Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 27: A total of 53 people, including six Village Defence Guards (VDGs), who exhibited exemplary bravery during an anti-terror operation in Assar area of Doda District in August last year, were conferred with the State Awards on the occasion of Republic Day this year.
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The awarded VDGs-Chahal Singh, Mohinder Singh, Ravi Kumar, Bittu Ram, Sanghar Singh, and Pawan Kumar-received a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation for the entire team.
As per details available with the Excelsior, the VDGs were awarded for showing exemplary bravery by engaging a group of four terrorists along with SOG in Hirni area of Assar in the upper reaches of Doda District in the month of August last year.
An Army Captain Deepak Singh attained martyrdom in the ensuing encounter while as a terrorist was also gunned down by the security forces in the gun battle. Three terrorists managed to escape from the spot.
An M4 rifle, an AK47 and four rucksacks from the encounter site were also recovered with the body of the terrorist.
In the field of literature, Raj Kumar Sharma of Nai Basti Reasi, eminent Dogri writer and Sahitya Akademi awardee Prakash Chander Sharma (Prakash Premi) of Dhar Road Udhampur, writer and translator Manshoor Banihali (Abdul Gani Giri), writer and translator Dr Farooq Fayaz of Umar Colony, Khosa Bagh, Bagh-i-Kanipura, Nowgam. Hindi writer Kulbhushan Mahotra of Village Amuwala (Ramkote) Kathua, writer and translator Surinder Kour (Neer) of House number 5, Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Kunjwani, Jammu, and playwright and contributor Gulab-ud-Din Tahir of Malik Bagh, Katianwali Gohan, Handoosa, Baramulla got the State Award. All the awardees received a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation.
In the category of performing arts, theatre artist Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan of Safia House, Kursu Rajbagh, Srinagar, musician Dr Shazia Hamid of Gurgadi Mohalla, Zainakadal, Srinagar, singer and composer Kaiser Nizami, Kashmiri Folk-Bandpather artists Gulzar Ahmad Bhat of Wathura, Budgam, actor Mukesh Reshi, singer Sonali Dogra, TV, Radio and film actor Zameer Ashai of Ashai Manzil, Main Road, Baghat Chowk, Srinagar, singer Mayank Raina, and singer Samridhi Sen of Kishtwar, have been awarded the State Award.
Mayank Raina, from a distinguished musical family in Kashmir, is an accomplished sitarist and flutist. Trained by his grandfather, Pandit Omkar Nath Raina, and later by Padma Bhushan Pandit Debu Choudhury, he has won numerous awards, including the first gold medal in the Shri Baba Harballabh Sangeet Pratiyogita. Mayank has performed at prestigious events, including for the President and Prime Minister of India, and shared the stage with renowned artists like Pandit Debu Choudhury.
Awardees in this category also received a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation.
Mukhtar Ahmad Bhat of Sonapah, Beerwah, Budgam, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of MA Colony Haka Bazar, Badamwari, Srinagar, writer/social activist/archaeologist Anil Paba of Paba Street, Udhampur and Suresh Kumar Abrol, Director Manuscripts Conservation Centre, Jammu, have been awarded in the category of Excellence in Arts and Crafts. A cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation to each awardee was awarded in this category as well.
For Social Reforms & Empowerment, Itinderpal Singh Bali of Kanth Bagh, Baramulla, Save Youth Save Future NGO of Wajahat Farooq Bhat, social activist Preeti Choudhary of Satwari, Jammu, social activist Ram Sewak Sharma, Principal of Bera Bhatta, Kishtwar, Dr Abdul Majid Ganai, HoD Psychiatry, SKIMS Medical College and Hospital, Bemina, Srinagar, and Mohammad Asad Nomani of Village Khanetar, Tehsil Haveli, District Poonch received the State Award with a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation to each awardee.
The State Awards in the category of Meritorious Public Service, with a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation to individual awardee, were awarded to Shabnam Kamil, JKAS officer, Kishore Singh Chib, JKAS officer, Haris Ahmad Handoo, JKAS officer, Dr Iffat Hussain Shah, Principal/Dean, GMC Srinagar, Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, Vice Chancellor, Islamic University of Science & Technology, Awantipora, and Dr Anjum Andrabi, Assistant Director, HADP.
The lifetime achievement award was conferred upon Ishwar Dass Soni, Retired Deputy Director, Department of School Education. He too got a cash prize of Rs 51000 with a citation.
In the category of Outstanding Sports persons, the awardees are Roller Skating-Speed Skating/Inline Hockey player Tarun Gandotra, Gymnast Rudhraksh Khanna, Fencer Riya Bakshi, Cricketer Abdul Samad, Footballer Ulfat Banu, and Cricketer Jasiya Akhter.
Pooja Shali of India Today group, Hafiz Ayaz Gani of Rising Kashmir, Binoo Joshi of JK News Today, Asha Sarmal of Gulistan News, Yehya Sultan of News 18, Rahil Gupta of Cross Town News, and Komal Singh Manhas, Bureau Chief of News-18 were awarded the State Award in the Category of Outstanding Media Persons, with a cash prize of Rs 51000 and a citation to each awardee.
For Outstanding efforts in environment writing, Arif Shafi Wani of Greater Kashmir newspaper was awarded the State Award with a cash prize of Rs 51000 and citation.
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