Akhtar Mohiuddin (born Ghulam Mohiuddin Wani; 17 April 1928 – 2001), was a
Kashmiri
Kashmiri may refer to:
* People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir
* Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley
* Kashmiri language, the language of the Kashmiris ethnic group
People with the nam ...
novelist, playwright and short story writer, who made significant contribution to the development of modern
Kashmiri literature
Literature of Kashmir has a long history, the oldest texts having been composed in the Sanskrit language. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the ''Mahābhāṣya'' commentary on Pāṇini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the sam ...
.
Early life
Born in
Srinagar
Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...
,
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir may refer to:
* Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019
* Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
, his novel, ''Dod Dag'' is considered as the first novel written and published in Kashmiri. He received
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
in 1958 for his short story collection ''Sath Sangar''.
His early writing were in Urdu. ''Sath Sangar'' and ''Sonzal'' are his collection of short stories. He also wrote some plays. The depiction of human nature and handling of human nature are the main features of his writings. The
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
conferred him the
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 1968.
He returned the Padma Shri in protest against the hanging of
Maqbool Bhat, whom he considered the "National Hero of Kashmir".
Further reading
*
Akhtar Mohiuddin. Enmeshed Life: Translation of a novella originally written in the Kashmiri language Zuv Ti Zolaan, translated by Tasleem Ahmad War.
See also
*
List of Sahitya Akademi Award winners for Kashmiri
The Sahitya Akademi Awards have been given annually since 1955 by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters. They are awarded to writers in the various languages of India in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the u ...
References
Kashmiri people
Kashmiri writers
1928 births
2001 deaths
Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Kashmiri
20th-century Indian writers
20th-century Indian male writers
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