New Delhi : Eminent Kashmiri writer Bashir Bhaderwahi and renowned Urdu critic Shamim Tariq are two Muslim writers who have been selected for Sahitya Akademi Award  this year.

The award announcement has come at a time when writers are returning their literary awards in protest to “growing intolerance” in the country.

Bashir Bhaderwahi is a renowned Kashmiri writer and poet while Shamim Tariq is Mumbai based a noted Urdu poet, critic and columnist.

Bashir Bhaderwahi was selected for  his critique  work in Kashmiri language  “Jamis ta Kasheeri Manz Kashir Natia Adabuk Tawareekh” while Shamim Tariq was chosen  for his Urdu critique of “Tasawwuf Aur Bhakti” (Tanqeedi aur Taqabuli Mutalea).

Novelist Cyrus Mistry and poet Ramdarash Mishra were among the winners of  Saahitya Akadmy Award 2015  announced here on Thursday. Six books of short stories, six of poetry, four novels, two books each of essays, criticism and plays and one of memoirs have won Sahitya Akademi awards, an official release said.

The awards were recommended by distinguished jury members representing 23 Indian languages and approved by the executive board of the Akademi. Famous poets honoured with the award for 2015 are Brajendra Kumar Brahma (Bodo), Dhian Singh (Dogri), Ramdarash Mishra (Hindi), K.V. Tirumalesh (Kannada), Kshetri Rajan (Manipuri) and Ram Shankar Awasthi (Sanskrit). Six writers awarded for their short stories are Kula Saikia (Assamese), Man Mohan Jha (Maithili), Gupta Pradhan (Nepali), Bibhuti Pattanaik (Odia), Maya Rahi (Sindhi) and Volga (Telugu). The award winning novelists are Cyrus Mistry (English), Jaswinder Singh (Punjabi) and Madhu Acharya ‘Ashawadi’ (Rajasthani).

Rasik Shah (Gujarati) and A Madhavan (Tamil) have been awarded for their essays, Uday Bhembre (Konkoni), Rabilal Tudu (Santhali) for their plays, while Arun Khopkar(Marathi) has received the award for his book on memoirs “Chalat-Chitravyooh.

Source:Muslimmirror