PU again proposes to award actor Anupam Kher, writer Tiwana
Panjab University (PU) authorities have again put up a proposal before syndicate to award Punjabi novelist professor Dalip Kaur Tiwana and actor Anupam Kher with Sahitya Rattan and Kala Rattan respectively.
Panjab University (PU) authorities have again put up a proposal before syndicate to award Punjabi novelist professor Dalip Kaur Tiwana and actor Anupam Kher with Sahitya Rattan and Kala Rattan respectively.
The proposal will be taken up during October 8 meeting of the syndicate.
Both Tiwana and Kher have diametrically opposite ideological views. While Tiwana had returned her Padma Shri in October 2015 over “growing instances of communalism and intolerance” (HT story-‘Recent incidents have reopened old wounds, says writer Dalip Kaur Tiwana’). She was among a number of writers who returned their awards, alleging growing intolerance in the country.
In contrast, Anupam Kher had led a protest march alleging that the returning of awards was to defame the country. The agenda item to award them was also there in August 19 syndicate meeting but had to be deferred.
“Some members raised the issue that Tiwana had earlier returned her Padma Shri award and it could anger the central government. But then I said that we had to see her contributions in literature and we have to understand why she returned the Padma Shri,” said syndicate member DPS Randhawa.
Also, Dr PD Gupta, director, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, has been proposed for Vigyan Rattan.
A committee comprising chairperson SS Johl, chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Prof KN Pathak, former vicechancellor of PU, Prof DVS Jain, senator, PU, former Chandigarh MP and senator of PU, Satya Pal Jain, and vice-chancellor of PU prof AK Grover had unanimously cleared the names of the three on August 14.
WORKS OF TIWANA, KHER AND GUPTA
Tiwana, 81, has published 27 novels and 7 collections of short stories. Her first book of short stories Sadhna came in 1961. Her novel ‘Eho Hamara Jeevna’ won her the Sahitya Akademi award in 1972. Punjab government conferred ‘Nanak Singh Puruskar’ on her novel ‘Peele Patian Di Dastan’ in 1980 and ‘Gurmukh Singh Musafir Puruskar’ on her autobiography ‘Nange Parion Da Safar’ in 1982.
Kher, 61, had also got Padma Shri in 2004 and Padma Bhushan in 2016. He got national film awards for ‘Daddy’ and ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’.
PD Gupta, 64, is known for his work in laser plasma interaction, high power laser systems, synchronotron radiation sources and high energy accelerators. He has 567 research publications with 211 in international journals to his credit.
