Sahitya Akademi to Host Seminar to Honour Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya

Sahitya Akademi, India's premier literary institution, is organizing a two-day National Seminar on November 19 and 20, 2024, to mark the birth centenary of Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, an eminent Assamese writer and former President of Sahitya Akademi.

The event will be organized at the Sahitya Akademi Conference Hall in New Delhi’s Rabindra Bhavan.

Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1924-1997) was a renowned Assamese poet, playwright, translator, editor and literary organizer, the first and the only President of Sahitya Akademi from North East India. He was one of the pioneers of modern Assamese literature and the first ever Assamese writer to receive the Jnanpith Award in the year 1979 for his novel Mrityunjay. Bhattacharya earned the respect of the entire Assamese modern literary sphere for playing a very crucial torch-bearer role in discovering, nurturing and promoting young literary talents in Assam from the 1960s as the Editor of the historic Assamese literary journal Ramdhenu. He served as the President of Asam Sahitya Sabha between 1983-1985 and the recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Iyaruingam.

The seminar will bring together renowned writers and scholars, including the President and Vice-President of Sahitya Akademi, Diganta Biswa Sarma, Vishwas Patil, Kula Saikia, Malaya Khaund, Karabi Deka Hazarika, Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Manoj Goswami, and Ratnottama Das.

During the seminar, some important topics such as The Enduring Legacy of Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Bhattacharyya's Cultural and Social Impact, Dr. Bhattacharyya: Shaping Media and Literary Frontiers will be discussed.

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