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Jnanpith Award winning Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla passes away at 89
Shukla became the first writer from Chattisgarh to receive the highest literary honour in India in 2024.
Eminent Hindi writer from Chhattisgarh, Vinod Kumar Shukla, passed away on Tuesday evening due to age-related ailments, his family told news agency PTI. He was 89.
Shukla had been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur on December 2 after he experienced difficulty in breathing, PTI news agency reported.
The renowned litterateur had won the 59th Jnanpith Award in the year 2024, becoming the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive the highest literary honour in India.
He is survived by his wife, son Shashwat and a daughter. His son Shashwat told PTI that Shukla had also been admitted to a private hospital in October this year, but was discharged after his condition improved.
Expressing grief at the writer's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled his contribution to the literary world. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of renowned writer Vinod Kumar Shukla, a Jnanpith Award winner. He will always be remembered for his invaluable contribution to the Hindi literary world,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
“My condolences are with his family and fans in this hour of grief. Om Shanti,” the Prime Minister added.
Shukla was known for his minimalist, surreal prose and simple poetry, which posed a rare blend of restraint and radical imagination. He is known for widely acclaimed works including his novel ‘Naukar Ki Kameez’, ''Khilega To Dekhenge', ‘Lagbhag Jai Hind’, ‘Ek Chuppi Jagah’ and more.
In an interview with Hindustan Times earlier this year, Shukla spoke about his poetic beginnings in Rajnandgaon. Responding to his Jnanthpith Award win, Shukla had said, “No writer writes for awards. When you walk the path of writing, awards may come your way.”
Shukla was born and began writing in Rajnandgaon city in Chattisgarh, with his first poetry collection being ‘Lagbhag Jai Hind.’ “Ashok Vajpeyi selected poems for a series called Pahchan, and published them under the title Lagbhag Jai Hind,” the writer told HT.
Vajpeyi was the collector in Mahasamund, and had phoned the Raipur collector to request him to collect Shukla's poems and get them typed, Shukla said.
Shukla's mother spent her childhood in Jamalpur, which is now in Bangladesh, and married in Rajnandgaon. The writer earlier this year said his mother used to “recall Bengali authors and encouraged” him to read.
