Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 25: Narsingh Dev Jamwal, Fayaz Ahmad Jan and Tsering Norboo of Jammu & Kashmir State have been selected for prestigious Padma Shri Awards, one of the highest civilian awards of the country, announced on the eve of 70th Republic Day.
Narsingh Dev Jamwal of Jammu has been named for conferment of this award for his work in the field of Literature and Education while Fayaz Ahmad Jan of Kashmir and Tsering Norboo of Ladakh have been selected for their work in Art-Craft-Papier Mache and Medicine Surgery, respectively.
These awards will be conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function, which will be held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, around March-April.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh today said the Padma Shri was long due to N D Jamwal and Tsering Norboo in view of their works but the previous Governments had ignored them.
Dr Jitendra Singh said both Jamwal and Norboo have received well deserved honours.
This year, the President of India has approved conferment of 112 Padma Awards, including one duo case. The list comprised four Padma Vibhushan, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards. 21 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 11 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, three Posthumous awardees and one transgender.
Pertinent to mention that Padma Awards are conferred for distinguished services in various disciplines/fields of activities. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
Narsingh Dev Jamwal, born on February 28, 1931 at Bhalwal in Jammu, did his Matriculation from Punjab University Lahore in 1945 and BA in 197 from J&K University, MA and Pre Ph D in 1991 from Jammu University.
He joined J&K Police in 1953 and retired as Dy Supdt of Police in 1986. As a writer (Dogri), Poet, Short story writer, Playwright, Novelist and Essayist, his 40 book have been published so far. He has already been honoured with Sahitya Akademi Award for novel ‘Sanjhi Dharti Bakhle Mahnu’ in 1978, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award as a playwright in 2008, State Academy’s Best Book Award in 1967, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1990, 1994 and 2012.
As a regular contributor to Radio and Doordarshan, about 90 Radio Plays have been written by him. He had been the member of Sahitya Akademi Advisory Board, J&K State Academy’s Advisory Board for Dogri, Fine Arts and the Plastic Arts, General Council and the Central Committee, Advisories of DDK Jammu, Dogra Himachal Sanskriti Sangam, New Delhi, Dogri Sanstha Jammu, Prasar Bharti Jammu, ICELA Jammu Chapter, INTACH Jammu Chapter, Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society etc. His art works have been displayed at various National Art Exhibitions.
Fayaz Ahmad Jan, who has also been selected for the Padma Shri award, is a famous award winning Kashmir based Paper Mache artisan. He is doing this art for the last 35 years. His forefathers have been practicing this art since hundreds of years.
He has participated in workshops in USA, France, Sweden, Italy, Singapore, Oman, Dubai, Iran and Kirgistan. He won the National Award way back in 1988 and National Merit Certificate in 1985 for his works. At that time, only a handful of artisans were practicing this art at national and international levels. He has a workshop in Rainwari Srinagar.
He also takes help from other local artisans to fulfill large orders as he gets such orders from across the globe. He makes various showpieces, jewelry boxes, vases, bowls, lamp base, trays, table-tops, paintings and also experiments with new products from time to time.
He was the main worker for Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s 1,000 sq ft murals of meticulously done paper mache and intricately carved wood work prepared over more than one year.
Tsering Norboo of Leh, who has been selected for Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of Medicine-Surgery, is an octogenarian Doctor, retired from the Department of Health Services. He has been rendering free Medical services to the people, particularly in far flung areas of Leh for the last 30 years.
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