JAMMU, Nov 1: Dogri Sanstha Jammu has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of eminent Dogri writer, novelist, playwright and renowned filmmaker Ved Rahi, describing his passing as an irreparable loss to the literary and cultural fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir and the country.
Paying rich tributes to the departed soul, Padmashri Prof. Lalit Magotra, President, Dogri Sanstha Jammu, said that Ved Rahi was one of the most distinguished literary figures of Jammu who made an invaluable contribution to the enrichment and popularisation of Dogri literature. His creative genius, literary vision and multifaceted contribution to literature, cinema and television earned him a distinguished place in the national cultural landscape. He said that Rahi’s literary legacy would continue to inspire generations of writers and creative artists. His demise has created a void that would be difficult to fill.
Prof. Magotra further recalled that Ved Rahi shared a close association with Dogri Sanstha Jammu and was honoured with the prestigious Dinu Bhai Pant Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Kunwar Viyogi Sahitya-Kala Samman in 2020, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to literature and culture.
Rajeshwar Singh ‘Raju’, General Secretary, Dogri Sanstha Jammu, while expressing his heartfelt condolences, said that Ved Rahi was not merely a celebrated writer but an institution in himself. His literary creations in Dogri, Hindi and Urdu reflected his profound understanding of human emotions, social realities and cultural ethos. His remarkable contribution to Indian cinema and television further established his versatility as a creative personality.
Raju observed that Rahi’s Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Dogri short-story collection Aale remains a significant milestone in the history of modern Dogri literature. His celebrated television serial Gul Gulshan Gulfam and his contribution as a screenwriter and filmmaker brought him recognition far beyond literary circles. He added that the literary fraternity would always cherish his invaluable contribution and the personal warmth with which he remained connected to his roots and native Jammu.
Dogri Sanstha Jammu stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and expresses its deepest sympathies. The Sanstha prays for eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss.
