Nagendranath Roy, a retired teacher of Patharghata Bhubanjote Primary School, has been nominated for the prestigious Padma Shri Award 2025 in recognition of his contribution to the Rajbanshi language.

Mr Roy, who received the Shiksharatna award from the West Bengal government in 2011, has been dedicated to translating important literary works into Rajbanshi. Among his notable projects is the translation of the Ramayana, which is set to be published in mid-April to mark Poila Boishakh.

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Speaking on the honour, Mr Roy shared his surprise and joy. “I was taken aback when I first received the news from MLA Anandamay Barman on 25 January. It felt unbelievable because I consider myself an ordinary person. But now, I feel happy, and my family and friends are delighted too. I am grateful to the selectors for recommending my name,” he said.

Mr Roy revealed that his life’s mission is to translate significant works like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Upanishads into Rajbanshi. “I recently completed translating the Ramayana,” he added.

The recognition has brought immense pride to Mr Roy’s family. He also mentioned receiving a call from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), though it was his son who spoke on his behalf as he is not fluent in Hindi.

Mr Roy and his family are now preparing to attend the award ceremony.