Govind Mishra

Govind Mishra (born 1 August 1939) is an Indian novelist, who has written more than 53 books. He was also a civil servant with Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and retired as Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes in 1997. Over the years, he has written 11 novels, 14 short story collections, five travelogues, five literary essays collection, a poem collection and 2 story books for children.^[1]

He has been awarded the most prestigious Hindi awards namely Vyas Samman (1998) and Sahitya Akademi Award (2008). He received Saraswati Samman for the year 2013 for his book Dhool Paudho Par published in 2008. This honour made him the second Hindi author to receive the honour after Harivansh Rai Bachchan in 1991.^[1]

Biography

He was born on 1 August 1939 in Atarra, Banda, United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). His parents were primary school teachers. His early education was completed in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, thereafter he did his BA and MA (English) from Allahabad University which in those days was known to be the "Oxford of the East". He taught for two years, graduate classes and in 1962 joined the Indian Revenue Service from which he retired in 1997 as Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes. Thereafter he shifted to Bhopal.^[1]

He started writing at the age of 14 but regular writing commenced in 1965. He published his first novel "Wo Apna Chehra" in 1969.^[1] Of his 53 books, 11 are novels, more than 10 are collection of stories, 5 are books on travels and the remaining are on miscellaneous subjects including stories for children, poems and literary ess

More than 150 PhDs have been completed on his works and one DLit has also been awarded to a lady professor. His writings have a wide range – from villages to towns, metros of India to even foreign countries. The writings bear both romantic and realistic touch which Govind Mishra attributes to his upbringing which was in rustic villages and towns where he also experienced the delicacies of love. The characters figuring in his works would number more than 2000. His critics opine that Govind Mishra has never repeated himself in novels and has taken up a new subject and new context every time. For example "Phool Imartein aur Bandar" is a novel on bureaucracy, "Lal Peeli Zameen" on violence in villages and small towns, "Tumhari Roshni Mein" is on love, "Dheer Sameere" is on Indian religious context of Mathura and Vrindavan, "Paanch Angano wala Ghar" is about the joint family system of Indian society.

Vyas Samman was awarded in 1998, to his work "Paanch Anangano Wala Ghar" ^[2] which was later translated into various Indian languages and also in English as "House with Five Courtyards", published by Penguin.

Sahitya Akademi Award, gievn by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, was awarded in 2008 on "Kohre Mein Kaid Rang" ^[3] which is also being translated in various regional languages and English by Sahitya Akademi, Ravindra Bhavan, New Delhi. His main publishers are Rajkamal Prakashan, Vani Prakashan and Kitab Ghar in Delhi. A book comprising criticism of his works entitled "Govind Mishra: Shrajan ke Aayam" edited by Dr. Chandrakant Vandivadekar has been published by Vani Prakashan. Another book of criticism on his works entitled "Govind Mishra ka Rachna Lok" is being edited by Dr. Krishnadutt Paliwal and is due to be published by Kitab Ghar. A biography on him entitled "Biyanba Mein Bahar" written by Dr. Urmila Sirish is due for publication from Kitab Ghar Prakashan Delhi.

Govind Mishra was also awarded the Bharat Bharti Samman for the year 2011 - the highest literary award given by the Uttar Pradesh government.^[4]

Govind Mishra is an enthusiastic traveller and has covered almost the entire India and most of the foreign countries. His complete travelogues have been published in two titles "Rango ki Gandh" by Kitab Ghar. His selected writings have been published in three parts, entitled "Govind Mishra: Chuni hui Rachnayein" by Vani Prakashan. His complete short stories have been published in two parts entitled "Nirjharni" by National Publishing House, Daryaganj, Delhi.

Govind Mishra now lives in Bhopal and has devoted himself exclusively to wiritng. He is also member of the present General Council of Sahitya Akademi and is frequently invited to act as jury in deciding various literary awards.

References