Des Raj Kali
Des Raj Kali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1971 Mithapur, Jalandhar district, Punjab, India |
| Died | (aged 52) Chandigarh, India |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist |
Des Raj Kali (1971 – 27 August 2023) was an Indian Punjabi writer and journalist. He is known for celebrating his Dalit identity through his works.
Early life[edit]
Des Raj Kali was born in Mithapur village in Jalandhar district. His father Niranjan Das worked at moulding factory.[1] As a child, he was influenced by the Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana along with the Punjabi Qissa poetry.[2][1]
Literary career[edit]
His writing career started when his short-story Chanan Di Leek got published in Nagmani.[1] He started getting recognition as a young short-story writer foregrounding the Dalit experience along with Bhagwant Rasulpuri and Jinder.[3]
In 1996, his first collection of short-stories Kath Kali was published.[4] His second short-story collection titled Fakiri was published in 2006. His 2015 short-story collection Yahan Chai Achhi Nahi Banti is believed to have established him as an experimental writer.[4]
In 2010, he was one of the six Dalit writers to be featured at the Jaipur Literature Festival.[5] He has also been a part of special sessions in Nottingham Trent University, University of Montpellier, and Monash University.[6]
Kali was a part of the Punjabi jury for Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar award for 2019.[7][8] His books have been translated into Hindi, Urdu, English, Bengali, Tamil, Kashmiri, Gujarati and Rajasthani.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Kali suffered from a liver ailment in later life, and died at PGIMER, Chandigarh on 27 August 2023.[10] He is survived by his wife, and three children.[6]
Works[edit]
Short-story collections[edit]
- Kath Kali (Stories of Kali) - 1996
- Fakiri (Mendicancy) - 2006
- Yahan Chai Achhi Nahi Banti (Good Tea is Not Served Here) - 2015
Novels[edit]
- Antheen (Eternal)
- Pratham Pauran (First Puran)
- Shanti Parav (English translation: Treatise on Peace)[11]
- Shehar Vich Sahn Honn da Matlab (What It Means to be a Bull in the Town)[12]
Awards[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Dalit writings are victims of state's intellectual mafia: Des Raj Kali". The Tribune. 20 June 2016.
- ^ "Des Raj Kali throws light on early influences of his life". The Tribune. 19 February 2020.
- ^ Lāla, Camana (1998). The Punjabi and Dalit Images in Indian Literature: Occasional Essays and Papers. Anmol Publications. ISBN 978-81-7488-917-1.
- ^ a b Misrahi-Barak, Judith; Satyanarayana, K.; Thiara, Nicole (18 June 2019). Dalit Text: Aesthetics and Politics Re-imagined. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-00696-4.
- ^ "Des Raj Kali,a Dalit writer,to feature at Jaipur literature fest". The Indian Express. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ a b Banerji, Aparna (27 August 2023). "Eminent Punjabi Dalit icon Des Raj Kali passes away". The Tribune.
- ^ "22 writers Selected for Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019 | The Indian Awaaz". 14 June 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Press Release - Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019" (PDF).
- ^ "Des Raj Kali". Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Punjabi writer and journalist Des Raj Kali passes away". PTC News. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Orient BlackSwan". www.orientblackswan.com. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Desraj Kali - Jaipur Literature Festival". jaipurliteraturefestival.org/. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Kali gets Shah Chaman Yadgari award". The Tribune. 12 April 2018.
- ^ "ਦੇਸ ਰਾਜ ਕਾਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਹਿਰਾਈ ਐਵਾਰਡ". Punjabi Jagran News (in Punjabi). Retrieved 27 August 2023.