PM Modi pays tributes to ‘Rashtrakavi’ Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar at Dinkar Golambar in Patna November 2.

Eminent poet and parliamentarian

• Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was an eminent poet and parliamentarian who used the power of his words and emotions effectively during India’s freedom struggle.

• He was hailed as the greatest Hindi poet of “veer rasa” (poems that relate to the genre of  heroism and courage), which earned him the title ‘Rashtra Kavi’.

• He was born on September 23, 1908 at Simaria village in Monghyr district of Bihar.

• After his early education at a local school in Mokamehghat, he graduated from Patna University.

• He was deeply influenced by the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Iqbal, Keats and Milton.

• In his early days, Dinkar supported the revolutionary movement during the freedom struggle, but later he became a true Gandhian as his political thoughts were greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi.

• Dinkar’s first published poetry work was ‘Vijay Sandesh’, published in 1928. It was inspired by the triumph of the peasants’ agitation led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

• Dinkar started his career as headmaster of a school and thereafter served the government of Bihar for some years in different capacities. He joined as a sub-registrar in 1934 and remained in this job till 1943.

• After World War II, he set up his own publication, ‘Udyachal’, in 1946 and published his works ‘Kurukshetra’, ‘Saamdheni’ and ‘Dhoop Chhah’. He authored 17 volumes of Hindi poetry, 10 volumes of Hindi prose and five volumes of children literature during his lifetime.

• In 1952, Dinkar was elected to the Rajya Sabha. He was re-elected in 1954 and 1960.

• Dinkar resigned his membership of the Rajya Sabha in 1964 to join the Bhagalpur University as its vice-chancellor.

• A member of many cultural, social and educational institutions, Dinkar made significant contributions towards the cause of the Hindi language.

• Dinkar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1959. 

• He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1959 for his work ‘Sanskriti Ke Char Adhyay’, which is a detailed and analytical account of India’s cultural development through the ages against a historical backdrop.

• He was awarded the Jnanpith Award in 1972 for ‘Urvashi’, which was published in 1961.

• Dinkar passed away on April 24, 1974.