TAUSEEF AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Jan 25: Two distinguished citizens from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Ladakh have been selected among the 45 recipients of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for their outstanding contributions to social work, literature and traditional medicine.
The awardees include Brijlal Bhatt and renowned scholar Prof. Shafi Shauk from Jammu and Kashmir, and Dr. Padma Gurmet from Ladakh, whose work has earned national recognition for strengthening social harmony, preserving Kashmiri literature, and promoting the ancient Himalayan medical system of Sowa-Rigpa.
Brijlal Bhatt, a native of Jammu region, is a veteran social worker known for fostering communal harmony across the Valley and Jammu plains. Through yoga shiksha shivirs, spiritual retreats and bhandara seva, Bhatt revitalised spiritual institutions while encouraging youth participation in social service.
He has also reclaimed barren land to develop apple and walnut orchards, linking livelihood generation with environmental restoration. His interfaith festivals and volunteer networks have helped bridge social divides in conflict-affected areas.
Shafi Shauk
Celebrated author and academic Prof. Shafi Shauk, born in 1950 in Srinagar, is regarded as one of the most influential voices in Kashmiri literature. After serving more than 33 years at the University of Kashmir, he retired as Dean, Faculty of Arts, in 2010. Prof. Shauk has authored, edited and translated over 100 works in Kashmiri, Urdu, English and Hindi.
His writings on Lal Ded, Nund Rishi and Kashmiri Sufi traditions are considered foundational. He has also written scripts and screenplays for over 55 television films and serials and contributed to major national and international literary projects, including the Goethe-Institute’s Poets Translating Poets initiative.
Calling the recognition special, Prof Shauq said it was “a matter of immense pride” to be counted among those who have made a real difference in society.
“I have received many awards in the past, but the Padma Shri is given to very few. Being among them brings great joy,” he told the media. He said he was informed early in the morning and added, “I never wrote for awards or recognition. I simply accepted whatever came my way.”
With an academic background in science and English, Prof Shauq devoted over five decades to Kashmiri language and literature. He served more than 30 years at the University of Kashmir, guiding students and research scholars.
He has authored dozens of books on poetry, history, dictionaries and grammar in Kashmiri and English. Highlighting the need for research-based writing, he said languages grow through indigenous knowledge, noting that documentation of flora, fauna and local culture is as important as poetry for future generations.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, Prof. Nilofer Khan, termed the Padma Shri honour to Prof. Shafi Shauq a proud moment for the institution and the region.
She said the recognition reflects Prof. Shauq’s lifelong commitment to scholarship and cultural preservation.
“Prof. Shauq’s work has played a crucial role in strengthening the Kashmiri language, culture and literary traditions at both national and international levels,” she said, adding that generations of students and researchers have benefited from his academic guidance and literary contributions.
Prof. Khan said that during his more than 33 years at the University of Kashmir, Prof. Shauq not only enriched classrooms but also elevated the Department of Kashmiri through research, publications and mentorship.
Dr. Padma Gurmet
From Ladakh, Dr. Padma Gurmet, born in Leh district, is the Director of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR). He has been instrumental in institutionalising Sowa-Rigpa under the Ministry of AYUSH by launching academic programmes, documenting over 1,000 classical formulations and medical texts, and training more than 200 practitioners in remote Himalayan regions. He also established the Trans-Himalayan Herbal Garden to conserve medicinal plants.
Speaking to Kashmir Dispatch, Dr. Gurmet said the honour belongs to the people of the Himalayas. “Sowa-Rigpa is not just a medical system, it is our cultural heritage. This recognition will help us preserve, research and integrate it with modern healthcare for the benefit of future generations,” he said.
