CM Pushkar said that the state government is doing concrete work to preserve, compile and restore the scattered literature of the state through the Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan.
CM Pushkar honours litterateurs Shailesh Matiyani, Girish Tiwari, Sherda Illiterate, Hira Singh Rana, Somvari Lal Uniyal and Shri Atul Sharma with Uttarakhand Long Term Sahitya Sevi Samman Under Long Term Sahitya Sevi Samman, award of Rs.5 lakh to litterateurs for their outstanding contribution in the field of literature Encouragement to litterateurs by the State Government through ‘Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman, “‘ Sahitya Bhushan,” ‘Life Time Achievement “Awards Two Sahitya Grams to be set up by the Government Uttarakhand to be developed as a literary tourism hub
The government is also making continuous efforts to preserve the local languages and dialects so that the coming generations remain connected with their rich linguistic heritage. The Chief Minister said that the literary and cultural heritage handed down by our forefathers is not only the heritage of our past, but the foundation of our identity and civilization, hence it is the moral responsibility of all of us to preserve them
. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the ‘Uttarakhand Long Lasting Sahitya Sevi Samman Samaroh’ organized on the occasion of Hindi Diwas at IRDT Auditorium, Survey Check, Dehradun and addressed the litterateurs, poets and language lovers from all over the state and the country.
Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami honoured litterateurs Shailesh Matiyani, Girish Tiwari, Sherda Illiterate, Hira Singh Rana with Uttarakhand Long Term Sahitya Sevi Samman 2025 posthumously. Along with this, the Chief Minister also honoured Shri Somwar Lal Uniyal and Shri Atul Sharma with the Uttarakhand Long Term Literary Service Award. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that it is his good fortune that he is getting the opportunity to honour the great litterateurs who have enriched the Hindi language with the ‘Long-Lasting Sahitya Sevi Samman’. He wished all the literature seekers who are doing the important work of taking the cultural and literary heritage to the new generation with their creativity. Describing Hindi as the expression of the soul and literature as the mirror of the society, the Chief Minister said that litterateurs are the true guides of the sensibilities of the society. He said that literature gives a new direction to the society and also inspires positive change.
Underlining the role of poets and creators in India’s freedom movement, he said that creativity has also been the core of our scriptures and traditions. In his address, Chief Minister Dhami, while referring to the rich literary tradition of Uttarakhand, reverently remembered the creators like Sumitranandan Pant, Mahadevi Verma, Shivani, Shailesh Matiyani, Girda, Sher Da ‘Illiterate’, and ‘Hirda’, who brought alive the life, struggle and culture of Uttarakhand in their creations. He said that among contemporary writers, litterateurs like Atul Sharma, Prasoon Joshi, and Uniyal ji are carrying forward this tradition. The Chief Minister said that the state government is working with full commitment to preserve and promote literature and culture. He informed that continuous efforts are being made for the development of Hindi and other Indian languages through Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan. The government is honouring litterateurs through ‘Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman’, ‘Sahitya Bhushan’, ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards and also encouraging them by organizing creative writing competitions for the new generation.
The Chief Minister announced at the function that under the “Long-term Sahitya Sevi Samman,” a prize money of ₹5 lakh is being given to litterateurs who have made outstanding contributions in the field of literature. At the same time, he also informed that two Sahitya Grams are being set up by the government, in which modern facilities will be made available for the litterateurs. This will go a long way in developing Uttarakhand as a literary tourism hub.
The Chief Minister said that we are organizing creative writing competitions for students from class 6 to degree and university level, through which more than 100 young creators have also been awarded. On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, we have also felicitated 176 students who have secured the best position in various linguistic competitions, including meritorious students who have scored the highest marks in Hindi in the high school and inter examination of the state. Our government has also provided grants to 62 litterateurs for the publication of their books in the last two years. This year too, we have made a special budget provision of Rs. 25 lakh to encourage book publishing. In his address, Chief Minister Dhami said that India’s literature has been a global identity for centuries due to its ideological richness, but unfortunately many literary legacies were neglected in the past. Now under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the cultural and literary identity of the country is getting a new direction and respect. With this inspiration, the state government is also making continuous efforts to preserve local languages and dialects.
At the end of his address, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the writings of the litterateurs would not only give direction to the present but would also play an important role in establishing Hindi as a major language of the world. He called upon all the litterateurs, poets and the gathering to enrich the literary cultural heritage of Uttarakhand and India with their creativity. Minister Subodh Uniyal, MLA Khajan Das, Secretary Neeraj Khairwal, Director Language Institute Mrs. Jaswinder Kaur and many other dignitaries of the state, educationists, litterateurs, students and culture lovers were present on the occasion. Department of Information and Public Relations