IMPHAL, May 11: The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad observed its 79th birth anniversary on Sunday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy.
On its birth anniversary, the Parishad presented awards which include a cash prize, memento and citation to 24 renowned persons in the field of art and culture.
Addressing the function, Governor VK Duggal said he was happy to be among the galaxy of personalities from different fields of art and culture whose contributions have made Manipur proud.
Lauding the award winners who were being recognised by the Parishad for their immense contribution towards the enrichment of Manipuri culture, he said Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, established in 1935, is the oldest literary group in Manipur and its hallmark is to recognise talent and contributions and not just conferring awards.
“The first award, in music, was handed over in 1937. With the passage of time, the number of awards has increased covering different aspects of culture and literature,” he elaborated.
Stating that the awards of the Parishad have become popular and these are considered at par with the awards handed over by the state and its organs, he pointed out that many of the awardees of the Parishad were conferred State and National Awards including the Padmashri.
“The contribution of the Parishad to Manipuri literature is immense, its contribution towards the recognition of Manipuri language as a subject of study at Graduate level of Calcutta University in 1948, recognition of Manipuri language by the Sahitya Akademi in 1985, inclusion of Manipuri Language in the 8th schedule of the Constitution in 1992, etc are historic achievements”, he said.
VK Duggal said the landmark achievements were possible because the Parishad worked overtime conducting research, bringing out publications, etc, adding that its efforts and that of other like-minded bodies, has put Manipuri language in the firmament of Indian literature.
It is heartening to see that the Parishad, which is approaching 80, is still very sprightly in its activities and endeavors and I hope that it will achieve the centenary without any hassle with its head held high, the Governor said.
