Santosh Alley named for Dr. Shova Kanti Thegim Smriti Puraskar

GANGTOK, 15 June: Respected litterateur from West Sikkim, Santosh Alley will be conferred with the 14th Dr. Shova Kanti Thegim [Lepcha] Smriti Purashkar- 2011 for his book Karyang-Kurung ko Aakaash. Mr. Alley’s name has been recommended by the two-tier selection committee constituted by the Dr.  Kanti Thegim [Lepcha] Memorial Trust, which is sponsoring the award will be conferred on 04 July, the birth anniversary of Late Dr. Thegim.
For this award, books written/ authored by all levels of writers from Sikkim and published during the calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009 in Nepali were eligible. Mr. Alley’s Karyang-Kurung ko Aakaash- a collections of poems was published in the year 2007.
Similarly, the Trust has also announced the name of Ms. Arapana Basnet as the winner of Dr. Shova Kanti Thegim [Lepcha] Memorial Prize and Stipend comprising a cash prize of Rs. 2001 as prize money and Rs. 1500 per annum as stipend for pursuing further studies in Class XI with Nepali as one of the major subjects.
Arpana, now a Class XI student of PNG had secured A2 grade in Nepali in her Class X Board-2011.
Mr. Alley will be awarded a cash award of Rs. 12,001, a Tamra Patra and a Certificate.
Born to late Guru Singh Alley and Narimaya Alley in the year 1976 at Suldung in West Sikkim, Mr. Alley began schooling from Kamling-Suldung Primary School. He did his Junior High school from Mangalbarey JHS and High Secondary and Senior Secondary from Soreng SSS. He obtained B.Sc. degree from Sikkim Government College, Tadong in 1989 and did his B.A. in Nepali and Sociology from the same college in later years. He completed his M.A. [Sociology] from Kamraj University in Madurai in the year 2006.
In 1990, he began his career as a teacher from Saple-Sardarey Primary School in East Sikkim and a year later appointed as a graduate teacher in Mangalbarey High School under Education Department. In the year 1998, he was transferred at HRDD headquarter as Assistant Education Officer and in the year 2003 he was promoted and posted as Assistant Director at Gyalshing.
Mr. Alley developed interest towards literature when he was in Class IX and started writing poems, essays, short stories etc. in tenth grade. In Class XII, with assistance from his friends Prem Chandra Rai and Biren Kerung, he edited and published a Nepali literary magazine Goreto in the year 1986. His works were published in various magazines, newspapers and journals like Wichar, Shrashta, Parimal, Nirman, Himalchuli etc.
Mr. Alley’s first collection of poems Talao Bhitra Anuhar was published in the year 1994. In 2003, he authored a historical/ cultural research work Mangar Jaatiko Itihaas ani Sanskriti Sikkim ko Sandarvama and Karyang-Kurung ko Aakaash in 2007. Some of his poems have also been translated into Assamese, English and Hindi.
For his contributions towards the literature, he was conferred Shrashta Purashkar by Paschim Sikkim Sahitya Prakashan in 2007 and fecilitations/appreciations by Sah-srabdi Bhao Tarang Samiti, Mangalbarey- 2000, Akhil Bharatiya Mangar Sangh, Doars- 2004, Akhil Sikkim Tamu [Gurung] Boudha Sangh-2006, Akhil Sikkim Kirat Rai Sangh- 2008, Himali Prakashan Samiti, Dentam- 2010 and Springdale Academy, Mangalbarey- 2010.
Besides a litterateur, Mr. Alley is also an active social worker and associated with various literary and social organizations like Sikkim Akademi, founder member of Mangalbarey Welfare Committee, Sarva-Dharma Mandir Samity, Mangalbarey, Springdale Academi, Paschim Zilla Akhil Sikkim Mangar Sangh, Sahitya Srijana Sahkaari Samiti, Prerna Prakashan etc.