Dogri writer Padma Sachdev passes away; Lata Mangeshkar remembers her as 'old friend'

Image courtesy: Twitter

New Delhi: Padma Shri awardee Padma Sachdev, who is the first modern woman poet of Dogri language, passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. An official of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages gave this information.

Additional secretary of J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Arvinder Singh Aman chaired a condolence meeting in Delhi for the noted author at which rich tributes were paid to the "doyen of Dogri literature", said a PTI report.

Arvinder Singh Aman said, "Sachdev's contribution to Dogri language is exemplary. She was a living example of Dogri culture." He is further quoted as saying by PTI that Sachdevwould be remembered for giving her mother tongue global recognition as her lyrics sung by famous Bollywood singers made Dogri popular not only in India but around the world.

Padma Sachdev (81), who was reportedly hospitalised after she developed some complications on Tuesday evening, will also be remembered for her key role in the struggle for getting Dogri added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, Aman said.

Padma Sachdev authored many books in Dogri and Hindi, and her poetry collections, including Meri Kavita Mere Geet, won her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1971. 

She received the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2001 and was awarded the Kabir Samman for poetry for 2007-08 by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Padma Sachdev also wrote the lyrics for the song Mera Chhota Sa Ghar Baar'from the 1973 Hindi film Prem Parbat. She also penned the lyrics for two songs for the 1978 Hindi film Aankhin Dekhi, including the famous duet Sona re, tujhe kaise milun sung by Mohd Rafi and Sulakshana Pandit.

She had composed Lata Mangeshkar`s first Dogri music album. Lata Mangeshkar wrote on Twitter (in Hindi), "We were old friends and our families had close relations. I have beautiful memories of Padma. This is a very sad day for me."

Meri pyari saheli aur mashoor lekhika, kaviyatri aur sangeetkar Padma Sachdev ke swargwas ki khabar sunkar main nishabd hun, kya kahun,? Hamari bahut purani dosti thi,Padma aur uske pati hamare pariwar ke sadasya jaisehi the .Mere America ke shows ka nivedan usne kiya tha. pic.twitter.com/jwFMmNp9PA — Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) August 4, 2021

Maine uske Dogri gaane gaaye the jo bahut lokpriya hue the. Padma ke pati Surinder Singh ji acche shashtriya gayak hain jinhone mera Gurubani ka record kiya tha. Kai yaadein hain. Aaj main bahut dukhi hun. Ishwar padma ki aatma ko shanti pradan karein. — Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) August 4, 2021

Born in Purmandal area of Jammu in 1940 in the house of Prof Jai Dev Badu, Padma was the eldest of the three children. She also worked with All India Radio, Jammu and Mumbai, and later shifted her base to New Delhi and Mumbai after marrying singer Surinder Singh.

(With Agency Inputs)