Stressing that no nation can emerge without fearless journalism and deep literature, Vice President of India CP Radhakrishnan on Monday said freedom of expression remains the cornerstone of Indian democracy. He was speaking at the third edition of Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman (RNGSS), The New Indian Express (TNIE) group’s annual literary award honouring excellence in Indian writing, at an event held in Chennai on Friday.
Legendary author Chandrashekhara Kambara was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long contribution to Indian literature.
Subi Taba won the Ramnath Goenka Sahitya Samman for Best Fiction for Tales from the Dawn-Lit Mountains, Sudeep Chakravarti received the award for Best Non-Fiction for Fallen City: A Double Murder, Political Insanity, and Delhi’s Descent from Grace, while Neha Dixit won the Best Debut award for The Many Lives of Syeda X: The Story of an Unknown Indian.
Speaking at the event, CP Radhakrishnan paid rich tributes to Ramnath Goenka, doyen of Indian print journalism and the visionary founder of The New Indian Express Group, saying he stood firm for journalistic integrity, intellectual courage and democratic values during some of the most challenging periods in the nation’s history.
Addressing the gathering, Manoj Kumar Sonthalia, Chairman and Managing Director of The New Indian Express Group, said the award was a tribute to writers who wield the pen with courage, imagination and integrity.
Health Minister M Subramanian, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Dinamani Editor K Vaidyanathan, ENPL Director Kalpana Sonthalia and TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon were present at the event.
