Issued by India

Issued on May 31, 2017

Issued for : To commemorate the spirit and role of Literature in the society, the Department of Posts is bringing out 5 stamps, and one Miniature Sheet on 5 authors.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1000 Paise

Stamps Printed : 301590

Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.1 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa

Born on 29 Dec, 1904 at Hirekodige, Koppa taluk, Chikkamagaluru district, Kingdom of Mysore [now Karnataka, India]

Died on 11 Nov, 1994 at Mysore, Karnataka, India

About : 

• Literature is one of the major contributory factors in the nation building. It acts a cultural binding force and works as an evocative medium to boost up the moral of the people in the times of crises. Literature is the vehicle through which people’s culture is transmitted. Department of Posts is bringing stamps on five such authors who have contributed significantly in this arena.
  • The fourth stamp is on K V Puttappa. Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa (29 December 1904 – 11 November 1994), popularly known by the pen name Kuvempu or by K. V. Puttappa, was born in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. He was a Kannada novelist, poet, playwright, critic and thinker, who penned the State anthem Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20^th century. Kuvempu began his literary work in English and later shifted to Kannada. His major work in English is a collection of poems called the Beginner’s Muse. He was the forbearer of the idea that education should be provided in children’s mother tongues and in his pursuit he opened the Institute of Kannada Studies in Mysore University.
  • Kuvempu was actively against the caste system and many of his writings reflected his views. He is considered to be one of the major contributors to the modernist literary movement in Kannada literature. His writings and his contribution to “Universal Humanism” gives him a unique place in modern Indian literature. His major achievement was his extremely different take on the characters of Ramayana written by Valmiki, which fetched him the honor of being the first Kannada writer to be decorated with the prestigious Jnanpith Award. His epic narrative Sri Ramayana Darshanam, is regarded as the revival of the era of Mahakavya (Great Epic poetry) in contemporary form and charm. Besides Jnanpith, Kuvempu has also won the Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Academy Award, Padma Vibhushan and recently the Karnataka Ratna awards.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 31, 2017

Issued for : To commemorate the spirit and role of Literature in the society, the Department of Posts is bringing out 5 stamps, and one Miniature Sheet on 5 authors.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1000 Paise

Stamps Printed : 301590

Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.1 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Bhisham Sahni

Born on 8 Aug, 1915 at Rawalpindi, British India [now Punjab, Pakistan]

Died on 11 Jul, 2003 at Delhi, India

About : 

• Literature is one of the major contributory factors in the nation building. It acts a cultural binding force and works as an evocative medium to boost up the moral of the people in the times of crises. Literature is the vehicle through which people’s culture is transmitted. Department of Posts is bringing stamps on five such authors who have contributed significantly in this arena.
  • Another author on which the stamp is being brought out is Bhisham Sahni. Bhisham Sahni was one of the most prolific writers of Hindi literature. He was born on 8 August 1915 in Rawalpindi. His immense popularity was a reward for his literary merits – his sharp wit, his gentle irony, his all-pervasive humour, his penetrating insight into character, his mastery as raconteur, and his profound grasp of the yearnings of the human heart. With his high-spirits and passion for life of the common people, he travelled through villages and towns of Punjab with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) theatre group in 1948; then began to teach to earn a living; and then lived in the USSR for seven years as a Hindi translator. This sprawling reservoir of experience collected in the hustle-bustle of various occupations ultimately filtered down into his stories and novels. The ‘simplicity’ of his work comes from hard layers of experience.
  • He is known as a progressive writer, influenced by Marxism, and yet he does not seem to be engrossed with political themes. He explores the human condition with kindness and understanding.
  • Bhisham Sahni’s last published book, was an autobiography with the title Aaj Ke Ateet (The Pasts of the Present). He was associated with several literary and cultural organizations. He was General Secretary of the All India Progressive Writers Association (1975-85) and Acting General Secretary of the Afro-Asian Writers Association and was also associated with the editing of their journal Lotus.
  • He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for literature in 1998 for his contribution in Literature. He passed away on 11 July 2003.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 31, 2017

Issued for : To commemorate the spirit and role of Literature in the society, the Department of Posts is bringing out 5 stamps, and one Miniature Sheet on 5 authors.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1000 Paise

Stamps Printed : 301590

Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.1 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Balwant Gargi

Born on 4 Dec, 1916 at Bathinda, Punjab, India

Died on 22 Apr, 2003 at Mumbai, India

About : 

• Literature is one of the major contributory factors in the nation building. It acts a cultural binding force and works as an evocative medium to boost up the moral of the people in the times of crises. Literature is the vehicle through which people’s culture is transmitted. Department of Posts is bringing stamps on five such authors who have contributed significantly in this arena.
  • The Department is bringing out stamp on Professor Balwant Gargi. Shri Balwant Gargi, playwright, director, theatre personality, novelist, teacher and chronicler of folk theatre, was among the pioneers of playwriting in Punjabi. He was born on 4 December 1916 in Bhatinda Punjab. He was founder Professor Director of the Department of Indian Theatre which was founded in 1972 by the Punjab University Chandigarh. The establishment of the Department was the culmination of the years of creativity that began from Gargi’s years of study at Government College Lahore. He completed his M.A. (English) and M.A. (Political Science) from FC College in Lahore. He also studied theatre with pioneering theatre personality Norah Richards at her school in Kangra Valley, from which emerged the famous names of Panjabi drama, including Ishwar Chandra Nanda, Gurcharan Singh and Gargi himself. His interaction with Richards gave him an insight into the realistic theatre of Henrik Ibsen as well as the Irish playwright Synge. From studying the work of these two masters, he got an understanding of the inner impulses and motivations to how to create living and palpable characters for the stage.
  • For subject matter Gargi moved freely over social milieu, mythology, history, and folklore. In the composition and performance of his dozen full-length plays and five collections of one-act drama, he traveled from the realistic to the mythopoeic mode. Balwant Gargi taught for two years (1966-67) at the University of Washington, where he met his wife Jeanne Henry. This period was the basis of his autobiography The Naked Triangle. The Naked Triangle brought him to the forefront of cosmopolitan attention. Balwant Gargi was among the pioneers of playwriting in Punjabi and the production and telecast of his plays like Sanjha Chulha on Doordarshan received countrywide appreciation.
  • Gargi was awarded the Sahitya Academy award, the highest Indian literary award, in 1962 for his book Rang Manch. This was followed by the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Punjabi Playwriting. Gargi is one of the few artists to win both the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. He passed away on 22 April 2003.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 3, 2013

Issued for : Nothing captures the essence of popular culture in present day India better than their films. Department of Posts is happy to be a part of the century-long journey of Indian cinema by releasing six Miniature Sheets commemorating the contribution of fifty iconic personalities of Indian Cinema. The first two Miniature Sheets with nine stamps each depict some Dada Saheb Phalke awardees whereas rest with eight stamps each depict the personalities from various fields of cinema.

Design : First two Miniature Sheets (9 x 2) – Some Dada Saheb Phalke awardees : [Ashok Kumar, B. N. Sircar, B. R. Chopra, Bhalji Pendharkar, Bhupen Hazarika, Dev Anand, Dhirendranath Ganguly, Durga Khote & Hrishikesh Mukherjee], [Majrooh Sultanpuri, Naushad, Nitin Bose, Prithviraj Kapoor, Raichand Boral, Ruby Myers, Sohrab Modi, Tapan Sinha & Yash Chopra].

Last four Miniature Sheets (8 x 4) – Some Personalities from various fields of Cinema : [Allu Ramalingiah, Ashok Mehta, Balraj Sahni, Bhanumathi, C. V. Sridhar, Chetan Anand, Kamaal Amrohi & Geeta Dutt], [Kannadasan, Madan Mohan, Mehmood, Motilal, Nagesh, O. P. Nayyar, Prem Nazir & R. D. Burman], [Raj Khosla, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, S. V. Ranga Rao, Salil Chowdhury, Sanjeev Kumar, Shailendra & Shakeel Badayuni] & [Shammi Kapoor, Shankar Jaikishan, Smita Patil, Suraiya, Tarachand Barjatya, T. R. Sundaram, Utpal Dutt & Vishnu Vardhan].

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheets, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each (50 stamps)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• On 3^rd May, 1913, when Dada Saheb Phalke, the father of Indian Cinema, released India‘s first full length feature film Raja Harishchandra, it held the viewers in a thrall. As the next one hundred years would prove, what he brought to India that day was not just a medium of mass entertainment, but also a powerful tool that would shape social engagement, culture and behaviour in this diverse country.
  
• The release of India‘s first talkie ‘Alam Ara‘, produced by Ardeshir Irani, was the next landmark event in the history of Indian cinema. The movie which released on 14^th March, 1931 at the Majestic Cinema, Mumbai starring Zubeida, Master Vettal and Prithvi Raj Kapoor was so popular that police had to be called in to control the crowd. The commercial success of Alam Ara brought an end to the silent era. The talkies changed the face of Indian cinema. Apart from looks, the actors were now required to have a commanding voice and singing skills, as music became a defining element of Indian cinema. The first talkie film in Bengali ‘Jumai Shasthi‘, Telugu ‘Bhakta Prahlad‘ and Tamil ‘Kalidas‘ were also released in the same year.
  
• The 1940s was a tumultuous decade for the world and for India, which was ravaged by war and drastic political changes, Indian cinema, however, made some firm strides during this period. The 40s and 50s formed the golden era of film music. Shankar Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Madan Mohan, C. Ramachandra, Salil Chowdhury, Naushad and S.D. Burman – all with their distinct styles – produced some of the most unforgettable melodies. The 50s also marked a watershed in the matter of themes, with social issues being taken up in movies by enlightened film makers to educate the masses.
  
• The new trend continued into the 60s, with filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, K. Asif, Raj Kapoor, K.V. Reddy, L.V. Prasad and Ramu Kariat directing movies like ‘Pyasa‘, ‘Do Bigha Zamin‘, ‘Mughal–e–Azam‘, ‘Pather Panchali‘, ‘Mother India‘, ‘Maya Bazaar‘ and ‘Chemmeen‘, and going on to win national and international acclaim.
  
• The 70s saw the birth of a genre, masala movie, in Indian cinema which promised instant attraction and wholesome entertainment. During this era, Parallel Cinema, with higher aesthetic values than commercial cinema, emerged as a movement. Parallel Cinema was also instrumental in the emergence of women filmmakers like Aparna Sen, Prema Karanth, Meera Nayar, Sai Paranjape, Kalpana Lajmi and others in the 80s.
  
• The 90s brought with it a mixed bag of films – romantic thrillers, action and comedy. Introduction of technology with Dolby digital sound effects, advanced special effects and modern choreography led to a striking upgrade in quality on the silver screen. Simultaneously, investment from corporate sector also started flowing in along with fine scripts and improved production quality.
  
• Indian cinema has found global appeal at the turn of the 21^st century. It has reached out to the international audiences through commercial releases and regular screenings at major international film festivals.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
  

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Issued by India

Issued on May 3, 2013

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Utpal Dutta

Born on Mar 29, 1929 at Barisal, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Bangladesh]

Died on Aug 19, 1993 at Calcutta, West Bengal, India

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 8, 2011

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Tripuraneni Gopichand.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : S.S.P. Hyderabad

Name : Tripuraneni Gopichand

Born on Sep 8, 1910 at Krishna, Andhra Pradesh, India

Died on Nov 2, 1962

About : 

• Tripuraneni Gopichand, who adorned Telugu literature as a writer, novelist, dramatist, essayist and cine script writer, was born on 08.09.1910 in a family rich in Telugu literary and cultural heritage. His father Shri Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdhry, popularly known as Kaviraju was a freedom fighter, rationalist and a great poet, and his mother was Smt. Punnamamba.
• He authored ten novels, twelve plays, numerous essays, sketches, letters and a hundred short stories. His stories fall into four broad categories i.e. political, social, domestic and autobiographical. Social problems and gender conflict are the favorite themes, ‘Apadbandhavyam’ is one of Gopichand‘s best stories which depict the psychology of a woman on a flight. An innovative technique used by Gopichand is to present the stories of non-human beings as soliloquies as if they are human. An element of satire and a delicate sense of humor run through his stories. Though Gopichand read many European writers, he was not a blind imitator of any of them. His stories have a purpose : they are meant to educate. He had the courage to attack age-old traditions, to expose self-deception and to condemn tyrannies of every sort.
• All his writings reflect a purpose and are thought-provoking. Shri Gopichand was presented with a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1963 for his work “Panditha Parameshwara Sastry Veelunama”. He rendered invaluable services to the Telugu literary heritage for nearly 35 years.
• Shri Gopichand passed away on 02.11.1962. However, his literary creations continue to inspire generations of readers.
• Text : Based on the text provided by the proponent.

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Issued by Sri Lanka

Issued on May 7, 2011

Issued to Commemorate the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet.

Picture : A Portrait of the Poet, Rabindranath Tagore

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Watermark : No

Colour : Multicolored

Denomination : 5.00 Rupee

Name : Rabīndranātha Thākura

Born on May 7, 1861 at Kolkata, India

Died on Aug 7, 1941 at Kolkata, India

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Issued by India

Issued on May 7, 2011

Issued for : India Post is feeling proud in releasing the set of stamps to commemorate 150 years of Rabindranath Tagore birth anniversary.

Design : The design of the stamps depicts; Tagore‘s writing – background shows Upasana ghar at Santiniketan; Tagore performing in his play ‘Valmiki Pratibha‘ and a painting by him.
FDC : Tagore inset against one of his paintings.
Brochure : Some doodles & scribbles of Tagore.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.6 Million each (0.3 million for normal distribution and 0.1 million for e-post office to be sent to Sansad Marg HO, 0.2 million for proponent to be sent to Sansad Marg HO)

Miniature Sheets : 0.2 Million (0.1 million for normal distribution and 0.1 million for e-post office to be sent to Sansad Marg HO)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : Rabīndranātha Thākura

Born on May 7, 1861 at Kolkata, India

Died on Aug 7, 1941 at Kolkata, India

About : 

• The fourteenth child of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7 May 1861 at Jorasanko, Kolkata. His creative genius was nothing short of epic-poet, essayist, writer of fiction and drama, musician, performer, educator and builder of institutions. His work has a universality that marks the triumph of humanism and creativity with a social purpose. Dropping out from formal education, he set up two unique school : Patha Bhavan and Siksha Satra and an international University Visva Bharati and Santiniketan.
  
• He wrote his first drama ‘Prithvirajer Parajey‘ in 1873 but today no copy of this exists. The next year his poem ‘Abhilasha‘ was published in ‘Tattwabodhini Patrika‘ and in 1875 he made his first public appearance to recite his patriotic poem ‘Hindumela Upohar‘. His study of Law at the University College of London remained incomplete as he returned in 1880. His writing of prose, verse, drama and music was prolific. Through the years of marring to Mrinalini Devi, birth of five children and the ups and downs of his personal life, he continued to write and involve himself in the social and political problems of India.
  
• His first book, ‘Sandhya Sangit‘, was published in 1880 and in 1881 he wrote his first musical drama ‘Valmiki Pratibha‘. He advocated education in the mother tongue, critical of the prevalent system of English education. He started a Swadeshi store in Kolkata and a jute pressing factory in Kushtia to promote indigenous goods and employment for youth. He read a paper ‘Kantharodh‘, reacting to the arrest of Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1898.
  
• Moving to Santiniketan with his family, Tagore revived Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya‘s monthly journal ‘Bangadarshan‘. The nucleus of Santiniketan was begun in 1901 but the foundation stone was laid in 1918. He advocated a policy of constructive non-cooperation against the British through his articles and essays, but withdrew from the ‘Swadeshi‘ movement disillusioned over the political exploitation of the Hindu-Muslim conflict.
  
• ‘Gitanjali‘, his magnum opus, was first published in Bengali (1910). A meeting with the British painter, William Rothenstein, led to the publication of ‘Gitanjali‘ in English by the India Society of London, with an introduction by W.B. Yeats. Macmillan, London, also published ‘Gitanjali‘ along with ‘The Gardener‘, ‘Crescent Moon‘ and ‘Chitra‘ and in 1913 Tagore became the first Asian recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Knighted in 1915, he also met Gandhi the same year at Santiniketan. He renounced his Knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1930.
  
• In 1916 he began his journeys to countries in Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and the USA, writing and speaking on nationalism, education and culture and also raising funds for the Visva Bharati University. He was often invited for Lectures at Universities. Doodles on his writings led to this emergence as a painter in 1924. Performing in his plays, holding exhibitions of his paintings, delivering lectures, writing and publishing his works, expanding Santiniketan, leading a protest against the High Detention Camp shooting incident – Tagore‘s life was a multi-coloured fabric in which not a single thread was wasted.
  
• In 1940 Oxford University conferred a Doctorate on him. His last lecture was read out at his eightieth birthday. He breathed his last on 7^th August 1941.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 19, 2010

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on C.V. Raman Pillai.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name : Cannankara Velayudhan Raman Pillai (CV)

Born on May 19, 1858 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Died on Mar 21, 1922  at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

About : 

• Cannankaraveetil Velayudhan Raman Pillai was a playwright of Malayalam literature born on 19 May 1858 to middle class parents. His early education included learning Sanskrit and Ayurveda. He graduated from the University of Madras.
  
• C.V. Raman Pillai is considered a pioneer in the field of Malayalam journalism. He worked with many Malayalam and English dailies. The gifted Pillai edited news papers and wrote novels and plays in Malayalam. His sharp and incisive pen first brought forth the news paper “The Kerala Patriot” (1882), followed by the “Malayali” in 1886, “Vanchiraj” in 1901 and finally “Mitabhashi” in 1920.
  
• Pillai‘s works are classed with the greats in Indian literature like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Harinarayan Apte. The novels “Marthanda Varma“, “Dharmaraja” and “Ramarajabahadur” are classics that undoubtedly put him in the ranks of world literary genius. He drew inspiration from his roots enriched with tradition and wove them into unforgettable epics.
  
• Modern Malayalam drama traces its origins to Pillai‘s work. Malayalam in prose form began with his eleven farces. They set the tone and paved the way for present day Kerala theatre.
  
• He used history as a means to unfold the intricacies of human life, both on the sociopolitical and on the psychological planes. The first book published by C.V. Raman Pillai was a satire called “Chandramukhivilasam“. He has to his credit a number of novels and satirical plays including “Marthanda Varma“, “Premamritam“, “Dharma Raja” and “Ramaraja Bahadur“. “Kuruppillaakkalari“, “Tentanamkotu Harischandran“, “Doctorkku Kittiya Micham” are among his humorous plays.
  
• This towering literary personality passed away on 21 March 1922 leaving behind a rich legacy of Malayalam literature.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 27, 2009

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to commemorate achievements with the issue of a postage stamp on Dushyant Kumar.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

Name : Dushyant Kumar Tyagi

Born on Sep 27, 1931 at Rajpur Navada, Bijnor District, Uttar Pradesh, British India

Died on Dec 30, 1975 at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

About : 

• Dushyant Kumar was born on 27^th September 1931 at Rajpur-Nawada in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh in a landowning agriculturist family. His literary sensibilities were apparent in his childhood as he started writing poetry when he was in the High school. The early poetic form that he chose was that of a ‘Geet’ but the subjects were as varied as love, poverty, nationalism, social orthodoxy etc. His poetry gradually matured during his college days and later when he went to Allahabad University from where he did his M.A. in Hindi Literature in 1954. Allahabad at that time was the hub of literary activity and that particular period was a turning point in the history of Hindi literature. There he came in contact with eminent literary figures like Sumitranandan Pant, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Dharamveer Bharati as well as with the younger generation of writers who were the pioneers of the new progressive and experimental writing. Dushyant Kumar was very close to Kamleshwar and Markandeya. Initially, he worked for the All India Radio and then in the State Government of Madhya Pradesh.
  
• Dushyant Kumar was of the firm belief that poetry can prove its true potential only when it emerges out of real social contexts. He did not believe in any school or literary dogma. He started writing in ‘free verse’ that gave primary to ‘heart’ over ‘mind’ and ‘content’ over ‘form’. He was searching for an idiom and a poetic form that was natural and simple to understand. The poetic vision led him to believe in a creative recreation of the reality of common life. His poetry collections like Surya ka Swagat, Aawazon ke Ghere and Jalte Hue Van ka Vasant brought a new warmth and faith that was in contrast to the gloomy poetry of self-obsession and pessimism. His poetry further advocated his view that the reader and not the critic is the ultimate judge, as he said, “These poems are mine only to the extent that I have written and lived them. If you find in them a voice that seems familiar, an intimate language and something of yours, then I am successful.”
  
• By early 70s, Dushyant Kumar had reinvented the ‘Ghazal’. He chose this traditional but meticulous and complex genre and gave it a new lease of life. Ghazal had come to Hindi literature through Urdu and many poets had written Ghazals in Hindi before, but it was Dushyant’s magical use of language and vivid imageries to express intimate experiences and social reality that established the ghazal as a powerful genre in Hindi, particularly at a time when this genre had become moribund in India. At the level of language, Dushyant unified the literary legacies of Hindi and Urdu as he blended simple Hindi and Urdu words. He voiced common people’s feelings and upheld the struggle for democratic and universal human values. In addition to poetry, Dushyant Kumar wrote a poetry-drama, Ek Kanth Vishpayee and two novels, Aangan Mein Ek Vriksha and Chote Chote Sawal besides some critical essays and memoirs.
  
• Dushyant’s ghazals, collected and published as Saaye Mein Dhoop (1975) have become so popular that his couplets are quoted even today. It would not be hyperbolic to say that after Kabir’s Dohas, only Dushyant’s ghazals and couplets have penetrated the collective consciousness and still persist in the public memory.
  
• Dushyant Kumar was a common man’s poet whose untimely death on December 30, 1975 left behind an irreplaceable void.
  
• Text : Sujit Kumar Chaudhary.

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