CM Siddaramaiah honours Booker Winner Banu Mushtaq with ₹10 lakh award
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday lauded renowned Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq for bringing international recognition to the Kannada language by winning the Booker Prize. Speaking at a government-organised felicitation ceremony held at the Banquet Hall in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said that literature must unify society, not divide it.
"Banu Mushtaq has enhanced the stature of Kannada globally by securing the Booker Prize. This is a matter of pride for the entire Kannada-speaking community," the CM said.
He announced a cash award of ₹10 lakh each for Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Basti for their contributions through storytelling and translation. The government will also support the English translation and publication of Banu Mushtaq’s stories, he added.
Praising her multi-faceted contributions, Siddaramaiah highlighted Banu Mushtaq's journey as a journalist, writer, lawyer, and activist. Her journalism with Lankesh Patrike and legal advocacy for the underprivileged reflect her strong social commitment, which has earned her numerous accolades including the Rajyotsava Award.
Describing her as a progressive voice against orthodoxy and a representative of Muslim women, the CM said Banu's literary work conveys a humane message. "Through her writing, she continues the legacy of literary figures like Pampa, Basavanna, and Akka Mahadevi, who called for unity and compassion," he said.
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At UN, India flags concerns over targeting of vessels in Strait of Hormuz
United Nations (PTI): Targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable", India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish has said.
Harish's remarks at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows came days after an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman.
Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike.
In a post on X on Sunday, Harish said that at the UNECOSOC meeting, he shared India's approach to the recent energy and fertiliser crisis caused by the West Asia conflict.
"A combination of short-term and structural measures alongside international cooperation are essential to respond to the crisis," he said.
"Reiterated that targeting of commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable. International law in this regard must be fully respected," he added.
The attack on the India-flagged vessel on May 13 took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
According to the UNECOSOC website, the meeting, which took place on Friday, focused on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation”.
