Sri Lal Sukla

Shrilal Shukla (श्रीलाल शुक्‍ल) (31 December 1925 - 28 October 2011[1]) was a Hindi writer, notable for his satire. He worked as a Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer for the state government of Uttar Pradesh, later inducted into the IAS. He has written over 25 books,[2] including Makaan, Sooni Ghaati Ka Sooraj, Pehla Padaav and Bisrampur Ka Sant.

Shukla has highlighted the falling moral values in the Indian society in the post independence era through his novels. His writings expose the negative aspects of life in rural and urban India in a satirical manner. His best known work Raag Darbari has been translated into English and 15 Indian languages. A television serial based on this continued for several months on the national network in the 1980s. It is a little known fact that he also wrote a detective novel entitled Aadmi Ka Zahar which was serialised in the weekly magazine 'Hindustan'.

Contents

Awards

Shukla received the Sahitya Akademi Award, the highest Indian literary award, for his novel Raag Darbari in 1969. He received the Vyas Samman award in 1999 for the novel Bisrampur ka Sant.[2][3] In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan [4] by the President of India for his contribution to Indian literature and culture. On his 80th birthday in December 2005, his friends, peers, family and fans organised a literary and cultural event in New Delhi. To mark the occasion, a volume titled Shrilal Shukla - Jeevan Hi Jeevan was issued about him which contains the writings of eminent literary personalities such as Dr. Naamvar Singh, Rajendra Yadav, Ashok Bajpai, Doodhnath Singh, Nirmala Jain, Leeladhar Jagudi, Gillian Wright, Kunwar Narayan and Raghuvir Sahay among others. His friends, family and fans also contributed to the book. He also received the Jnanpith Award for 2009[5]], which is one of India's highest literary awards.

Personal account

Literary works

Novels

Satires

Short Story Collections

Memoirs

Literary Critique

Edited Works

Literary travels

He has visited Yugoslavia, Germany, UK, Poland, Surinam for various literary seminars, conferences and to receive awards. He has also headed a delegation of writers sent by the Government of India to China.

Demise

He died in Lucknow on 28 October 2011 at around 11.45 am after prolonged illness.

The legendary author of Hindi literature was intending to pen a novel on legal system in India for which he had done immense research, as confirmed by his historian nephew, Rajan Shukla to Times of India. However, his deteriorating health could not allow him to finish his work. The Hindi Literature lovers and Shukla's fans remain deprived of yet another piece of art. Nonetheless, Shukla's great body of work shall outlive the lives and times of the future proponents of Hindi Literature.

References

  1. ^ "Noted Hindi Novelist and Satirist Srilal Shukla Passed Away". Jagranjosh.com. http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/Noted-Hindi-Novelist-and-Satirist-Srilal-Shukla-Passed-Away-1319886840-1. Retrieved 2011-11-28. 
  2. ^ a b Vyas Samman 1999
  3. ^ Vyas Samman 1999 In brief - The Tribune, December 15, 1999.
  4. ^ Padma Bhushan Official listings Govt. of India website.
  5. ^ [1] In brief - The Times Of India, October 19, 2011