Trust Advisory Board
Shashi Padha
Mrs. Shashi Padha is a celebrated author and poet with seven books and several print and media publications to her credit.
Born in Jammu, India, to parents who had distinguished careers in academia, Shashi was exposed to the elegant penmanship of notable writers. She credits her parents' influence and her exposure to art, music, and poetry as the foundation for her literary sojourns. Throughout her youth, she participated in countless radio programs, including story readings, dramas, and discussions. During her college years, Shashi won numerous debates and writing competitions at state and national levels. Due to her extraordinary abilities, the prestigious award “All-round Best Woman Graduate” was conferred on her by the University of J&K.
Being married to an Army officer who served the nation with distinction for 40 years, she devoted her life to academia both in India and the USA. The Battle of Kargil was the tipping point in her literary journey. As a General Officer’s spouse, she met soldiers who had experienced the zenith of victory and simultaneously consoled families who had experienced profound personal loss during the war. That was the inspiration for her books “Shaurya Gathayen” and “Nirbheek Yoddhayon Ki Kahaniyan.” It was a tribute to everyone who had worn the cloth of the nation and served it. Over the years, she has published various books on poetry, short stories, and journalistic biographies of decorated soldiers.
Mrs. Padha is presently settled in the USA. She was a Professor of Hindi and Asian Languages at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill. In recognition of her contributions to poetry and literature, she has been felicitated with various national and literary awards.
Balwant Thakur
Balwant Thakur, born on December 25, 1960, in a small mountain village in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, is a notable figure in Indian theatre. His father, Hari Saran Thakur, was a traditional art performer, which perhaps influenced his early inclination toward the arts. Thakur graduated in business management and economics from the Government M.A.M. College, University of Jammu, followed by a degree in law. He further pursued a postgraduate degree in mass communication and later undertook extensive research on the heritage of performing arts in Jammu, supported by a National Senior Fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and a Ford Foundation grant for his project "Search for a New Theatre Language."
From a young age, Thakur demonstrated his passion for theatre by forming a children's theatre group called Seven Stars with his friends, staging plays like Sabhya Saanp and Kanyadaan. His involvement in college theatre and Radio Kashmir's Yuva Vani service further honed his skills.
Thakur founded Natrang, a theatre group that quickly gained recognition. The group's first play, Chauraha, won a State Academy award for best production, and subsequent plays like Neeli Jheel, Nanhen Kandhey Nanhen Pair, Singhasan Khali Hai, and Rang Nagri also received accolades. Thakur's focus on Dogri traditional theatre led to the successful staging of the play Bawa Jitto at the North Zone Theatre Festival, which later earned a place at the National Theatre Festival in New Delhi.
In 1990, Thakur premiered Mahabhoj, an adaptation of Manu Bhandari's novel, which explored new theatrical alternatives and was selected for the National Theatre Festival. His children's theatre play Mere Hisse Ki Dhoop Kahan Hai was part of a UNESCO project and was performed extensively, even being made into a movie and screened at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Bangkok.
Thakur has written numerous plays, including Suno Eh Kahani, Aaj...
Late Joginder Chhatrapal ji
Joginder Chhatrapal is an accomplished writer and social activist with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Literature from Jammu University (1955-1969), where he excelled academically and was deeply involved in writing short stories, satires, features, and scripts for radio and television. He has been associated with various literary and cultural organizations and is the President of Dogri Sanstha Jammu, a premier organization dedicated to the promotion of language, literature, and culture since 1944. Throughout his career, Chhatrapal has written over one thousand documentary films and serials for Doordarshan and other TV channels. His creative excellence has been recognized with several national honors, including the National Award for Best Radio Play, the Mohan Rakesh Award for his full-length stage play Agni, and the Best Book Award by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Additionally, he is an approved translator for Sahitya Akademi and has authored six books.
Late Padma Sachdev ji
Padma Sachdev began her career as an announcer at All India Radio, Jammu, in 1961, where she met Hindustani vocalist Surinder Singh of the Singh Bandhu duo. She later worked with All India Radio in Mumbai. Sachdev received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1969 for her anthology Meri Kavita Mere Geet, praised by Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar as "true poetry." Her autobiography Boond Bawadi is considered a classic, and her book In Bin highlights the vital role of domestic helps in Indian households.
In addition to her literary accomplishments, Sachdev wrote lyrics for Hindi films, including the song "Mera chhota sa ghar baar" from Prem Parbat (1973) and two songs from Aankhin Dekhi (1978), including the duet "Sona re, tujhe kaise miloo" sung by Mohd Rafi and Sulakshana Pandit. She also contributed to the 1979 film Saahas. Sachdev influenced renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar to sing in the Dogri language, notably the popular song "Tu malla tu, Bhala Sapaiyaa Dogreiya."
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