Agartala: The Patriotic Writers Forum (PAWF) of Manipur presented Dr Thiam Suresh Literary Award to AK Sheram, a Manipuri author from Bangladesh and president of the Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, here on Saturday.Naoroi Bam Khamba Luyang, who leads PAWF of Manipur, said the organisers were forced to relocate the event from Imphal to Agartala at the last minute because of Protected Area Permit (PAP) restrictions. The current situation in Manipur has made it difficult for foreign nationals to enter Imphal.“We had planned the programme well in advance, and the awardee was notified. He obtained his visa to enter India, but local authorities denied him access to Imphal due to the PAP restrictions. Therefore, we had no choice but to work with our colleagues in Tripura to arrange the event here, enabling us to honour him in a simple ceremony,” Luyang said.The award was presented to Sheram by Koram Shyam, a former minister and sitting MLA of Manipur, in recognition of the late Dr Thiam Suresh’s contributions as a physician, researcher, author, and social worker devoted to public welfare.
