Renowned writer–translator Prof Ratneshwar Mishra of Bihar’s Purnia district won the Sahitya Akademi Award for translation for the book ‘Azadi’ in Maithili.
The novel Azadi authored by Chaman Nahal commonly known as C Nahal in English is considered his best novel and the author had won Sahitya Akademi Award for the novel in 1977. The novel published in 1975 tells his experiences of having lived in Sialkot during the period of partition.
Prof Mishra, who is the first scholar of Seemanchal, the most backward region in Bihar, to get a Sahitya Akademi Award, is a resident of Bishnupur under Amour block of Purnia district. Son of the founder vice chancellor of Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) Darbhanga, late Prof Madaneshwar Mishra, he retired as head of the history department from LNMU, Darbhanga. Prof Mishra has authored several books in English, Hindi and Maithili.
Prof Mishra who is the first scholar of Seemanchal, the most backward region in Bihar to get Sahitya Akademi Award, is a resident of Bishnupur under Amour block of Purnia district. Son of the founder vice chancellor of Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) Darbhanga, late Prof Madaneshwar Mishra, he retired as head of the department (HOD) history from LNMU, Darbhanga. Prof Mishra has authored several books in English, Hindi and Maithili.
“It was 2014 when I was assigned the task of Maithili translation and it was completed in 2018,” Mishra said. “During all these years I lost my wife who had always stood by me,” he added.
Purnia based social activist, Vijay Kumar Shreevasatava said, “The book by C Nahal, ‘Azadi’ needs to be widely read and the Maithili translation will facilitate reading to a large section of people especially those living in Mithila region.”
