Doyen of Dogri Literature Padamshri Padma Sachdev is no more

04-08-2021: Awarded with the highest civilian award Padam Shree in 2001 for her contribution in the field of literature, the famous Dogri writer, poet, and novelist from Jammu Padma Sachdev breathed her last early morning today. She was born in 1940. Padma Sachdev had won a distinct place for herself and for Dogri poetry on the Indian Literary Scene.

She was the first modern woman poet of the Dogri language. She wrote in Hindi. She had published several poetry collections, including Meri Kavita Mere Geet (My Poems, My Songs), which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. She had also received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award in 2001, and the Kabir Samman for poetry for the year 2007-08 given by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Padma Sachdev was born in purmandal ,Jammu in 1940. She was the eldest of three children of a Sanskrit scholar, professor Jai Dev Badu, who was later killed during the partition of India in 1947. She first married famous Dogri poet Vedpal Deep and later married singer Surinder Singh of the musical duo “Singh Bandhu” in 1966. She lived in New Delhi

Sachdev worked in All India Radio, Jammu as an announcer since 1961. Here she met Surinder Singh, Hindustani vocalist of the Singh Bandhu musical duo, who was a duty officer at the time. In the following years, she also worked with All India Radio, Mumbai. Some of her books are Tavi Te Chanhan (Rivers Tawi and Chenab, 1976), Nheriyan Galiyan (Dark Lanes, 1982), Pota Pota Nimbal (Fingertipful Cloudless Sky, 1987), Uttar Vahini (1992) and Tainthian (1992).

She wrote the lyrics of the song ‘Mera chhota sa ghar baar’ from the 1973 Hindi film by Ved Rahi “Prem Parbat” which had music by Jaidev. Thereafter, she wrote the lyrics of two songs of the 1978 Hindi film “Aankhin Dekhi”, which had music by J.P. Kaushik including the famous duet “Sona re, tujhe kaise miloo” sung by Mohd Rafi and Sulakshana Pandit. She also wrote the lyrics along with Yogesh for the 1979 Hindi film “Saahas”, which had music by Ameen Sangeet. She was awarded by

• • Krutitava Smagra Samman, 2015 by Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad, West Bengal
  • Saraswati Samman , 2015 for her autobiography “Chitt-Chete” in Dogri language
  • Padma Shri Award. 2001
  • Sahitya Akademi Award 1971
  • Kabir Samman for poetry. 2007-08