Aakhri, and Bhaari Dupahr Ke Andhere.
This award, started in the year 2011 in the memory of illustrious story writer Shrilal Shukla, is given every year to such a Hindi writer whose works mainly depict the problems, aspirations and struggles related to rural and agricultural life.
This honour had been given to Vidyasagar Nautiyal, Shekhar Joshi, Sanjeev, Mithileshwar, Ashtabhuja Shukla, Kamalakant Tripathi, Ramdev Dhurandhar, Ramdhari Singh ‘Divakar’, Mahesh Katare and Ranendra so far.
Artists of Delhi’s theatre staged the play ‘Ek Chor Ki Kahani’ based on the composition of Shrilal Shukla, directed by Vijay Srivastava. A large number of literature lovers including farmers, teachers, students participated in the function.
