EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 19: Theatre director, late Kavi Ratan has been selected posthumously for the 5th edition of the award for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre. This award was established and administered jointly by the family of the late Ramesh Mehta and the Hindi Sahitya Mandal, Jammu, in memory of late Ramesh Mehta, a writer, editor, and former Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. This award will be presented to Smt. Shashi Ratan, wife of late Kavi Ratan, a renowned theatre personality, in a ceremony in Jammu on November 6, to commemorate the upcoming birthday of the late Ramesh Mehta (November 13).
This decision was announced in a joint press release issued by Late Ramesh Mehta’s daughter, Pavitra Mehta, on behalf of the Mehta family, and Dr. Chanchal Dogra, on behalf of the Hindi Sahitya Mandal. The permanent jury, nominated by the family and the Mandal, unanimously decided on Sunday, the 19th October, 2025, and formally communicated its decision to the Mehta family and Hindi Sahitya Mandal.
It is worth noting that the organizers decided in 2021 to award this award for the performing and fine arts, Hindi literature and writing, including Hindi journalism, Hindi-English writing related to the arts; and for the promotion and encouragement of Hindi teaching, literature, and arts, and all the awards have been given in accordance with this standard.
It was also intended that the award should be given to those deserving and hardworking individuals from the Jammu region, who for whatever reasons, may or may not have received due recognition from regional or central art/literature academies or the government for their outstanding work, or if the jury sees fit to extend special recognition to the individual concerned.
In accordance with these standards/norms and scope of work, the award jury, after considering the names of some artists/writers/institutions etc. currently working in the Jammu region on a suo motu basis, unanimously decided that "in its 5th edition, Ramesh Mehta Memorial Award 2025 be awarded to Sh. Kavi Ratan for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of theatre in Jammu." This is the first time that the Ramesh Mehta Award will be given posthumously to an artist from Jammu. As is known, the award includes a prize money of Rs. 11000/-, a citation and a shawl, and the award presentation ceremony is organized in collaboration with the Hindi Sahitya Mandal.
Earlier, in 2021, the award was given to Ms. Raj Bharti, Director of Viraj Kala Kendra and Viraj Bal Bharti; in 2022, to painter-journalist Jang S. Varman and singer-musician Sham Sajan; in 2023, to theatre artist Deepak Kumar; and in 2024, to Shiv Dobaliya, a bearer of Basohli's folk culture.
The permanent jury for the Ramesh Mehta Memorial Award includes renowned Hindi short story writer and retired Principal Prof. Kiran Bakshi; poet and retired Principal Prof. (Dr.) Chanchal Dogra; Padmashree Prof. (Dr.) Lalit Magotra, Dogri short story writer, retired HoD, University of Jammu, former Convener Dogri of Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, and President of Dogri Sanstha. |
