NSP to honour CM Golay with ‘Rajya Ratna’ on Bhasa Diwas

BIJOY GURUNG

Dooar’s Amir Sundas to receive Kanchenjunga Krishna Smriti Purashkar

GANGTOK,: Renowned sculptor and artist Amir Sundas has been selected for the prestigious Kanchenjunga Krishna Smriti Purashkar, to be conferred by the Nepali Sahitya Parishad (NSP) Sikkim during the upcoming 34th Nepali Bhasa Manyata Diwas celebration in Gangtok.

The announcement was made by NSP Sikkim president Hari Dhungel during a press conference on Friday.

Sundas, who hails from Bagrakote in the Dooars region, is widely acclaimed for his significant contributions to the fields of art and sculpture. The award will be presented on August 20 at the Manan Kendra, the venue for this year’s Bhasa Manyata Diwas celebration.

In addition to honouring Sundas, NSP Sikkim will also present the Prem Lal Smriti Purashkar to the meritorious student who secured the highest marks in the Nepali subject at Sikkim University.

As part of the celebration, the Parishad will also be honouring Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay with the ‘Rajya Ratna’ award.

According to NSP president Hari Dhungel, this honour recognizes the Chief Minister’s exemplary measures in promoting and preserving the Nepali language. These initiatives include declaring August 20 as a government holiday to commemorate Bhasa Manyata Diwas and introducing Nepali-language versions of official government gazettes and notifications.

Dhungel also highlighted the Parishad’s initiative to promote the use of Nepali in public signage across the State. He appealed to the public and authorities to support this movement aimed at fostering greater linguistic inclusivity in Sikkim.

The Bhasa Diwas celebration would also have presentation of Bhanu Jayanti 2025 awards including Bhanu Puraskhar and Seva Samman by the NSP Sikkim.

These awards could not be presented during the 211^th Bhanu Jayanti celebrations on July 13 with Sikkim mourning the demise of its literary-cultural stalwart Padma Shri Sanu Lama.