Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar

“Jayakanthan has focussed on the downtrodden people of South India. His works highlight the life and aspirations of the poor”, said Ghulam Nabi Pandith, known by his penname Ghulam Nabi Aatash, whose book has been selected for the annual Translation Prize for the 2024 Sahitya Akademi award.

Speaking with Awaz-the Voice from his home in Nanil village of the Anantnag district, about 70 km South of Srinagar, Aatash said “This (Jayakanthan’s) novel among his umpteen works also focuses on the same issues like the social and religious life of the people”.

Ghulam Nabi Pandith, popularly known by his penname Ghulam Nabi Aatash has been selected for the Sahitya Akademi Prize 2024 for his translation of the well-known Tamil writer Jayakanthan’s novel Oru Manidhan Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam” about the life of the poor people in South India. The book's title in Kashmiri is “Akh Insaan, Akh Gharre, akh Duniya” (A Man, A Home, A World).

Ghulam Nabi Aatash receiving his Sahitya Akademy Award on an earlier occasion

He said the recipient of the Jnanpith in 2002 and Padma Bhushan in 2009, Jayakanthan is known for his works, many of which have been translated into different languages.

However, this is not the first Sahitya Akademi award for the Kashmiri writer and poet, Aatash, 76, who has been active in the literary circles of the Valley for over five decades.

His falling health during the past two decades has not deterred his literary activities.Despite this and praticularly his poor eyesight, Aatash has at least 10 manuscripts ready to be published. These include two books in Urdu and eight in Kashmiri languages. He told Awaz-The Voice that he would get his works published soon.

He first got the Best Book award from the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages in 1979 at the age of 30 year for his Kashmiri poetry collection “Zool Amaaran Hund (Illumination of my wishes)”.

He received the Best Book Award from the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages in Kashmiri criticism and research work “Sarmaaye teh Saam”. So far he has received at least 19 awards from literary and academic institutions and many felicitations from literary organizations and educational institutions.

These include at least 14 works in Kashmiri folklore and 13 works in children’s literature. His notable works include translations of foreign travelers’ travelogues on Kashmir. At least ten such works include “Kashmir ghair mulky sayaahoon kay safar naamon mein” (Kashmir in the travelogues of foreign travellers) and a publication in the English language entitled “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kashmir.

As a school teacher, he nurtured his literary activities along the banks of the Lidder stream flowing from the upper reaches of Pahalgam in South Kashmir into river Jhelum.

Aatash retired as a Lecturer in higher secondary school 18 years ago.

Aatash taught in different schools at various levels for more than three decades during which he also worked as Zonal Coordinator of SSA, District Coordinator of Cultural Education Wing, Provincial Level Teacher Trainer/Resource Person.

He also helped many Ph D scholars and researchers in accomplishing their assignments.  

Aatash was a member of the Expert committee constituted by the J&K Board of School Education for deciding the syllabus and textbook of Kashmiri language, and played a vital role in conceiving, compiling, and drafting all the textbooks”.

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He has worked as a member of the Revision Committee of Urdu textbooks as well.