Eminent Urdu poet Balraj Komal has been selected for the prestigious Gangadhar National award for poetry for the year 2011.

 

The award, slated to be presented to him on the 46th Foundation Day of the Sambalpur University, comprises of Rs 50,000, a citation, a memento and a shawl.

 

Komal is the 4th Urdu poet selected for this award. So far, 20 poets of various Indian languages have received the annual award.

 

Born in Sialkot, now in Pakistan, poet Komal now resides in New Delhi.

A former education officer of Delhi Administration, Komal had received Kendriya Sahitya Akademi award for his poetry compilation “Parindo Ka Asmann” in 1985. He was also awarded with “Ghalib Samman.

Sambalpur University has been honouring poets of national stature since 1992, every year with Gangadhar National award for poetry.

 

Distinguished poets like Sardar Ali Jaffery, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Ayappa Paniker, Binda Karandikar, Nirupam Kaur, M Sachidanandan, Shankha Ghosh, Nilamoni Phookan, Gulzar, Dr Surjit Singh Pattar, Rajendra Kishor Panda, Shahariyar have been the recipients of this National award, said SS Rath, Registrar, Sambalpur University.