Assam: Senior litterateur and Sahitya Akademi Award winner Geeta Upadhyay was formally conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award on Sunday at her residence Tezpur (Chandmari). In this special program organized by the Assam government, state cabinet ministers Chandra Mohan Patowari, Dr. Ranoj Pegu and Ashok Singhal gave her this national honor. Due to health reasons, she could not attend the Padma award ceremony held in Delhi, so this event was held in Tezpur.
The legacy of the freedom struggle associated with the family
Gita Upadhyay belongs to a freedom fighter family. She is the granddaughter of the famous freedom fighter Chabilal Upadhyay. She was born in Behali of the then unorganized Sonitpur district of Assam to Tanknath Upadhyay and Bhagirathi Devi. This background enriched her thinking and writing with depth and a sense of patriotism.
Valuable contribution to literature
Gita Upadhyay has enriched Indian literature with many literary works in her life. She is a well-known writer, translator and speaker. The Assamese translation of her major work “The Diary of Anne Frank” is still popular. She considers both Assamese and Nepali languages as her mother tongue, and has been writing equally creatively in both these languages.
Honoured twice by the Sahitya Akademi
Gita Upadhyay was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2012, when she translated Jyoti Prasad Agrawala’s famous Assamese play “Karengar Ligiri” into Nepali. After this, in 2016, she received the Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel “Janmabhoomi Mero Swadesh”. Both these awards prove her multifaceted literary contribution.
Overwhelmed by the honour, expressed gratitude
Gita Upadhyay, after receiving the Padma Shri award, said, “This is a matter of immense joy and gratitude for me.” Assam Home Secretary Partha Majumdar and Additional Chief Secretary of Home and Political Department Ajay Tiwari were also present at this award ceremony. This ceremony was not only an honour for her literary life, but also an appreciation of her contribution to the Indian cultural heritage.
