Sahitya Akademi awards to Kula Saikia, Brajen Brahma

assamtribune.com

Spl Correspondent  NEW DELHI, Dec 17 - Additional Director of Assam Police Kula Saikia has been honoured with this year’s Sahitya Akademi Award for his short-story collection Akashar Chhabi Aru Anyanya Galpa, while Brajendra Kr Brahma has won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poetry Baidi Dengkhw Baidi Gab. In all, six books each of short-stories and poetry, four novels, two books each of essays, criticism and plays, and one of memoirs have won the Sahitya Akademi Award this year. The Award in Bengali will be announced later, it was declared here today. The jury that selected Kula Saikia’s works included Gangapada Choudhury, Nirupama Borgohain and Dr Namita Deka, while Brahma’s book was selected by a jury comprising Gobinda Narzary, Dr Indira Boro and Mihir Kr Brahma. The books were selected on the basis of recommendation by a jury of three members in the concerned language in accordance with the procedure. According to the procedure, the executive board declared the awards on the basis of unanimous selection made by the jurors or selection made on the basis of majority vote. Well-known as a short-story writer, Kula Saikia has got 12 short-story collections published to his credit. In the year 2000, he was honoured with the prestigious Katha Award. He is a regular contributor to the vernacular and English dailies and journals on special themes and current issues, ranging from economic development, brand management, energy planning to literary criticism and public diplomacy.