New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The passing of celebrated Hindi writer and Jnanpith awardee Vinod Kumar Shukla has drawn widespread grief from writers, poets, and political leaders, who hailed him as a “truly original” writer and “poet of the deprived.”
Shukla died on Tuesday evening due to age-related ailments at a government hospital in Raipur. He would have turned 89 on January 1.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his condolences on X, noting Shukla will be remembered for “his invaluable contribution to the world of Hindi literature.” “I am deeply saddened by the demise of the renowned writer Vinod Kumar Shukla ji, who was honoured with the Jnanpith Award. In this hour of grief, my condolences are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” the PM posted.
Terming his death an “irreparable loss,” Hindi writer Chandan Pandey said that even during his illness, the literary community hoped for more of his work. “…that the more time they get, the more he will write and the more we will get to read. So, with this hope, everyone wanted a miracle to happen. But it didn’t happen. So, this is it. This is actually an irreparable loss,” Pandey told PTI.
Born on January 1, 1937, in Rajnandgaon (now in Chhattisgarh), Shukla authored acclaimed works including Naukar Ki Kameez, Khilega To Dekhenge, Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi, and Ek Chuppi Jagah.
Author Prem Janmejay described him as a poet “who stood with the deprived and the despairing.” “I am not disheartened at his passing; I am saddened. His creativity will continue to give every despairing soul the energy to feel accompanied. I do not know how much more he might have written, but his presence gave the reassurance that the hands that held the deprived were still alive,” he said.
Shukla’s work captured the lives of India’s poor and middle-class citizens, portraying everyday realities while exploring deeper social intricacies. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999 for Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi and the 59th Jnanpith Award in November this year, becoming only the 12th Hindi author to earn the distinction.
In Deewar Mein Ek Khirkee Rahati Thi, Shukla portrays Raghuvar Prasad and his wife Sonasi, whose modest life is transformed through a window into a world of imagination and hope.
Author Prabhat Ranjan said Shukla was “a truly original Hindi writer whose writing no other author can match.” “The life that is seen in his writing is not seen in any other writer. He does not look for the sorrows of a deprived society but its joys. A deprived person is not always unhappy; he has his moments of happiness. He captured this element, which was absent in much of Hindi literature,” Ranjan said.
Naukar Ki Kameez was adapted into a film by Mani Kaul in 1999. Known for plain, conversational Hindi, Shukla’s stories blended domestic familiarity with profound reflections on injustice, human dignity, alienation, and loss.
Poet Lakshmi Shankar Bajpai called Shukla “an ideal school for the younger generation.” “Using simple language and a conversational style, while talking about home and family, he raises very large questions and reaches profound philosophical inquiries,” Bajpai said, citing the poem Abhi Barish Nahi Hui as an example, where Shukla addresses global crises, displacement of Adivasis, and human suffering through concise, powerful expression.
“Even as his passing is a huge loss, his creative universe remains with us. The younger generation should read him, reflect, understand, and learn the true duty of literature, poetry, and writing: to recognise one’s times and contribute meaningfully to humanity,” Bajpai added.
Writer Maitreyi Pushpa called him a “champion of writing,” while Mridula Garg noted his “sharply perceptive eye on everything going wrong in society.” “When a space becomes empty, it cannot really be filled again. Every writer occupies a unique place, and his absence is deeply felt,” Garg said.
Ashok Maheshwari of Rajkamal Prakashan said Shukla portrayed “the extraordinary nature of ordinary people and their lives on the grand canvas of literature.” “Whether poems, novels, or short stories, all portray common life with remarkable subtlety. He created a unique style and will forever remain present in his works and memories,” he said.
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