REASI, Jun 3: The prestigious Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, organized its special rural poets’ programme, “Gramaloka”, at Laiter village in Tehsil Pouni of Reasi district on Wednesday. The event aimed at providing a national platform to poets and writers residing in remote and rural areas who are actively contributing to their mother tongues and regional literature.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from noted poets including Dharam Paul Sharma, Kasturi Lal Kasturi, Mohinder Dass, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, and Vinod Kumar, who captivated the audience with their poetic recitations.
The programme was chaired by Padma Shri Mohan Singh, who welcomed the participants and elaborated on the various schemes and initiatives of Sahitya Akademi aimed at promoting Indian languages and literature. He highlighted that Sahitya Akademi is the country’s premier literary institution working for the development and promotion of 24 recognized Indian languages and is widely known as the National Academy of Letters.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohan Singh said that the Gramaloka initiative was specially designed to encourage and recognize writers and poets living in far-flung areas by connecting them with the national literary platform of Sahitya Akademi. He emphasized that such programmes help discover literary talent at the grassroots level and provide wider exposure to rural voices.
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the poetry sessions, with the participating poets receiving warm appreciation for their thought-provoking and engaging compositions.
Several prominent poets from different parts of Jammu also graced the occasion, including Gopal Krishan Komal, Poorn Chander Sharma, and Randhir Singh Raipuriya, who enriched the programme by reciting their own acclaimed poems.
The event concluded on a vibrant literary note, reaffirming Sahitya Akademi’s commitment to nurturing literary creativity and preserving the rich linguistic heritage of the country.