Dr Amrutha Someshwar gets Bhasha Samman award of Kendra Sahitya Akademi

PTI

New Delhi/Mangaluru, 31 Aug 2017: Renowned Tulu scholar, writer from Tulu Nadu, Dr Amrutha Someshwar has been selected for Bhasha Samman awarded by Sahitya Akademi. The award for the year 2016 will be presented to the writer in recognition of his contribution to language and literature. The award includes cash of Rs 1 lakh, a Copper Plate and it will be presented by Indian president in an event to be organised in the national capital soon.

 

 

A committee comprised of Dr Chinnappa Gowda, Professor Chandrakala Nanadavar and Janaki Brahmavar selected the name of Dr Someshwar to the prestigious award. The committee decided to finalize the name of the author considering his contribution for the development of Tulu language and literature. Someshwar translated some of his Tulu works into Kannada and vice versa whereas he authored seven Tulu drama works including Tulu anthologies.

 

Sahitya Akademi has been giving annual awards to books of outstanding merit and annual prizes for outstanding translations in the 24 languages recognised by it. However, the Akademi felt that in a multilingual country like India that has hundreds of languages and dialects, Akademi’s activities should be extended beyond the recognised ones by acknowledging and promoting literary creativity as well as academic research in non-recognised languages.

 

The Akademi, therefore, instituted Bhasha Samman in 1996 to be given to writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers or translators who have made considerable contribution to the propagation, modernization or enrichment of the languages concerned.