‘‘He Mor Soponar Surjyar Manuh...'',Eminent Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan honoured with Jnanpith Award

Addressing the gathering as ‘‘He Mor Soponar Surjyar Manuh, Manuhotkoi aru kon ase...’’, eminent Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan accepted the 56th Jnanpith award.

Nilamani Phookan on Monday conferred the 56th Jnanpith Award at a ceremony in Guwahati. The function to handover the award was held for the first time in Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Chairperson of Jnanpith Selection Board Pratibha Ray handed over the trophy to the poet.

Nilamani Phookan is the third Assamese after Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1979) and Mamoni Raisom Goswami (2000) to win the oldest and most prestigious literary award in the country.