IFFCO Srilal Shukla Award conferred on Jaiswal and Yadav in Delhi

In a glittering event held at the Indian Habitat Centre on Monday, the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), a leading cooperative in the fertilizer sector, conferred the prestigious IFFCO Srilal Shukla Award for 2024 on Chandrakishore Jaiswal and Renu Yadav.

While storyteller Chandrakishore Jaiswal has been awarded the Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Sahitya Samman, Renu Yadav has been chosen for the inaugural Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Yuva Sahitya Samman.

Presiding over the event, the well-known litterateur Vishwanath Tripathy, who was the Chief Guest, applauded the selection committee for their choices. The writers were selected by a committee led by renowned litterateur Asghar Wajahat, which included prominent figures such as Dr. Anamika, Priyadarshan, Yatindra Mishra, Utkarsh Shukla, and Dr. Nalin Vikas.

Chandrakishore Jaiswal, born on 15 February 1940 in Bihariganj, Madhepura district, Bihar, completed his postgraduate studies in Economics from Patna University. After a long teaching career, he retired as a professor from Bhagalpur Engineering College.

Jaiswal is known for an extensive body of work, including novels such as Witness Absent, Jibach ka Beta Buddha, Chiranjeev, and Paltaniya, as well as plays like Griha-Pravesh, Rang-Bhang, and Zabaan Ki Bandish. His stories, such as Deepnath Died, Water in Hingwa Ghat, and Nakbesar Ran Away with the Crow, are recognized for their compelling narrative style.

Jaiswal has been honored with several literary awards, including the Ramvriksh Benipuri Samman, Banarasi Prasad Bhojpuri Samman, Anand Sagar Kathakram Samman, and the Bihar Government’s Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Samman. His works have been adapted into films by the National Film Development Corporation, such as Ruyi Ka Bojh, which was selected for the National Film Festival Panorama in 1998.

Born on 16 September 1984 in Gorakhpur, Renu Yadav is an accomplished scholar and writer. She holds multiple degrees, including M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D., and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Indian Languages and Literature (Hindi) at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida.

Yadav’s notable works include Psychoanalysis of Pain in Mahadevi Varma’s Poetry, I Am Free (a collection of poetry), and an edited book In the Mirror of Interviews – Sudha Om Dhingra. She has contributed to various magazines and journals, with her research articles focused on women’s discourse, and has been recognized with honors such as the Srijan Shri Honor and Virangana Savitribai Phule National Fellowship Award.

The Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Sahitya Samman was instituted in 2011 in memory of the acclaimed Hindi writer Shrilal Shukla. It is awarded annually to a writer whose works primarily reflect rural and agricultural life. Previous recipients include Vidyasagar Nautiyal, Shekhar Joshi, Sanjeev, and others. The award comes with a symbol, a citation, and a monetary prize of INR 11 lakh.

This year, IFFCO introduced a new honor, the Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Yuva Sahitya Samman, with a prize of INR 2.5 lakh. Both awards were presented to Jaiswal and Yadav at a ceremony in New Delhi on 30 September 2024.