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Bihar has lost many writers, artistes to second Covid wave
The names include Bihar Gaurav Gaan writer Dr Shanti Jain; Padma Shri awardee, writer Dr Ravindra Rajhans; former Bihar Sangeet Natak Akademi vice-chairman, Prof Shaileshwar Sati Prasad; and Sukant Nagarjun, veteran journalist and son of the noted writer, Nagarjun
The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic has claimed lives of over a dozen writers, painters, musicians and archaeologists in Bihar the last few weeks. The names include Bihar Gaurav Gaan writer Dr Shanti Jain; Padma Shri awardee, writer Dr Ravindra Rajhans; former Bihar Sangeet Natak Akademi vice-chairman, Prof Shaileshwar Sati Prasad; and Sukant Nagarjun, veteran journalist and son of the noted writer, Nagarjun.
On Thursday, Avinash Das, a teacher in the applied arts department at the Patna-based of Arts and Crafts, also succumbed to Covid.
“We lost Maithili theatre artist Kumar Gagan a few weeks ago. Then, Manoj Manuj, yet another bright star of Maithili theatre, died. Almost every day, we are losing an artist or writer to Covid,” Umesh Mishra, secretary of the Chetana Samiti, a Maithili organisation, said.
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Mourning the loss of Dr Shanti Jain, cultural activist Abhijit Kashyap said, “It has caused a big void in the world of art and culture...she penned the Bihar Gaurav Gaan and for years, rendered the Ramcharit Manas on Akashwani.”
Eminent artist Dr Rama said, “We also lost Dr Ravindra Rajhans...I still remember his poetry and the street plays that he used to present during the JP movement [political movement started by Jayaprakash Nayaran, or JP, against state government’s misrule].”
The state also lost many musicians in the second wave of Covid. “Recently, Banaras gharana Tabla player, Shiva Kumar Singh, died due to Covid. He had groomed Grammy award winning Tabla player, Sandip Das. We also lost classical singer Ustad Irshad Khan,” she said. Kathak dancer Raghav Shah is also not doing too well, she added.
Among those who succumbed to Covid were archaelogist Anil Kumar, archivist Vijay Kumar, and writer Surendra Yadav.
Dr Rama said the state is fast losing its gems of art and culture due to Covid and something should be done to support the families of those who need economic support.
