'VYAS SAMMAN' AWARDED TO SHRI GOVIND MISHRA
Dr. Jai Maharaj
The Hindustan Times
December 20, 1998
[Caption] Home Minister L. K. Advani presenting Vyas Samman to
noted Hindi writer Govind Mishra. The function was organised by the
K.K. Birla Foundation in the Capital on Sunday. Mr K.K. Birla is on
the extreme left -- Photo: H.C. Tiwari Noted writer Govind Mishra
was today awarded the Vyas Samman 1998, for his book 善aanch Angano
Wala Ghar'.
Nayee Dillee (HTC)- While presenting the award to the noted writer,
Union Home Minister L. K. Advani said that Hindi could have acted as
a great unifying factor and a means for enhancing national
integration. However, it was unfortunate that differences had
prevented the language from taking the place it rightly deserved.
Mr Advani said that awards such as the Vyas Samman were a step in
the right direction and that he was honoured to have had the
opportunity to be a part of such an award ceremony.
The Vyas Samman is given by the K. K. Birla Foundation to an
outstanding work in Hindi, published during the last ten years.
After welcoming the guests at the function, Mr K. K. Birla, Chairman
of the foundation, said that the Vyas Samman had been constituted
keeping in view the national importance of the language. Though
there were several awards being given to writers, Mr Birla said
that the Vyas Samman was the only award, in his knowledge, which
honoured the author for a specific piece of work. He also expressed
his gratitude for the members of the award selection committee and
said that the foundation had been fortunate to have distinguished
literateurs on the committee.
The job of selecting a piece of work for the award was not an easy
one, he said, however late Prof. Shayamacharan Dubey, the former
head of the selection committee, had managed to set high standards
for the award. After his sad demise, the work was being done
admirably by the committee under the leadership of Prof. Bholabhai
Patel. 'Paanch Angano Wala Ghar', said Prof Patel, was a search for
Indian values. The novel charts the events that occur over three
generations in a family from 1940 to 1990. Though the book is about
one particular household and how it's members disperse as moral
values change, the story symbolises entire India, he said.
Speaking about the author, Mr Patel said that Mr Govind Mishra was
a writer of many facets and had not only penned down several novels
but also stories and poems. The novel for which Mr Mishra was being
awarded was his seventh. While accepting the award, Mr Mishra said
that he was pleased that the award was for the work and not for the
author. The latter, he said, was perishable while his work would
remain immortal. Besides, if it were the good qualities in a person
that were being recognised, then the person would surely also have
bad qualities in him.
He said that though he was the medium through which his works had
been created, each work had it's own character -- an identity which
was separate from his own. Govind Mishra, who recently retired as a
senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, began his literary
career in 1969 when his first novel 'Wah Apna Chehra' was
published. In 1976, he published his renowned novel 'Lal Pili
Jameen'.
Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the
educational purposes of research and open discussion.
Source - http://www.hindustantimes.com/
Jai Maharaj
Jyotishi, Vedic Astrologer
"A king, though endowed with little prowess,
starting on an expedition at the proper time, in
view of the good positions of the planets, achieves
greatness that is eulogised in the scriptures."
- Brhat Samhita, 104.60
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Om Shanti