Late Mr. Kirat Babani
Uttam Sahit Award
Recipient for year 2006
Born on 3 January 1922 in Moro Lakho, Nawabshah (Sindh), Kirat Babani emerged as a prominent Sindhi writer, activist, and cultural leader. Orphaned early, he excelled in studies and became actively involved in India’s freedom movement, leading to repeated imprisonments during the Quit India Movement. After Partition, he played a pivotal role in the struggle for recognition of the Sindhi language in India, which culminated in its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 1967. A prolific author and long-time literary organizer, Babani received several honours, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, and remains a leading figure in Sindhi literature and cultural identity.
Key Facts
- Birth Date: January 3, 1922
- Place: Moro Lakho, Nawabshah (Sindh)
Biography
- Born on 3 January 1922 in Moro Lakho village, District Nawabshah, Sindh.
- Lost his father at the age of four; early life marked by hardship and frequent relocation (Moro Lakho → Saboo Rahoo → Nawabshah).
- Actively participated in the Indian freedom movement, particularly during the Quit India Movement (1942), resulting in multiple imprisonments.
- After Partition, faced political persecution in Sindh and migrated to India in 1949, arriving in Bombay with very limited means.
- Played a pivotal role in post-Independence movements to preserve Sindhi language, literature, and identity in India.
- Married Savita; remained actively engaged in literary and cultural life for several decades.
Occupation
Sindhi writer, literary activist, language activist, and cultural leader
Education
- Initial education under a local Maulvi
- Wills High School, Soni Bazar, Nawabshah (Matriculation – ranked 7th in Sindh)
- D.J. College, Karachi
- Ismail Yusuf College, Jogeshwari, Bombay – B.A.
- LLB, Bombay
Posts Held
- General Secretary, All Sindh Students’ Union (1945)
- Secretary, Sindhi Boli and Lipi Committee
- President, Akhil Bharat Sindhi Boli Ain Sahat Sabha (served for 18 years)
Books Published
- Lenin Dunya jee Azeem Inquilabi Shakhsyat (1980)
- Author of around fifteen books
Awards / Honours
- Nehru Award (Soviet Land Award) for Sindhi language (1980)
- Sahitya Akademi Award
- Recipient of several other literary and cultural honours
Besides
- Prominent student leader during pre-Independence period
- Social and linguistic activist committed to Sindhiat
- Strong advocate of secularism, socialism, and cultural unity
Literary Activities
- Founder member of Forward Students Union
- Active participant in Karachi Students’ Union
- Member of Adabi Class, later Sindhi Sahat Mandal
- Contributor to literary magazine ‘Nai Dunya’
- First short story ‘Jilebyun jo Chor’ published in Nai Dunya
- Organizer of Sindhi literary conventions and sammelans across India
- Key figure in movement leading to inclusion of Sindhi in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution (1967)
Editing
Associated with publications ‘Sindh Rises’ and ‘Sindh Sujag’ (since 1991)
Past Winners
