Punjabi Novel 'Baki Safa 5 Par' Nominated For 'Bank of Baroda Rashtrabhasha Samman'
Chandigarh: Bank of Baroda, a leading public sector bank in India, recently announced the nominations for the inaugural "Bank of Baroda Rashtrabhasha Samman" Awards 2023. The awards aim to recognize and promote literary works in various Indian languages, as well as make them accessible to a wider audience through translations into Hindi. Among the 12 novels nominated for the award is the Punjabi novel titled "Baki Safa 5 Par."
The unique aspect of this award is that it recognizes both the original author and the translator of the book into Hindi. The author of the winning book will receive a cash prize of Rs. 21.00 lakh, while the Hindi translator will be awarded Rs. 15.00 lakh. Additionally, the authors and translators of the next five shortlisted books will receive Rs. 3.00 lakh and Rs. 2.00 lakh respectively.
At an event held in Chandigarh, the author of "Baki Safa 5 Par," Mr. Roop Singh, and the translator, Mr. Subhash Neerav, participated in a panel discussion with Sh. Ajay K Khurana, Executive Director of Bank of Baroda. The discussion revolved around the landscape of Indian literature and the significance of the Rashtrabhasha Samman award for the literary community across India.
Mr. Ajay K Khurana, speaking at the event, highlighted that the "Bank of Baroda Rashtrabhasha Samman" is the most prestigious award of its kind, established to promote contributions in the literary field. The award will distribute a total of Rs. 61 lakh to the best novels written in Indian languages and their Hindi translators. It reflects the bank's commitment to the linguistic development of the country by acknowledging languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The novel "Baki Safa 5 Par" by Mr. Roop Singh portrays the helplessness of the youth and their families in the Punjab countryside amidst separatist terrorism. They face both police brutality and the allure of terrorists, leading to tragic consequences as their attachment to family prevents them from escaping.
The five-member awards jury, chaired by renowned author and Booker Prize winner Ms. Geetanjali Shree, consists of Mr. Arun Kamal, Mr. Pushpesh Pant, Ms. Anamika, and Mr. Prabhat Ranjan. The Bank received numerous nominations in different Indian languages during the nomination period from March to April 2023, from which the jury shortlisted 12 books.
The winner of the 'Bank of Baroda Rashtrabhasha Samman' Award will be announced in mid-June 2023 in Delhi. This award signifies the bank's commitment to promoting Indian literature and encouraging translations to bridge the linguistic gap and expand the readership of these novels.
