Women achievers felicitated at literary event in Panchkula
A women’s felicitation ceremony was organised on Monday at the auditorium of the Haryana Sahitya Evam Sanskriti Academy to mark International Women’s Day.
On the occasion, the Academy honoured several distinguished women for their contributions, including Jyoti Malhotra, Mamta Yadav, Mamta Saudha, Nirupama Dutt, Pal Kaur and Shehnaz Bharti.
A poetry recital by women poets was also held during the programme. Renowned journalist and poet Nirupama Dutt was conferred with the Dr HK Lal Memorial Award in recognition of her contributions to literature and journalism.
Rajesh Khullar, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Haryana, attended the event as the chief guest and also presented a poetry recital. He read a poem that he described as the first he had written.
Addressing the gathering, Khullar said that International Women’s Day is not merely a celebration but also a day to recognise women’s dignity, rights and invaluable contributions to society.
Delivering the presidential address, Jyoti Malhotra, Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune Group, said that while the status of women had improved significantly in urban areas, much work still remained to be done in rural regions. She emphasised that progress in this direction requires collective support from all sections of society.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Academy, said that women today were excelling in every sphere—education, science, sports, politics and social service—and bringing pride to the nation through their achievements. He cited examples of inspiring women such as Rani Lakshmibai, Sarojini Naidu, Kalpana Chawla and Mary Kom, noting that women are second to none when given equal opportunities.
The event also witnessed the release of several books, including “11 Hazaar Veeranganayein” by Ashok Nadir, “Kashmiri Kavyitri Lalleshwari” by Dr Chandrakanta, and the poetry collection “Maazi Ke Zakhm” by Dr Jatinder Parvaaz.
Among those present were Manjeet Singh, Member Secretary of the Academy; Dr Dharmdev Vidyarthi, Director of the Hindi Cell; Dr CDM Kaushal, Director of the Sanskrit Cell; Harpal Singh, Director of the Punjabi Cell; Madhav Kaushik, Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Sahitya Akademi; J. Ganesan (IAS); former ADGP Rajbir Deswal; and several writers and literature enthusiasts from the Tricity region.
Dr Chander Trikha, Director of the Urdu Cell, welcomed the guests, delivered the vote of thanks and conducted the proceedings.
In his address, he said that “a woman is not merely a word but a symbol of affection, strength, sacrifice and inspiration. A woman gives life as a mother, offers affection as a sister, companionship as a wife, and fills a home with joy as a daughter.”
