Hindi writer Hrishikesh Sulabh was honoured with the 2010 International Indu Sharma Katha Samman by Indian high commissioner Nalin Surie at a function in London on Thursday evening.
Sulabh, born in Bihar’s Chappra district, who is now based in Patna, received the award at a committee room in the House of Commons for his book, Vasant Ke Hatyare, a collection of short stories. The award comprises of a shield, a citation and a shawl. The prize, which was instituted in the memory of poetess and short story writer Indu Sharma, is administered by Katha UK, which propagates the Hindi short-story writing in UK.
Labour MP Barry Gardner, Southall MP Virendra Sharma, Lord Tarsem Singh, Lord Khalid Hameed and Labour councillor Zakia Zubairi were among the guests at the award function.
Katha UK also jointly honoured Mahendra Dawesar Deepak and Kadambari Mehra with this year’s Padmanand Sahitya Samman for their story collections, Apni Apni Aag and Path Ke Phool respectively.
Fifty-five-year-old Sulabh, who is a prominent theatre personality and critic, in his speech said, “It is a difficult situation and ironical that so many decades after Indian Independence, our culture is being destroyed by communalism and we are still fighting a big battle,†he said after being accepting the award. He recalled growing up in his village in Bihar and the harmony between Hindus and Muslims, which has now disappeared.
“To be able to write is the condition I live on. For me writing is like picking up dew drops from the tip of grass blades,†he explained.