Agartala: Veteran Kokborok litterateur Naresh Chandra Dev Varma has said his nomination for the Padma Shri is a recognition of his five-decade-long contribution to literature, particularly his efforts to nurture and promote Kokborok, the language spoken by most of Tripura’s indigenous communities.
Dev Varma, a retired government official, is among the 113 Padma award recipients whose names were announced by the Centre on the eve of Republic Day.
The 81-year-old author said he never claimed to have done enough for literature but had always tried his best to contribute to the growth of Kokborok literature. “Kokborok is the language of most of the 19 tribes in Tripura, and I made every effort to nurture literary works in the tribal language,” he said.
Born in the remote village of Bishramganj in the then-undivided West Tripura district, Dev Varma moved to Agartala after completing his Class 10 examinations. He went on to pursue higher education at Calcutta University, as Tripura did not have a university at the time.
After completing his graduation, he joined government service at the Tripura Legislative Assembly and later retired as a joint secretary-level officer. Despite the demands of his official career, Dev Varma began his literary pursuits at the age of 30 and continued to write alongside his government job.
Over the years, his work has spanned more than five decades and includes significant research and literary contributions in Kokborok as well as Bengali. Recognition for his work, he said, began to come more prominently in recent years.
Dev Varma has received nine government awards for his contributions to literature and research. In 2024, he was honoured with the Tripura Bhushan, the second-highest civilian award of the state government.
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The father of two daughters, Dev Varma said the Padma Shri nomination has encouraged him to continue working for the preservation and promotion of the Kokborok language and literature.
