Rambriksh Benipuri
Ramavriksha Benipuri | |
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| Born | 23 December 1899 Benipur Village, Muzaffarpur, India |
| Died | 9 September 1968 (aged 68) Muzaffarpur, India |
| Occupation |
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Literary movement | Kisan Mahasabha, Quit India Movement, Janaue Todo Abhiyaan |
| Notable works | Ambpali, Patiton Ke Desh Mein, Genhu Aur Gulab, Maati Ki Muratien, Zanjeerein Aur Deewarien, Vijeta, Shakuntala etc. |
| Notable awards | Lifetime Achievement Award For Contribution In Literature From Rashtra Bhasha Parishad |
| Children | Dr. Prabha Benipuri |
| Relatives | Shyam Sunder Das |
Ramavriksha Benipuri (
Ramvriksha Benipuri hailed from
Writing career
Benipuriji's first writing was published in Pratapa of
Benipuri started his literary career in 1921 with a weekly Hindi journal Tarun Bharat of which he was an associate editor. He also worked as an associate editor of the Kisan Mitra weekly in 1922, Golmal in 1924 and as an editor of the monthly journal Balak in 1926, but the publication of Yuvak made him more popular.[6]
Yuvak Hindi Journal
Yuvak, an illustrated Hindi monthly magazine, was launched in January 1929 by Rambriksh Benipuri, a distinguished Hindi writer, critic, poet, journalist and freedom fighter.[6] He was assisted by Ganga Sharan Singh (Sinha), Ambica Kant Sinha and Jagdish Narayan in its publication.[6] Devoted to 'strength, courage and culture', Yuvak was edited, printed and published by Rambriksh Benipuri from the Patna Yuvak Ashram.[6] It was printed at the Searchlight Press.[6] Yuvak was the official organ of the Patna Yuvak Sangh founded in 1927 by Manindra Narayan Roy, a journalist of The Searchlight.[6]
Yuvak made Benipuri an eyesore of the colonial British government as its mission was to secure Swaraj for India promoting armed revolution and overthrowing the British regime.[6] Its writings had a clear impact of Marxism as its contributors were political elites, avowed nationalists and Marxist revolutionaries.[6]
As a Playwright
Ramvriksha Benipuri stands in a class apart as a playwright.[7] He wrote Ambapalai during his detention in the Hazaribagh Central Jail.[7] Later on he wrote a series of one-act plays and radio-dramas, more notable being: the Netra-dan, Tathagat, Sanghamitra, Singhal Vijay and Vijeta.[7] Benipuri had a forceful pen and was a prolific writer.[7] Main attraction of Benipuri's plays lies in his way of writing.[7] There is a delightful mixture of romanticism and idealism in his plays.[7]
Short stories
In most of Ramvriksha Benipuri's short stories pictures of rural life of north Bihar, specially that of Muzaffarpur district have been vividly presented.[7] His Mati ki Mooraten, though not a story book in strict sense of the term, actually presents persons of flesh and blood, each throbbing with life, on a rural canvas.[7]
Style and influence
Benipuri wrote mostly big stories and essays. His dramas covered mostly ancient events. For example, Amipure depicts the life of the famous courtesan
He was also a distinguished playwright.[1]
A stanza from one of his famous poems, "Shahido – tumhari yaad me" goes like this:
"Hey, the Martyrs of August Revolution,
We shall forever keep the flag high
For which thy hath given the lives;
We shall always esteem the path of martyrdom
Sanctified by the blood of the supreme sacrifice."
The eminent Hindi writer, poet, play-wright, journalist and nationalist Rambriksh Benipuri, who spent more than eight years in prison fighting for India's independence writes of Non-co-operation movement as:[9]
When I recall Non-Cooperation era of 1921, the image of a storm confronts my eyes. From the time I became aware, I have witnessed numerous movements, however, I can assert that no other movement upturned the foundations of Indian society to the extent that the Non-Cooperation movement did. from the most humble huts to the high places, from villages to cities, everywhere there was a ferment, a loud echo.
In the freedom movement
Benipuri was a close associate of
In Hazaribagh Central Jail, he initiated a campaign " Janaeu Todo Abhiyaan" (Breaking of the
.Homage
In 1999, Benipuri was one of the Hindi writers depicted in a set of commemorative postal stamps released to celebrate the "Linguistic Harmony of India," marking the 50th anniversary since India adopted Hindi as its official language.[10]
Centenary celebrations
The chief guest on the occasion of the birth centenary of Benipuri held in zonal railway training centre at Muzaffarpur, held under the auspices of railway ministry, was the former Prime Minister of India Chandra Shekhar.[11] The main speakers included litterateur Namwar Singh and journalist Prabhash Joshi.[11] Namwar Singh described Benipuri as only the second litterateur who preferred to associate his name with that of his village.[11]
Prabhash Joshi ranked Benipuri with Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, who were both contemporary writers and journalists as well.[11] He said '"Benipuri was not like today's journalists who work only to earn. Benipuri had a desire to create a "samtawadi samaj" and fight against imperialism."[11]
Major literary works
Memoirs and essays
- Patiton Ke Desh Mein-1930-33
- Chita Ke Phool-1930-32
- Lal Taaraa-1937-39
Lal Tara is the symbol of a new light of the morning.[5] The light is very near and therefore the darkness has increased.[5] The writer wants to say that the darkness would disappear within a short time and a new rising light would come out.[5] There are 16 such sketches in the collection.[5] Benipuri tries to search out a new society, a new way of living and a new culture.[5]
- Kaidee Ki Patni-1940
- Maate
-1941-45
- Gehun Aur Gulaab- 1948–50
It was published in 1950.[5] This composition also brought much laurels and fame to Benipuri and was welcomed in the Hindi world like the former two titles, "Lal Tara" and "Mati ki Murten".[5]
- Zanjeeren Aur Deewaren
- Udate Chalo, Udate Chalo
Dramas
- Ambpali-1941-46
- Sita Ki maan-1948-50
- Sanghamitra-1948-50
- Amar Jyoti-1951
- Tathaagat
- Singhal Vijay
- Shakuntala
- Ramrajya
- Netradaan-1948-50
- Gaao Ke Devata
- Nayaa samaaj
- Vijeta-1953.
- Baiju Mama, National Book Trust, 1994
Editing and critical
- Vidyapati Ki Padaavali
- Bihari (poet)satsai Ki Subodh Teekaa
Biography
- Jayaprakash Narayan only with the initials Jayaprakash
Lalit Gadya
- Vande Vaani Vinayaka −1953-54.
Collected works
- Collected Works of Rambriksh Benipuri, 8 volumes, Radhakrishna Prakashan
Selected works/anthology
- Rambriksh Benipuri Rachna Sanchayan, Sahitya Akademi
Works on Rambriksha Benipuri
- Gajanan Pandurang Chavan, Ramvriksha aur unka sahitya, 1984.
- Dr. Prabha Benipuri, Benipuriji ke natakon me samajik chetna, 1989.
- Ram Bachan Rai, Ramvriksh Benipuri, ISBN 81-7201-974-2.
- Raśmi Caturvedī, Rāmavr̥ksha Benīpurī ke rekhācitra, eka adhyayana, Sāhitya Nilaya, 2005.
- Indu Prakash Pandey, Hindi Literature: Trends & Traits, Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay, 1975.
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 81-7201-974-2.
- ISBN 9788179755198.
- ^ "Special Postage Stamps on Linguistic Harmony of India". Latest PIB Releases. Press Information Bureau of the Government of India. September 1999. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
- ISBN 978-81-7201-798-9.
- ^ OCLC 895247051.
- ^ ISBN 978-93-81456-36-1.
- ^ ISBN 81-89785-02-8.
- ISBN 978-81-907634-5-5.
- ISBN 978-93-80607-92-4.
- ^ "Special Postage Stamps on Linguistic Harmony of India". Latest PIB Releases. Press Information Bureau of the Government of India. September 1989. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Dictatorship threatening Indian democracy: Chandrashekhar". The Times of India. 20 December 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
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