Lal Bhagwandas Rijhwani
Lal Bhagwandas Rijhwani, born on 1 January 1935 in Larkana, Sind [Pakistan], is a B.A. graduate in English Literature and is professionally associated with publishing. Settled in Mumbai, he is widely known by his pen name Lal Pushp and has earned recognition as one of the leading second-generation Sindhi writers after Partition, alongside Mohan Kalpana and Guno Samtaney, who together ushered in modernist thought in Sindhi literature.
A powerful and influential writer, Lal Pushp is best known for his modern short stories and novels, many of which have been translated into other Indian languages. His short story collection A Cog in the Machine was translated into English, and his acclaimed novel Hun Je Atam Jo Maut won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award. He has also contributed notable critical works to Sindhi literature.
Key Facts
- Birth Date: 1-1-1935
- Place of Birth: Larkana, Sind (Pakistan)
- Academic Attainments: B.A. (English Literature)
- Permanent Address: Mumbai, India.
- Occupation: Publishing
Significant Literary Achievements / Contributions
As Writer:
Lal Pushp has written 24 books in Sindhi. Most significant amongst them are given below:
- Dairo [Circle], Short Stories, 1966.
- Hun je Atam Jo Maut [The death of his self], Novel, 1973.
- Gadyal Tanqeed [Collected criticism], Literary work, 2001.
- Lal Pushp, Vol. I of his autobiography, Novel-History, 2002.
As Journalist
- Lal edited monthly Sindhi Magazine Priha Phuti [Dawn] for 2 decades.
- He is the Editor & Publisher of monthly English magazine, called Sindhi International.
Recognition By Way Of Awards / Honours
- Award for his Novel Hun je Atam Jo Maut, 1973, [At New Delhi by Sahitya Akademi, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India.]
- Gaurav Puraskar for contributions to literature, [At Mumbai, by Govt. of Maharashtra].
Additional Information
- Number of Lal's Novels / short stories have been translated in other Indian languages.
- Collection of short stories A Cog in the Machine has been translated in English.
Finale
Lal Pushp is one among the triumvirate of leading writers of the second-generation writers after partition in India who blazed a new path in Sindhi literature; the other two were Mohan Kapana & Guno Samtaney. They were harbinger of a new thought of modernism against realistic thought of the previous generation.
Lal is one of the foremost and forceful short story writers of modern thought in Sindhi literature and has brought out many collections of short stories. He is also a novelist with a few titles to his credit, the most talked about is Hun je Atam Jo Maut, which won him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award. There are a few critical works also to his credit.