Jammu, Jan 28 (JKNS): Renowned writer, children’s author, translator, and cultural activist Yashpaul Nirmal has been awarded the prestigious “J&K Government Award 2026” in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Dogri literature, an official press release said.
A prominent literary figure from Jammu & Kashmir, Yashpaul Nirmal is widely regarded as a strong advocate of the Dogri language and has played a pivotal role in giving a new dimension to regional languages through his writings, translations, and socio-literary activism. He has authored and published over 90 books in Dogri and other languages, including poetry, children’s literature, and translated works, which have received appreciation at both local and national levels.
Apart from his literary contributions, Nirmal has actively worked towards language promotion and cultural preservation through various initiatives. He has participated in and contributed to numerous literary festivals, book launches, poetry readings, storytelling sessions, conferences, and language preservation programmes across the country. He is also the founder of the Dogri Bhasha Academy, Jammu–Kashmir Hindi Akademi, and Nat Manch.
Yashpaul Nirmal’s accolades include the National Translation Prize by the Sahitya Akademi in 2014 for his work “Mian Dido”. In 2018, he received the Pyari Devi Ghasi Ram Sihag Children’s Literature Award for his children’s novel “Chhuttiyan”, which has been translated into 27 Indian languages. He was awarded the Pt. Harprasad Pathak Children’s Award in 2023 for his book “Diary”, followed by the Bal Batika Award in 2024. Additionally, he received the Siya Ram Sehgal Award in 2020 for “1008 Dogri Haiku” and the Dr. Gargi Gupta Dwivagish Award for overall contribution to translation by the Indian Translation Council, New Delhi, for the year 2023–24.
The award recognises his lifelong dedication to the promotion, preservation, and enrichment of Dogri language and literature. —(JKNS)
