Jharkhand

• 10 Dec 2022

Premchand Smriti Katha Samman

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, according to information received from the media, Jharkhand's Storyteller and Novelist Ranendra has been announced to be given the 14^th Premchand Smriti Katha Samman. He will be given this honor for his glorious story journey.

Key Points

• Yogendra Ahuja, who was part of the jury of the 14th Premchand Smriti Katha Samman, said in his citation that the Storyteller and Novelist Ranendra is known for confronting the reality of tribal-indigenous life and bringing the crises and questions of that society into the realm of discussion.
• The narrator Ranendra has earned a unique identity with stories like ‘Chhappan Churi Bhattar Pench’, ‘Bhoot Bechwa’, ‘Baba, Kauve aur Kali Raat’ and Novels like ‘Global Gaon Ke Devta’, ‘Gayab Hota Desh’ and ‘Goongi Rolai’
• Over the past three decades, Ranendra has been wielding his pen on the neoliberal economy, free markets and uncontrolled capital proliferation, land mafia-corporate-bureaucratic and coalitions of governments in the frontier areas and the eviction of endangered communities and other tribes like asuras from their places. His works expose the complex, tragic reality of this life, as well as the elements of structural violence against him.
• It is to be noted that Indian farmers fertilizer cooperative limited (IFFCO), a leading cooperative in the fertilizer sector, will also give 'Shrilal Shukla Smriti IFFCO Sahitya Samman' to Writer and Novelist Ranendra for the year 2020 and he is the first writer from Jharkhand to receive this honor.