‘Uchian Awazan’ is  a Dhahan Prize winner of 2023. The stories in this book  hold a wide range of themes relevant in contemporary Punjabi rural and urban society. With precision, the author, Balijit digs deep into the inner turmoil and conflicts of varied characters. The title story, ‘Noooan’ or ‘Loooan’ (‘Salt’) is a compassionate description of the mundane work of Sudagar, a Chamar (Dalit), his wife Parsini and their family’s grinding poverty. Wanting to have milk and butter for their children, they purchase a weak buffalo calf. They raise it with tenderness. For nearly 12 years, the buffalo has been bearing one calf almost yearly, providing the desperately needed milk. Ecological in scope, the story ends with profound poignancy as the main character is about to skin the dead buffalo which he had raised like his own child. He is sad as he sprinkles salt on the buffalo skin for curing. He faints and collapses on the stretched-out skin

Format: Hardcover

Year: 2023