A writer from Balangir, Khetrabasi Naik (35), has been selected by the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi for this year’s ‘Yuva Puraskar’ award in Odia language category for his short story collection ‘Dadan’. The book which was published in 2011 highlights distress of rural people. Naik received a communication from the Akademi in this connection on Sunday.
The writer chose the genre of short stories to depict the economic deprivation of the district and its socio-cultural problems. “Dadan highlights the problems related to labour migration. I chose the character of a migrant labourer as a symbol of hunger in the district,” he said.
Khetrabsi has been writing poems and short stories in both Odia and Koshali languages for the last one decade. He is also editing one Odia literary magazine ‘Srujana Salita Nabanita’ for the last four years.
The award has cheered every one in the literary circle of Balangir. Last year, the award was received by young poet Gayatribala Panda of Bhubaneswar.