In a simple but impressive award ceremony function, Dogri Sanstha Jammu today honoured Ashok Ambar with this year’s Prof Ram Nath Shastri Memorial Award-2022, which carries a cash award of Rs 21,000, a shawl, a memento and a certificate.
The family of Padmashri Ram Nath Shastri has instituted this annual literary award in the memory of father figure in Dogri in 2014 for encouraging the new writers and is given to a writer for his first book published in the last five years.
This was 9th award and before Ashok Ambar, Shailender Singh, Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’, Shakunt Deepmala, Susheel Begana, Pitambar Nath Sharma, Ashok Dutta, Raz Manawari and Ashok Angurana have the honour for being honoured with this prestigious award.
While presiding over the award ceremony function, Prof Lalit Magotra, President Dogri Sanstha Jammu, spoke about the significance of this award. He said that this award is just a continuous effort, as were made by Prof Ram Nath Shastri himself during his lifetime, to encourage Dogri writers to pen down their creative writings in their own mother tongue and contribute in a much-needed movement for preserving Dogri and inspiring all Dogras to give all respect to mother tongue by encouraging conversation in Dogri.
Ajit Khajuria, son of Prof Ram Nath Shastri, who was chief guest on the occasion, also shared his memories about his father and his sheer dedication for mother tongue Dogri and cultural heritage of Duggar Pradesh.
Ashok Ambar, while speaking at length about his literary journey, also recited a few Ghazals from his book “Nama Savera”, a collection of Ghazals which has bagged him this prestigious award.
The proceedings of the function were conducted by Promila Manhas and vote of thanks was presented by Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’, General Secretary, Dogri Sanstha Jammu.
