COOCHEHAR POETS

Cooch Behar poets honoured

Two eminent poets of Cooch Behar, Shashwati Deb and Amal Deb have been felicitated at a programme held in Kolkata recently. Academy of Bengali Poetry organised the programme at National Library of India Auditorium.

The director of National Library of India Kishor Krishna Bandyopadhyay, the president of Academy of Bengali Poetry Avijit Ghosh and the inaugurator Nirendra Nath Chakraborty signed the certificates of 'Saraswata Samman' that were awarded to the poets.

In his message, the governor of West Bengal Gopal Krishna Gandhi welcomed the initiative of the Academy of Bengali Poetry for its endeavour to consolidate friendship and solidarity among all communities of West Bengal through regular cultivation of literature and holding of "Kabi Sammelan"s (poetical conferences).

Shashwati Deb is the better half of a popular poet of North Bengal, Ranajit Deb. She is editing a literary weekly Tribritta since 1974. She is also a member of the Juvenile Justice Board, the vice-president of North East Development Academy, the associate editor of Uttar Banger Nirbachito Galpo, the assistant secretary of Cooch Behar Small Papers Society and the general secretary of Tribritta Award Committee. She is the author of Pahartolite Mohua Jhare, Cooch Behar Parichay and Dooars Jure Brishti Elo.

Amal Deb is a known and widely acclaimed poet of Cooch Behar. He is editing Adhunik Kabita Parichay for the last 19 years. He is the author of Tushare Padachinha, Tista Bazare Picnic, Hiranmoy Aakashe Raatri and Manchitra. Till now he edited three anthologies – Uttarer Nirbachito Kabita, Uttarbanger Nirbachito Kabita and Uttarbanger Shreshtha Kabita. ---- Tripti Bhaumik