Former US Envoy Navtej Sarna On List Of Sahitya Akademi Awardees

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI- The Sahitya Akademi on March 16 announced its 2025 awards across 24 Indian languages, concluding a three-month delay after a scheduled press conference in December was cancelled.

The announcement had been deferred following a Ministry of Culture communication stating that awards should not be declared without prior approval. Board members said the list of awardees had already been finalized at the time.

Among the awardees, former Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna received the English award for the novel ‘’Crimson Spring, set around the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

In Hindi, Mamta Kalia was selected for the memoir ‘Jeete Jee Allahabad.’

Nandini Sidha Reddy was awarded in Telugu for the poetry collection Animesha. Other recipients include Prasun Bandyopadhyay for Shrestha Kabita (Bengali), N Prabhakaran for Maayaamanushyar (Malayalam), and Devabrat Das for Karhi Khelar Sadhu (Assamese).

In Tamil, Sa Tamilselvan was selected for Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal. Additional awardees include Jinder for Safety Kit (Punjabi), Amaresh Nugadoni for Dada Seerisu Tande (Kannada), and Raju Baviskar for the autobiography Kalyanilya Resha.

Awards were also announced for writers in Manipuri, Santhali, and Bodo, including Haobam Nalini, Sumitra Soren, and Sahaisuli Brahma.

The awards cover categories including poetry, novels, short fiction, essays, memoirs, and criticism. The winners will be honored in New Delhi on March 31, with each receiving a copper plaque, shawl, and Rs 1 lakh.