By OP Sharma
A renowned Dogri writer and linguistic, Prof. Veena Gupta has bagged the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2022 for her famous literary book entitled ‘Chhe Roopak' containing six Radio Features in typical and literary language.
After receiving this covetous award on March 11, 2023 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi from Madhav Kaushik, president, Sahitya Akademi she arrived in Jammu and was full of enthusiasm and pleasure. She recalled that other eminent Indian languages writers of 24 Indian languages : Dogri, Bengali, Hindi, Gujrati, Tamil, Nepali, Punjabi, Malyalam, Kannad, Kashmiri, Urdu and so on attended the glittering function.
The award winning 139-page book ‘Chhe Roopak' by Prof. Gupta has been published by Highway Publications, Jammu during 2019 and priced at Rs. 300. It contains six Radio plays in Dogri broadcasted by Radio Station, Jammu and are based on much research work by this prominent Dogri writer. The contents are : Dogri Bhasha Te Isdha Roop Saroop; Bakmal Dogri Shayar : Vedpal Deep; Bejor Dogri Lekhak : Narender Khajuria; Duggar De Parv-Teyar; Duggar Da Mausmi Khan-Peen; Brat-Natain Ch Duggar Da Khan-Paan. This Publishing House is doing a great service to the writer community.
Simple & Sweet
Prof. Gupta has complete control over the language and writes in simple and stylist way which is very easy to understand for the common readership. it is a unique work of its kind and has high literary merit.
Prof. Veena Gupta has gone deep into the origin, sustained growth and development of this Indian language which has vast scope for its further enrichment and popularity. Its distinct identity and also origin, gradual growth and recent development for this Indian Language has vast scope for its further enrichment and popularity. It is distinct identity and also dignity of the people in this part of the country. Its readership, listenership and viewership is definitely going upswing through innovative and technical deployment of modern engines like computerisation and other techniques with ever-growing full support of the people.
The Foreword of this book has been penned by Prof. Lalit Magotra, president, Dogri Sanstha, Jammu who has a high word of praise for this book's literary value and good work done by Prof. Veena Gupta as a singular contribution to Dogri literature. Prof. Veena Gupta, in her ‘Mere Pashya' while highlighted the distinct features of this rich Dogri language : its sweetness, rich literature and vast vocabulary which being now advancing alongside other Indian languages.
Exclusive Interview
In an exclusively interview with me, Prof. Veena Gupta told that she was really surprised but also felt proud that she is recipient of this prestigious award in her mother-tongue Dogri. She now joins the galaxy of ‘Doyens of Dogri'. Answering a question she said : “I have worked a lot and written a number of books in Dogri and also projected and promoted it without expectations of any award but added that this honour is for the Dogri Language and our people.”
It may be mentioned that she has written large number of books, got conducted research work for PhD degrees to many scholars as Head of the Department, Dogri Department, Jammu University and also worked for promotion of mother tongue Dogri as a top functionary of premier, Dogri Sanstha, Karan Nagar Jammu to promote and popularise Dogri language and Duggar's rich cultural heritage.
The contribution of Prof. Veena Gupta is really very significant and she deserved this prize /honour.
Literary Work
Prof. Gupta's book Chhe Roopak in Dogri is a top class literary work containing very illuminating information in a very simple but stylist manner. It makes an absorbing reading and one gets mine of information and inside story of its origin, growth and development with a long history. Ultimately, Dogri got the Constitutional status in the year 2004 and placed in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution as one of the 24 languages. Prof. Veena Gupta is one of the stalwart of Dogri language who has made a tangible contribution to Dogri language and its literature as also worked matchlessly for its promotion and also bring it to the digital-savvy IT domain. She is still active and continuing to strive for flourishing the Dogri language.
The citation of the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi has recorded as follows :
“The Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi gives this prestigious Award in every year to all the Indian languages. This Akademi, New Delhi started awarding Dogri language writers, poets from the year 1970 with first awardees Narender Khajuria and subsequently so far nearly 50 have been the recipient of this prestigious Award .
Enrichment of Dogri
Prof. Veena Gupta is the latest to be bestowed this rare honour/Award which carries citation, cash prize as well as Shawl. She is also recipient of Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan Sauhard Samman for Dogri -2021.
Veena Gupta is an eminent Dogri writer, linguist and playwright. She was born on October 31, 1950 in Jammu. She holds a Master's degree in Sanskrit and PhD in Linguistics. She knows English, Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu, besides Dogri. She retired as HoD, Dogri Department, Jammu University. She has several publications to her credit, notable among which are Anuvad Vigyan, Dogri Bhasha; Udbhav our Vikas Dogri Kavita; Pramukh Rujhan, Ashwini Magotra Life and Works, etc. She is the recipient of several awards and distinctions such as Jammu and Kashmir State Award, Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize, Maharashtra State Hindi Sahitya Akademi Award.”
‘Chhe Roopak' is a collection of outstanding plays that scholarly speak of the Dogri language, eminent writers in Dogri and significant Dogri cultural elements. Rooted in the writer's formidable research and irrefutable insights into Dogri literature and culture, the plays are readily relatable to any generation of readers and are the outcome of the writer's deep understanding of the contemporary Dogri cultural milieu. As such, Chhe Roopak is considered as an important contribution to the genre of Indian drama in Dogri.”
Prof. Veena Gupta, recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award, has made solid and singular contribution to her mother tongue Dogri which will outshine in the years to come and inspire future young writers and poets as also usher in new horizons of Dogri language.
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