Adivasi Poet Nitisha Khalkho Honored with Savitribai Phule Award

Patna- Adivasi poet and Head of the Hindi Department at BSK College, Maithon,Professor Nitisha Khalkho, was awarded the Savitribai Phule Honor in an event held at Patna on Sunday. Originally from Ranchi, Professor Khalkho was honored at the Second Annual State Conference of the Bihar Chapter of the Jan Lekhak Sangh, at the Primary Teachers' Union Hall near Gandhi Maidan. Several other poets and writers from India and Nepal also received various awards during the conference.

At the event, Professor Khalkho expressed the pain of the marginalized through a recitation of her famous poem, "Akhbar Aur Asifa". This poem portrays the tragic story of the gang rape of an 8-year-old girl, Asifa, from the Bakarwal tribal community in Jammu.

Professor Khalkho completed her education at Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Her writings, including poetry and short stories, focus on the suffering and struggles of vulnerable sections of society.

The conference also featured a discussion and poetry reading on the theme “The Relevance of Bahujan Literature.” Organized under the banner of the Jan Lekhak Sangh, the event took place in Patna and saw participation from writers across West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Nepal, Bhutan, Delhi, Punjab, and other states.

The General Secretary of the Jan Lekhak Sangh, Mahendra Pankaj, welcomed everyone and began the event by offering a floral tribute to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and introducing the theme. Speaking on the necessity of Bahujan literature, Mahendra Pankaj said that only those who have suffered can truly express their pain. Therefore, it is essential for Bahujans to raise their voices against the caste system and exploitation. The event was conducted by Dr. Ravindra Bhartiya.