Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat is an author and poet from theKargil district in theUnion Territory of Ladakh in India. His writings are in theBalti language which is aTibetic language natively spoken by the ethnic Balti people in theBaltistan region ofGilgit-Baltistan,Pakistan,Nubra Valley of theLeh district and in theKargil district ofLadakh, India. He had had no formal school/college education; instead, he had his early education in amadrassa established by his father at his home in 1972. The madrassa used to teach its students the Balti,Persian andArabic languages. He became interested in writing poetry from around 1980 and his early writings wereNaat (poetry in praise of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad) andManqabat (Sufi devotional poem, in praise of any Sufi saint).[1]
Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat was a regular participant in the poetry recitation programme of All India Radio's Kargil station from the first day of the establishment of the radio station in 1999. He is a regular invitee to poetic symposiums in different parts of Jammu & Kashmir and to shows organised by Doordarshan Srinagar, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, and other organizations.[2] He was selected for thePadma Shri award in 2022 for his efforts to revive and popularize the Balti language.[3][4]
The books (all in Balti language) authored by Akhone Asgar Ali Basharat include:[1]