Gangtok: Writer Shanker Deo Dhakal who also serves as the Principle Secretary to the Chief Minister was conferred with the prestigious Bhanu Puraskar 2025 on the occasion of Nepali Bhasa Manyata Diwas on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media after receiving the award, Dhakal said he felt deeply honored to be recognized in his home state of Sikkim. “Although I have received several awards in the past, including recognition from Nepal and the Sahitya Akademi for my contributions to Nepali literature, this honor holds the greatest significance for me. It feels as though I have received it in the lap of my motherland, and I dedicate it to God,” he stated.
Dhakal has contributed significantly to Nepali literature, writing on Sikkim’s traditions, the old Lagan tax system, and producing novels on Nepali soldiers who served in the Second World War, a subject rarely explored before.
He also highlighted the struggles of the Nepali language movement, recalling how leaders like Thakur Chandan Singh and Veer Singh Bhandari fought for recognition. Their efforts eventually led to Nepali being recognized as one of India’s official languages in 1992.
Dhakal said the Bhanu Puraskar was not just his personal achievement but a tribute to the history, struggles, and contributions of the Nepali-speaking community of India, particularly in Sikkim and Darjeeling.