Rajasthan Patrika's Gulab Kothari bags Moorthidevi Award!

Scholar, writer and journalist Gulab Kothari was conferred 25th Moorthidevi award for the year 2011 by Bhartiya Gyanpeeth today at Treemoorthi Bhawan Monday evening by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. Chief Editor of Rajasthan Patrika Group of Newspaper Sh Kothari was given the award for his book " Main hi Radha, Main hi Krishn". He was presented with a cheque of Rs 4 lakh, a shawl and sreephal at the ceremony by Meira Kumar accompanied by Alok Prakash Jain, Trustee, Bhartiya Gyanpeeth and Ravindra Kalia, Director, Bhartiya Gyanpeeth and BL Joshi, Governor, Utter Pradesh.

Meira Kumar applauded the contribution of Mr Kothari in enriching the Indian literature by his treatise and shared her experience of knowing him a sensitive human being, which she said is the trait of a litterateur striving to change the mindsets. Sharing her experience as Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment she said "in a camp for specially abled I saw a man who was not from any social organization and had no one from his own family to receive any help or any other interest, but to serve the disadvantaged. I saw  editor Mr Kothari who can be present at such a small camp out of deep concern. I feel honored to be present at such a prestigious occasion for him."

She also recalled the immortal contribution of great Indian writers of the repute of Dinkar, Bankim, Nirala, Pant and Jaishankar Prasad who were moved by the pain of the human beings and their pen moved and motivated  the societies. She also emphasized that only the literature written for human welfare emerging out of deep sensitivity shall have longer shelf life and those written for entertainment shall remain ephemeral inherently.

Referring to the current state of affairs and aggression in the country, she said literature is not mere mirror of the society but a medium to bring change in the thoughts. She lamented the status of women in the country and urged the entire writers' community to be more sensitive to uplift the society to high ethical tenets.

The programme was attended by dignitaries including  Vasundhara Raje sindhia, leader of opposition, Rajasthan Assembly, Girija Vyas, MP, Dushyant Singh, MP, Om Birla, MLA, Kiran Maheshwari, National Gen Secy, BJP, Sanjay Joshi, former General Secy, BJP, Vijay Chopra, Editor, Punjab Kesari and literary personalities like Vishwanath Tripathi, Chitra Mudgal, Kailash Bajpaye, Satyavrat Shastri, Mamta Kalia, Padma Sachdeva among others.

Gulab Kothari shared the essence of his writing where the reader connects with the writer so intensely that it unveils the writer's own self to reflect the sheen within. One needs to have honesty of cause and Gyaan meaning wisdom and vision to allow the readers to enter the writers' thought process,  as this is the only way to attain Krishna or Shabd Brahma. This journey is fulfilling when each one realizes the concept of Ardhnarreshwar meaning in one body both Radha and Krishna reside.