MORUP STANZIN LHARJAY
LEH, JULY 3: The Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF), an NGO based in Ladakh hosted a reception to honour the recipients of Best Book Award-2011 conferred by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. The awardees included well known writer Abdu Gani Sheikh for his book "Reflection on Ladakh, Tibet and Central Asia" written in English and Urgyan Rigzin for "Nub-ra'I gNas-bShad" in Bhoti Language published by HCHF.
During a simple function organized by HCHF at Lonpo House, the recipients were offered traditional Khataks and gifts by the HCHF President Prof. Geshes Konchok Wangdu in presences of J&K Special Officer for Culture Academy Tsewang Paljor, Diskit constituency Councilor Tsewang Rigzin and other dignitaries.
HCHF Founder Secretary Dr. Sonam Wangchuk in his welcome speech thanked everyone for attending the function to encourage the writers and assured to produce the English version of "Nub-ra'I gNas-bShad" in the second edition.
While congratulating the Awardees, various speakers appreciated their works and said that their books would be helpful to various other writers in future to get references besides encouraging the other young writers.
During the function various Ladakhi writers such as Gelong Paldan, Gani Sheikh, Geshes Konchok Wangdus and Ladakh Culture Forum President Norboo Martse in one voice criticized a number of non-Ladakhi writers for giving wrong information about Ladakh in their writings which are now widely used by other writers for reference resulting in mass dissemination of incorrect information about Ladakh.
Expressing concern over limited number of writers and readers in Leh, Gani Sheikh stressed upon the need for grooming the young students into good writers by encouraging them through competitions and lectures in schools so that they developed the writing and reading habits from early age.
Expressing gratitude to his teacher for encouragement, Urgyan Rigzin in his speech said that though he is not a professional writer but somehow he got inspired by a writer Kachen Zotpa who wrote a small book on Nobra adding that he started writing the book 15 years ago. He thanked HCHF for reposing faith in him by publishing his book. He also thanked the J&K Cultural Academy for recognizing his work.
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