Deepak Gurung, executive councillor, PHED, garlands the statue of Agam Singh Giri. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Dec. 27: Even as the government renewed the controversial Bhanu Purashkar in literature after a gap of 15 years, DGHC failed to confer this year’s Agam Singh Giri Award, which many believe was a counter to the state government’s award.

The DGHC celebrated the 75th birth anniversary of the poet but unlike the past six years no one was conferred the honour. The award consists of Rs 1 lakh, a gold medal, a citation and a shawl.

Agam Singh Giri, a local poet who lived at Chandmari in Darjeeling, was awarded the title of “the national poet of the Gorkhas” by the GNLF. The party has refused to honour Bhanu Bhakta with the title since the national poet was born in Nepal.

Deepak Gurung, executive councillor of PHED, who was the chief guest for today’s event, said the award could not be given due to “time constraint” but did not elaborate.

The truth behind the state and Centre’s decision of not allowing Giri’s poems — which were put to tune — to be aired on All India Radio has to be found, he said.

He said Giri’s poems had been labelled revolutionary compositions only in India and not in neighbouring Nepal, which has a monarch heading the government. One of his poems, Nau Lakh Tara Udhayo (Nine Lakh Stars Have Risen), has been banned by the government despite its unifying theme.

“The government imposed a ban on this poem that was sung during all social functions and the truth behind this most come out,” said Gurung.

He alleged that the Centre’s decision to raid Deepak Press in Varanasi that was printing another of the poet’s work, Yudha ra Yodhha (War and Warriors), had been high-handed.

After the treaty of Sagauli was signed between East India Company and the Raja of Nepal in 1816, by virtue of which Nepal handed over Darjeeling to East India Company, Giri had been the hope of the people who had been “displaced”, said the executive councillor.

The birth anniversary of the poet was also celebrated by the All Gorkha Students’ Union and the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan. AGSU called upon the youths to study the works of Giri in view of the present political, economical and social conditions prevailing in the Hills.