Shyam Sundar Besra, Chief Inspector of Ticket, working in Asansol Division of Eastern Railway of Indian Railways has been conferred the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award. Mr Besra has been awarded for his novel “Marom” in the Santhali language.

“Marom” is primarily based upon natural, social, economic and political conditions of Santhal Pargana, one of the divisions or commissionaries of Jharkhand headquartered at Dumka.

The novel highlights the situation emerged after the industrial development of the Santhal area after Independence, mainly, Masanjore Dam at Dumka and Railway locomotive workshop at Chittaranjan.

Two of his works, ‘Dullar khatir‘ and ‘Damin Riya (udas) Kahani Ko‘ are part of syllabus for Post Graduation courses in Sidhu Kanhu University, Jharkhand.

Mr Besra writes in the name of GB Rarek in Santhali language and as Santhal praganvi in Hindi.

He had completed his MA (Hindi Literature) and MA in Santhali in 1987.

He has been conferred many awards at the state level and also Dr Ambedkar Fellowship by Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy in the year 1992.

Mr Besra was felicitated for the rare honour by DRM Asansol.

Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Awards in 24 languages on December 5, 2018. Seven books of poetry, six novels, six short stories, three literary criticism and two essays have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018.

The Awards were recommended by distinguished Jury members representing 24 Indian languages and approved by the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi which met on December 5, 2018 under the Chairmanship of Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar, President, Sahitya Akademi.