Eminent Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan was conferred the 56th Jnanpith Award at a ceremony on April 11, 2022. The award ceremony was held for the first time in Assam, considering Phookan's health-related issues. He is 88 years old.
The Jnanpith Award is India's highest literary award.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Chairperson of Jnanpith Selection Board Pratibha Ray handed over the trophy, cheque and other mementos to Phookan. The celebrated poet is known for his pro-people writings.
Speaking on the occasion, Assam CM Sarma said that the Jnanpith Award presented to Phookan made the people of Assam proud and elated. He said that this honour was a great moment of achievement for the Assamese people and thanked the Bharatiya Jnanpith, the organisation giving the award, for presenting the prestigious award to the eminent poet.
Sarma also said Phookan is the third Assamese to receive the prestigious Jnanpith Award, after novelist Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1979) and Mamoni Raisom Goswami (2000).
“Most of the poems of the poet Nilmani Phookan, who created a new era of modern Assamese poetry, are rich in quality and have a beautiful picture of nature... Through poetry, he explores life, youth, love, joy, the world’s most common mysteries, nature and many other subjects,” said Sarma, while terming him as one of the best poets of the 20th century.
The Chief Minister further said that there is a need to take Phookan’s poetry to global readers and expressed a desire that Assam Publication Board undertake to translate his poems.
It is noted that Phookan is also a recipient of the Padma Shri (1990) and the Sahitya Akademi fellowship (2002). Some of his noteworthy works include: 'Gulapi Jamur Lagna', 'Selected Poems of Nilamani Phookan', 'Manas-pratima', among others.
(With inputs from PTI)
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