Ashoke Kumar Haldar, former Train Manager's Name in the list of Padma Shri Award

The entire railway family is proud that a train manager's name has been included in the list of Padma Shri awardees...

Ashok Kumar Haldar, a former railway employee from Maldah (West Bengal), who started writing to pass the time during his solitary journeys on freight trains, will now be honored with the Padma Shri award in 2026 for his special contribution to the field of literature and education.
The 66-year-old Ashok Kumar Haldar worked as a train guard in the Malda Division of Eastern Railway and retired in 2019. He currently resides in the Bidhanpally area of English Bazar Town in Malda. His family includes his wife Ila Haldar, elder son Amit (who is a temporary employee in the Gajol Block Officej), and younger son Kinkar, who is preparing for a job after completing his studies.
Ashok Kumar Haldar was born in Lalgola, Murshidabad District. His father also worked in the railways. He received his early education from Lalgola M.N. Academy. After that, he completed BSc from K.N. College in Baharampur in 1985. The following year, he was appointed as a Train Guard in the Malda division of Eastern Railway.
In the early years of his career, he worked as a freight Train Guard. During this time, he had to travel to various parts of Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The solitary time spent in the freight train and coach, passing through mountains, forests, trees, and deserted areas, became the inspiration for his writing.
Ashok Kumar Haldar says:
“I have been writing for the last 30 years. I used to write in my free time during duty. My railway colleagues have always supported me. I have also received several awards from the Railways and the State Government for my writing.”
He later came to be recognized as a renowned Dalit Writer. So far, a total of 13 of his books have been published in English and Bengali languages—8 books in English, 5 books in Bengali.
More than two and a half thousand of his works have been published in various newspapers and magazines, including those in Tripura. His book, "The Radical Change of Human Society and Its Scientific Observation," published in 2017, received special recognition. He had also sent a copy of this book to former President Pranab Mukherjee, after which he was invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's official residence). This incident further encouraged him in his writing.
His wife applied for the Padma Shri award on his behalf to the central government on July 27, 2025. Earlier, in January 2020, Ashok Kumar Haldar had also met former Governor of West Bengal, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar with his book.
The entire railway family and the railway region are proud of his name being included in the Padma Shri award list for 2026.
His journey from a simple railway worker to a nationally recognized writer is an inspiration to millions today.
Heartfelt congratulations from the AIl India Media Association